By Siyosile Fikizolo, Thandiwe Johnson and Sayuri Persotham Prof Sam Naidu’s long and undimmed commitment to Makhanda reading clubs has been recognised with a prestigious Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Community Engagement Award. For many years, Naidu facilitated the Community Engagement Reading Clubs Orientation (CERCO) course for Rhodes students who volunteer to run reading clubs with local learners. Her academic interests, focused on South African crime fiction, African literature and transnational literature, are seamlessly integrated into her community initiatives, promoting a dynamic learning environment that encourages learners from local schools to engage with literature. Her students and colleagues have heaped praise on her work.…
Author: Rod Amner
By Busuku Ntombikhaya Makhanda’s annual Nite Race, run in Wednesday’s heat, brought together runners and community members for an event filled with fun and pineapples. Graeme College hosted the Nite Race at Somerset Field to raise funds for its hockey programme. The event, sponsored by local organisations and individuals, including Makana Brick, brought together members of the Makhanda community and students from various schools, including Graeme College, DSG, and St Andrew’s College. Despite the hot weather, participants stayed determined and finished strong. One of them was Nomaxabiso Yantolo, who has been joining the race since 2019. She looks forward to…
By Mmathabo Maebela Colonisation did more than divide and conquer in Africa – it waged a psychological and linguistic war. One that contributed to the burden of what Thandeka Gqubule-Mbeki, the event facilitator, referred to as the “nervous condition of black people”. The phrase references Tsitsi Dangarengba’s 1998 novel and a legacy of dissonance and scars, which language continues to reflect. Last week’s event, hosted by Rhodes University’s African Languages and Literature and Politics and International Studies departments, bolstered ongoing attempts to reclaim African languages. Students and scholars, faces beaming with enthusiasm, gathered at Eden Grove Blue to celebrate and…
By Nomfundo Mbatha, Malebo Pheme & Karabo Matalajoe In a world where hair is more than just strands of keratin, Hairitage emerges as a compelling exhibition that dives deep into hair’s personal, cultural, and social significance. Curated by Mivuyo Dalasile and captured through the lens of photographer Lithemba Nziweni, Hairitage is more than just an art showcase—it’s a conversation, a movement, and a profound reflection on identity. “Hairitage began as a series of internal thoughts before they became conversations,” explains Nziweni. “People naturally gravitate towards discussions about hair—how it influences behaviour, personality, and how people perceive us. Those first conversations…
By Zoliswa Mdawini The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) was created to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds financially and help them afford access to higher education. However, ongoing administrative failures are making it harder for students to focus on their studies, with many facing severe financial and mental health struggles. Delayed application statuses, sudden defunding of students, and late monthly allowance payments have left students anxious, stressed, and uncertain about their future. During a Daily Maverick webinar last week, Professor Lesley Powell from UCT highlighted the serious consequences of such delays. Students depend on these funds for rent, food,…
By Chalotte Mokonyane and Dideka Njemla While Rhodes students joined the water march last week called by Archbishop Nkosinathi Ngesi on behalf of Makhanda residents, students were also preoccupied with their problems on the campus, which focused on the water supply but also included issues like lack of accommodation and the very high costs associated with studying. During the meetings held last week – and the academic shutdown, which involved a morning which became a day and then another day – the SRC found itself challenged for its representation of students by a former SRC president and the leaders of…
By Karabo Matalajoe In a world where women’s potential for leadership is often overlooked, Pam Yako stands as a torch of change. Born in Queenstown and raised in Makhanda, Yako has spent decades as an activist for gender equality and fighting against social and economic injustice. At the early age of 13, she began advocating for her community and then was a student protester during her school years at Nombulelo High School, and she was SRC President at Rhodes University. Yako says: “I believe in a society where there is equality between men and women primarily, but also there shouldn’t…
Earlier this week, the Makana Municipality’s Executive Mayor Yandiswa Vara and her team took journalists on a tour around Makhanda to “give all a practical view of the work happening in Makhanda”. The municipality highlighted these seven areas in which work is being done to improve Makhanda: 1. Improving Makhanda’s Water Supply According to Vara, the water supply in Makhanda has seen significant improvements thanks to continuous efforts from the municipality. At some stage, residents received water once every three days, but supply has now “improved to one day on and one day off. The continued efforts of the municipality…
By Malebo Pheme and Nomfundo Mbatha Rhodes University students joined the Concerned Residents of Makhanda (CRM) march on Tuesday with the university leadership agreeing with the SRC on no lectures for the morning. Immediately afterwards, students led by the SRC gathered at the Drama Department to present a memorandum of demands to the university. The protest was not only a stand against the municipality but also a statement about the university’s role in addressing the water crisis, which has had a detrimental impact on students’ lives as well. At the afternoon meeting the students called for a full day’s shutdown…
The following is the full text of the petition delivered to a representative of COGTA on Wednesday: We, the undersigned mass-based organizations of Makana municipality, demand the immediate removal of the Mayor and the Speaker from our municipality. For too long Makana Municipality has been experiencing political instability, maladministration, fraud and corruption and service delivery collapse. Notwithstanding the fact that there was an unsuccessful attempt through litigation to dissolve the municipal council, the municipality continues to be a dysfunctional and law-breaking municipality. This is a municipality that cannot fulfil its constitutional and legislative obligations as set out in the constitution…