Author: Rod Amner

By Steven Lang, former editor of Grocott’s Mail  I believe that Rhodes University is suffering an immense loss with the departure of Sue Maclennan, one of Grocott’s Mail’s longest-serving and most competent editors of the last century or so. She has three talents that are highly prized in the business of media. Firstly, Sue is a meticulously accurate sub-editor, who understands what the reporter meant to write, and how they should have written it. She is the only person with who I would feel comfortable about publishing my work without having to recheck it. She is a consummate professional as…

By Azlan Makalima, former Grocott’s Mail social media editor and designer I knew Sue before we even met. I remember I was with Anele Mjekula (a Grocott’s journalist at the time) at the old Grocott’s building. No, the other old building… I was showing Anele the pictures I had taken at Dakawa’s Heritage Festival. Anele liked the photos and told me that I should wait; he will call Sue. Okay great! I don’t know what they talked about, but when I got a phone call, Sue told me to drop the photos and leave my banking details. Honestly, all I wanted was…

By Anthea Garman, Head of the School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University Sue brought to Grocott’s Mail her powerful sense that a community newspaper like this would only be worthwhile if it were strongly rooted in the Makhanda community. And she made strong efforts to know and understand this community in all its facets as both the editor and reporter. I have always been deeply impressed that she felt she could only do this city justice by knowing it extremely well (hence the work on the ground she undertook herself) and by approaching the making of news about…

By Stephen Kisbey-Green, a former Grocott’s Mail Sports Editor It is sad to see such a stalwart journalist like Sue Maclennan leave Grocott’s Mail after almost a decade of service. She made a massive contribution not only to the paper and the community but also to my career. Few people showed that they cared for the people of Makhanda as much as Sue did in the brief time that I was fortunate enough to work under her. Sue is an incredible leader who truly helped me get a start in my journalism career, taking a young student journalist from his…

Dear Sue, Few people have had the privilege and pleasure of working as closely with you as I had during my time in Makhanda. From the beginning, you entrusted me, a keen student journalist at the time, with increasingly important stories about our community and the wider Eastern Cape. I’ll never forget the first story I did for Grocott’s; it was about cattle polluting the runway at the local airstrip. Like any about Makhandan livestock, donkeys, goats, or dogs, this story was fitting for a small town. Your editorial and leadership style was gentle, which was what I needed at…

By Sally Price-Smith, Makana Residents’ Association Chair,  Sue has the most amazing stamina: from very early mornings taking pictures of the perfect sunrise with willing participants creating a story to advertise a local running or cycling event to many hours sitting through council meetings. She reports a story about a primary school first day with the same enthusiasm and attention to detail as a story about the technical intricacies of the Makhanda water system. She is always well informed, producing clear and accurate copy. Sue is a consummate professional who really cares about her craft and knows how important community…

By Archbishop Nkosinathi Ngesi, Ethiopian Episcopal Church, Makhanda I am honoured and humbled to write a few words about Sue Maclennan and her love for investigative journalism. I met Sue at the time that we were in the struggle to fight corruption in Makana Municipality. She had a passion for her work and was unbiased in her reporting. I also had a sense that she loved to assist the underprivileged, the poor and the oppressed. I also noticed the hatred she had for corruption in the Municipality; she knew that corruption is the source of massive unemployment in Makhanda. She…

In Gal 5:19-22, we read: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” I…

By Prof Lynette Steenveld and Prof Harry Dugmore, former chair and deputy chair of the Grocott’s Mail Board Grocott’s Mail turned 150 in 2020. While it had many great editors since Rhodes University bought it in 2003, it is with enormous sadness that we bid farewell to Sue Maclennan, who started in 2010 as a part-time sub-editor and succeeded Steven Lang as the editor at the end of 2013. Sue displayed her ingenuity, steadfastness, and considerable skills as a newspaperwoman by taking over the reins of a grand old newspaper in severe financial distress. In the 21st century, local news…

By Rod Amner, learning editor, Grocott’s Mail Sue Maclennan’s eight-year editorship of Grocott’s sadly ended on 31 July. Sue is self-effacing, mistrusts hyperbole, and is not fond of the limelight. Regardless, we invited several former colleagues and civic leaders to write about her leadership of this local news organisation. They were unabashed in their praise of her phenomenal contribution to the city’s civic life – you can read their tributes elsewhere on our website. As a lecturer in the School of JMS, I was privileged to work with Sue on occasion over the years. I was struck by her professionalism, equanimity, work…