By ROD AMNER I was in the Makhanda Circle of Unity Education Cluster meeting on Zoom with Makhandan educational leaders on Wednesday when someone suggested setting up school vaccinations sites for 18+ learners. The head of Community Engagement at Rhodes Di Hornby immediately WhatsApped the Makana Department of Health manager Mohamed Docrat… and before the meeting had ended, Docrat had already responded and several schools were signed up for next week. Apparently, this is how things get done in Makhanda. Citizens gather. They connect, they deliberate and, most importantly, they act. The Makhanda Circle of Unity (MCU) was formed in…
Author: Rod Amner
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SHEPI MATI remembers Marikana, 16 August 2012 I had left the Cape Peninsula University of Technology Bellville Campus early that day. As I drove down Forest Drive in Pinelands, listening to SAfm, I could not believe my ears. A staccato of machine-gun fire rattled me out of my comfort. And, grabbing me by my ears, threw me into the middle of a gut-wrenching experience I will never forget. I had to pull over. I went through an emotional roller coaster in quick succession — shock, disbelief, and then anger. How could a democratic government, elected through a popular mandate, turn…
By VUKOSI MALULEKE When it comes to vaccinations, Makana is the leading sub-district in a leading district in what is definitely the leading province in the country. The Makana sub-district has recorded the highest number of doses administered (25 609) in the Sarah Baartman District, according to Mohamed Docrat, head of the Department of Health in Makana. The wider Sarah Baartman District has vaccinated 84 429 individuals and is leading the Eastern Cape in vaccination the registration of some age groups: Over 34% of the district 98 817 35-49 year-olds have registered – the highest percentage by district in the…
By DYLAN COETZEE Julia Heemstra moves briskly up the rugged trails hugging the contours of the Teton mountains that stand over the Jackson Hole valley in Wyoming, USA. Her trek is not only for pleasure or fitness. This month, Heemstra began climbing once a week for seven weeks in an extraordinary, multimillion-rand intercontinental campaign to raise funds for water and sanitation infrastructure at seven Makhanda township schools. On three trips up the mountain, she will take a companion to emphasize the goal of supporting education by providing water: one trip will include a middle school science teacher, highlighting education; one…
Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) has committed R2-million towards the daily running costs of Makhanda’s new 34 500-litre water tanker over five years. In July, the tanker was delivered to the city in partnership with Gift of the Givers, adding to Makana’s existing three-tanker fleet serving the communities of Fort Brown, Manley Flats, Salem, Alicedale and several other informal settlements. CCBSA is in the process of acquiring a second water tanker. The frequent water cuts and pressure throttling do not only affect Makhanda but surrounding areas as well.
Although the official 2021 National Arts Festival has ended, you still have the rest of August to explore Fringe Live online fully. Fringe Live is an independent platform where artists bring their self-funded works – and big dreams. There are over 100 shows to watch across theatre, dance, music and more. Buying a ticket for a Fringe show also means you are supporting artists directly. 90% of the ticket revenue goes directly into their pockets. The world’s network of Fringe Festivals includes Edinburgh Fringe, Brighton Fringe and Adelaide Fringe, and many of our own productions are seen by these Festivals…
Have you wondered how artists find the stamina to keep creating in the face of all these challenges? Do you long for a full theatre, the roar of live applause and gathering after a show at the Festival? We’ll get there but to ensure there is a theatre of tomorrow we have to keep the dreams of artists alive today. Standard Bank – Arts Bank of Dreams campaign to support our Fringe artists runs for just two more weeks and is moving towards R150 000 raised so far. It needs a good push for the home run to R500 000.…
Performance, film, live music, a street market, and newly-published books will feature at the 2021 Schreiner Karoo Writers Festival (SKWF) on 3 and 4 September. As part of the SKWF programme, Chris Marais and Julienne du Toit will chat about their new book, The Flanagan Journey: Extraordinary South African Women profiles 45 scholars awarded the Patrick and Margaret Flanagan Scholarship between 1985 and 2020 for postgraduate studies at top overseas universities. Isobel Dixon from Graaff-Reinet was one of them. Now based in London, Isobel is one of the top literary agents globally and represents Deon Meyer and many other South…
By Rod Amner and Bianca McLean “No work, no pay” is Rhodes University’s response to a week-long strike by over 100 workers affiliated with the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw). Nupsaw and Rhodes are locked in a dispute over whether the union is sufficiently representative to qualify for organisation rights on campus. Nupsaw is a South African Federation of Trade Unions affiliate, but the university will only recognise and negotiate with the Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), affiliated with the Federation of Unions of South Africa, and the National Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), affiliated with…
Rhodes University management and the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw) are locked in a stand-off over the union’s demands to be given organisational rights on campus. Rhodes claims Nupsaw is not representative enough. In this video update, Bianca McLean interviews the union’s provincial leader, Lerato Thethe, who disputes the university’s position. We were awaiting further clarification from the university and will update the story once received.