The Silent Protest against rape and sexual violence will this year not include a march in the city’s streets. The annual Silent Protest at Rhodes University is the biggest protest against rape and sexual violence in South Africa, with participant numbers growing each year. “The main purpose of the protest is to create a dialogue and break the silence around gender-based sexual violence in our society, where one in three womxn and one in six mxn will be sexually violated,” said the University’s Equity and Institutional Culture media officer Katlego Gabashane. “This has been a programme where Rhodes students can…
Author: Staff Reporter
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South Africa’s younger generation of sportsmen and women showed their ability to compete at an international level by surpassing expectations at the World Student Games recently completed in Napoli, Italy. Having set themselves a goal of eight medals, the SA squad returned with an impressive haul of 18, improving on their previous best of 14 medals achieved in Kazan in 2013. The team, which included Madibaz swimmer Alaric Basson, came 10th out of the 118 countries that participated in the latest student sporting extravaganza. Madibaz director of sport Yoliswa Lumka, the deputy head of the SA delegation, said team selection…
By GEMMA RITCHIE Fikizolo Primary in Makhanda (Grahamstown) came second in the nation for its innovation in advancing the National School Nutrition Programme (NSPN), winning R275 000. The award, which forms part of a competition which over 9000 schools participated in, acknowledged the dedication of the school’s management, educators, volunteers, food handlers and governing body in implementing the government nutrition programme. The Eastern Cape government and Makana municipality delivered the award to the school and commended seven other schools in the area for their nutrition programmes at the Joza Indoor Sports centre on Thursday 25 July. “Fizikolo has done us…
The Electoral Commission has announced public hearings into the draft regulations for the Political Party Funding Act (Act 6 of 2018) in Cape Town on 1-2 August 2019. The hearings follow the publication of draft regulations for comment between 1 and 21 March 2019. According to the IEC, approximately 4 300 written submissions were received. The Political Party Funding Act regulates the public and private funding of political parties, in particular: Providing for the establishment and management of Represented Political Parties’ Fund and a new Multiparty Democracy Fund; To prohibit certain donations made directly to political parties; To regulate disclosure…
Grahamstown Round Table 11 members hit Makhanda CBD’s most popular TGIF spot on Friday night, 19 July, to publicise their Winter Knights collection campaign. Launched on Thursday 18 July 2019, the campaign will run for the duration of Mandela Month until 18 August. On Friday evening, New Street passers-by and Rat & Parrot patrons greeted the group of Round Tablers with concern. As the temperature rapidly plummeted towards the minus-1 predicted for the next morning, at least two of them wore short-sleeved T-shirts in the biting wind. “That’s the point,” said Grant Gordon. “The whole point is raising awareness about the cold,…
The Electoral Commission has met to adjudicate on two appeals received against the registration of political parties. In the first case, the Commission dismissed an appeal by the South African Council of Messianic Churches in Christ (SACMCC) against the registration of the African Transformation Movement (ATM). The SACMCC had objected to the registration on the grounds that the ATM had not submitted all the required documentation. However, the Commission found that the ATM had met all the necessary requirements for registration in terms of the Electoral Commission Act. “On careful consideration of the documentary evidence before the Commission, there can…
By NANGAMSO MYOLI Nombulelo Secondary School is celebrating two of their students, Liyabona Qutywa (grade 10) and Oyama Vena (grade 11) after winning top prizes at the South African School Choral Eidsteddford (SASCE) in Johannesburg on 25 June. The competition is part of the ABC Mostepe SASCE and aims to enhance singing talent of South African learners through stage performance and music. Qutywa and Vena won 1st prize and R10 000 for the duet “Mohau Mogale”, a Sestwana love song. Qutywa also took home second prize and R7 500 in the mezzo soprano category. Qutywa said she started singing in 2009…
Makhanda Kwantu Choir and the Rhodes University Drama Department were among the winners of Standard Bank Ovation Awards in the 2019 National Arts Festival. The National Arts Festival closed on Sunday 7 July. A sold out performance by Freshlyground and a free parade through the streets of Makhanda helped see out the Festival. Organisers say it’s too early to report on how the Festival performed, but the overall impression is that the 2019 National Arts Festival was resilient in tough economic times and very well received by audiences. Last Saturday night, the Standard Bank Ovation Awards celebrated artistic innovation, excellence,…
Seven people were arrested during the National Arts Festival, Eastern Cape Police Provincial Commander, Lieutenant General Liziwe Ntshinga, said in a statement. “Ensuring that the citizens and visitors to our beautiful province are and feel safe is one of the key priorities of the SAPS. Sufficient members were deployed and tasked to do crime prevention and visibility operations in and around Makhanda to ensure the general safety of all those visiting the town [during the National Arts Festival]. During the 11-day event, Ntshinga said, seven suspects were arrested for charges ranging from possession of stolen vehicle (2), theft (1), driving under…
The National Arts Festival has announced that its long-serving Chief Executive Officer, Tony Lankester, will be stepping down from the position later this year after more than a decade at the helm of the country’s leading, and the continent’s biggest, arts festival. He is set to take up an appointment in the UK from October. Making the announcement, Festival Chair Ayanda Mjekula thanked Lankester for his contribution to the Festival since his appointment in 2007. “Tony has certainly been a revelation and has set a high standard that will be extremely difficult to rival, but which we have an obligation…