By Ndapewa Tafeni and Solethu Madzwila When Liseko Mawonga visited a local pharmacy last year, he saw an elderly man receiving pills at the counter. “Two pills twice a day,” the pharmacist said. The old man responded in isiXhosa: “Andimva noba uthini ngoku”. Then, he simply walked away. At that moment, Mawonga, an Anthropology Honours student at Rhodes University, realised that language is a key determinant of whether people access health care. This prompted Mawonga’s research project, shows that local health care is not just about finding a clinic or affording medicine – language gaps often leave the town’s most…
Author: Rod Amner
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By Ororiseng Kabelo The self-taught American singer-songwriter, BB King, once said: “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” Cameron Edwards, affectionately known as Cam, attests to this. As a self-taught, multi-award-winning hip hop dancer and aspiring professional choreographer, he is striving to make a difference in the lives of local youth through dance. Born in Queenstown in 2001, he was raised in Makhanda by his single mother with the help of his aunts and uncles. Growing up alongside his older siblings, he became exposed to dance through the dance movies they used…
By Nosiphiwe Nyangana and Siphesihle Mkhwanazi The Rhodes University Zulu Society joined the Nelson Mandela University Zulu Nostra Society for a vibrant Heritage Month celebration earlier this month at NMU’s South Campus Auditorium, where students, artists, and invited societies gathered to honour traditional music, dance, and tradition. The program featured performances from the Zulu, Xhosa, VhaVenda, Tsonga, and Ndebele societies, showcasing the richness of indigenous practices and traditions. Organised to highlight the importance of cultural identity within a diverse university community, the celebration unfolded through dynamic performances, thought-provoking speeches, and displays that emphasised unity in heritage. Guest societies from Walter…
By Siyolise Fikizolo The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) Commissioner Unathi Kamlana delivered a powerful address on ethical leadership in South Africa’s financial sector during the 11th Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Development Trust Annual Lecture at Rhodes University on September 11. The lecture, hosted at Eden Grove in partnership with Rhodes University Business School, focused on the critical relationship between financial value and ethical principles in leadership. Commissioner Kamlana, a 2021 Distinguished Alumni Recipient, opened his presentation by acknowledging Rhodes University’s motto “Where Leaders Learn,” praising the institution’s reputation for academic excellence and innovation. “Efficiency and integrity may seem opposed, but…
By Iphendulwe Sigwebela and Siphesihle Mkhwanazi Prof Sam Naidu has called on educators, parents and community members to become “literary conservationists” to combat declining reading skills among students and preserve local reading cultures. Naidu delivered the 2025 Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Community Engagement Lecture at Rhodes University on Thursday, focusing on how reading clubs strengthen communities and address literacy challenges. “Each year, it seems like our students find it more difficult to read the prescribed texts in our curriculum, although the curriculum has evolved over the recent years to accommodate a diverse student body,” Naidu said during her presentation. Naidu, who received…
By Zipho Ndwayana and Owethu Nokhangela The South African Police Service (SAPS) Makhanda concluded its Women’s Month celebrations with a community outreach visit to MacKaizer Old Age Home on Friday, 29 August, donating grocery items to elderly residents. The initiative reflects SAPS Makhanda’s ongoing commitment to supporting vulnerable community members, particularly elderly women who have contributed significantly to society throughout their lives. Constable Ntombekhaya Mcuwe, a sector manager, said the police chose to support elderly women because such opportunities are rare and demonstrate that older citizens remain valued and appreciated for their contributions to future generations. “We are not only…
By Zipho Ndwayana and Owethu Nokhangela Women from SAPS branches across the Makana district participated in a “women supporting each other in workspaces” march in Makhanda on Thursday, 3 September. The women in SAPS branches from Makhanda, Alicedale, Fort Brown, Riebeek East and Seven Fountains who joined the march are trying to build programs that promote women’s empowerment. One of these programs is the Makhanda Women’s Network, which was formed this year as the main platform for support amongst the SAPS women. They host prayer sessions and bonding sessions with each other to build a sisterhood within and beyond the…
To mark International Literacy Day, which is today, Monday, 8 September, we present personal reading journeys by Rhodes University Journalism and Media Studies students that illuminate the human dimension of South Africa’s literacy challenges. The 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) revealed that 81% of South African Grade 4 learners could not read for meaning in any language, up from 78% in 2016. South Africa ranked last among 43 participating countries. However, an equivalent 2024 survey of Makhanda Grade 4 students, conducted by GADRA Education and Rhodes University’s Department of Education, found that 45% could read for meaning,…
By Siphesihle Mkhwanazi “Preferring a company of books to real life? That’s so weird”. “It’s for nerds”. “Why would I waste my time reading a book instead of having fun out there playing?”. Those were my everyday thoughts and words. I could not see myself just reading a book. A magazine? That I would do, but only if there was some interesting celebrity gossip. But then, why would I think like this, knowing that deep down I enjoy reading? I would not admit that to anyone; everyone knew Sphe hates reading. She is just a gifted, wise person who excels…
By Malcolm Mulope My journey with reading and writing was forever changed by one person, Lara Schade. We were both 21 years old when we met on a rainy afternoon on an artificial hockey field. Her’s was a new face I had never seen before, so I approached her, shook her slightly damp hand and introduced myself. It wasn’t very long after that that we became romantically involved. We spent days together talking about hockey, television, politics, and even nothing at all. But the one thing she loved talking to me about was reading. She’d beam as she spoke about…