Author: Rod Amner

By ROD AMNER Makana’s senior politicians and officials failed to show up at Thursday night’s well-attended Ward 4 and 8 community engagement meeting at City Hall. At the meeting, Peter Sturrock said it was “an absolute insult” that nobody from the municipality’s department of water and engineering was at the meeting. Commenting on the Ward 8 WhatsApp group, Helen Holleman said the no-show “shouted loud and clear, ‘We don’t care about you lot'”. “But I think I also hear their inaction saying, ‘We’re scared’,” she said. At the meeting, Ward 8 councillor Cary Clark said she asked the same questions…

By JACKIE CLAUSEN Makhanda Rotarians raised R4000 towards polio vaccines through a gin and food-pairing event at Hill Street Manor on Saturday, 5 November. Polio is a disabling and life-threatening disease which can infect a person’s spinal cord and cause paralysis. There is no cure, but the virus can be prevented by immunization. the polio vaccine, which is given multiple times to children, protects a child for life. Rotary Club President Robyn Cooper said Rotary had been working to eradicate polio for over 35 years. “Through these efforts, we’ve managed to reduce polio cases by 99.9 per cent. Recently cases…

By ROD AMNER, ZANELE GINISE and ASIVE NGXOWENI Two Seven Fountains children were playing on a fine October Sunday when they saw a suspicious-looking man hiding behind a tree. They decided to go home to inform their mom. They were unaware that the man was Zimbabwe national Trymore Chauke, a convicted rhino poacher and one of seven dangerous criminals who had recently escaped from the Makhanda Correctional Centre. The children’s mother alerted three other locals before setting off to investigate. Chauke emerged from the trees when he saw the group approaching. “Where are you from, and why are you hiding?”…

The Festival has opened a call for works destined for the Fringe. Artists should complete an application form and, as there is no selection process for the Fringe, artists will be advised on the success of their application pending availability and suitability of venues. Although the Festival has resumed its online format, the vNAF digital platform is still a great way to reach local and international audiences at home – and is open for submissions again this year. A comprehensive guide to applying for the Fringe can be viewed here, and the deadline for applications is midnight (CAT) on 13 January 2023. The National Arts Festival’s Curated…

By LOYISO DYONGMAN The Makana Municipality will need to make a “concerted effort” if it is to avoid contempt of court proceedings, according to Legal Resources Centre’s Cameron McConnachie in a 27 October response to Makana’s 19 October affidavit to the court. In the affidavit, the municipality said it had now “taken the necessary steps under the circumstances to comply with the [Makhanda High Court] order”. The municipality named several sites which had been cleared, some repeatedly, including some next to schools. In addition, the municipality said, R2 million had been sourced to purchase a waste management fleet dedicated to illegal dumping,…

Sibongakonke Mama, 33, had never written a play before she submitted her winning work Ibuhlungu le Ndawo and was sincerely shocked to discover she had won the 2022 Distell National Playwright Competition. Currently based in Johannesburg and working as an investigative journalist, Mama holds an MA in Creative Writing from Rhodes University, graduating cum laude. Born in Gcuwa, Eastern Cape, she also studied journalism at Rhodes and the University of the Witwatersrand. Mama was celebrated alongside her fellow finalists Scout Fynn, Nkamogeleng (Nkamo) Lebeloane, Stephanie Jenkins and Nokuthula Mkwanazi when the winning script was announced at a ceremony at Van…

By JULIA KINGHAN Walking along the sun-beaten streets of Makhanda, you might not notice how old it is. There are some clues: the 19th-century architecture, the wide roads initially designed for teams of oxen, the sombre and proud cathedral and church spires, and the bronze statues now green with oxidation and rust. Yet beneath this town, there is an even older history. It delves deep beneath the potholes, far below the cement foundations and burst pipes that we consider firm ground. Surrounded by jacaranda-stained streets, you might not notice how old the world is around you, how beneath your feet…

By LILITHA BOCO Decolonisation has been a recurring theme throughout this decade, and its approach aims to make spaces for the previously marginalised – space for representation and to coexist. But frankly, it is not entirely adequate where language is concerned. Language is a tool to convey messages, but its more significant aspect is that it encapsulates culture – how people live, what they do, and what they think. Looking back, when indigenous languages were made official, it was a step towards the right direction for a new South Africa. But in reality, there isn’t much that 12 official languages…

By JACKIE CLAUSEN For Diabetes Awareness Month, Dr Davies Optomerists is raising awareness to prevent diabetes-related blindness and eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts. All these conditions can lead to vision loss and blindness, which in many cases is irreversible. Early detection and treatment, however, can go a long way to preventing vision loss. Over the past two weekends, Dr Davies’ team has completed eye exams and screenings on over 60 Kingswood College support staff. More than half needed glasses or medical intervention to prevent loss of sight, highlighting the importance of eye exams, particularly (but…

EDITOR’S NOTE: A few weeks back, Grocott’s Mail published a story on the 19 October Makana Stakeholder Collaboration Meeting at the Monument. This is the full report on the meeting compiled by the Kagiso Trust’s PAUL SMITH, who also facilitated the discussion. Welcome and background: Makana Council Speaker Mthuthezeli Matyumza The municipality derives its mandate from the constitution, which emphasises sustainable service delivery and community engagement. Urgent turnaround is required in Makana, and the municipal executive must enforce institutional accountability to achieve this. Public participation and stakeholder engagements are essential components of the municipal mandate and must be embedded in…