Author: Student Reporter

By LILLIAN ROBERTS #BlackLivesMatter was the focus of the second in the Makhanda Community Forum series and RMR89.7 Station Manager hosted a discussion on the topic ‘Black lives matter in Makhanda’ with a mostly local panel: Sindi Dingana, Manager of Upstart Youth; Ayanda Kota, Unemployed Peoples Movement activist; Sandiso Bazana, Lecturer and Researcher in Organisational Psychology; Nomalanga Mkhize, historian and Makhanda resident; Robbie Van Niekerk, Chair of Public Governance at the University of Witswaterstrand’s School of Governance. A moment of silence was observed for those killed in racially motivated attacks. Sindi Dingana spoke first about how for Upstarters, Black Lives…

Covid-19 survivors speak to Lwazikazi Madikiza about their experience. The interviewees’ names are withheld and some details have been edited to protect their anonymity. ‘There is still a lot of fear because of a lack of knowledge’ SURVIVOR 1 Age: 31 Gender: Female 1. When did you start hearing about COVID-19? At the beginning of the year, but at the time there weren’t any confirmed cases in South Africa. 2. What made you suspect that you might have been infected with Covid-19? I woke up not feeling well and this continued the whole day. However, I was well enough to…

By JULIAN JACOBS As of Wednesday 24 June, the Makana municipal area had 98 active coronavirus cases, with 138 total cases and 39 recoveries. Of this figure, Makhanda has the highest number of infections, with 95 active cases and 36 recoveries to date. Mohamed Docrat, the Chief Pharmacist in the Department of Health’s Makana Subdistrict,  is currently its acting head and represents the Department on the Makana Covid-19 Joint Operations Committee. He is concerned that the community should act with care and take responsibility for their actions when they venture outside their homes. In his Beaufort Street office, Docrat’s phone…

By WENDY NZAMA After three months without their stipend and their applications for Covid-19 social relief turned down, a group of young adults enrolled in a learnership programme are at the end of their tether. They say they’ve been sent from pillar to post, and in their frustration, they’ve turned to Grocott’s Mail to tell their story. In August 2019, 125 young adults from Makhanda began a 12-month learnership under Agri-SETA, the agricultural sector’s training authority. Alongside practical experience, they were enrolled in three courses: New Venture Creation;  Plant Production and Animal Production. Management of the learnership programme was triangular,…

By NASI HAKO As in Gauteng thousands of commuters were left stranded yesterday and the threat of continuing strikes and fare increases brewed across the country, Makhanda’s taxi industry took a decision to delay any action until further notice. “We aren’t planning to strike or increase taxi fares – not yet,”* said Wongezile Sixaba, who is the Head of Drivers for the Uncedo Taxi Association. Due to the limitations placed on the taxi industry amid the global Covid-19 pandemic, taxi workers are struggling to make a significant income and are still holding out hope that the government will keep their…

By USISIPHO BATYI Restaurants have been closed for more than 80 days under the national lockdown. The initial phase, level 5, saw all restaurants close. Under level 4, they have been permitted to operate on a delivery basis. In the week the President announced that sit-down eating will once again be allowed under stringent conditions, we look at the effect of the past 80 days on table staff. Grocott’s Mail spoke to two employees who asked that they and their employers remain anonymous. “The week we closed, we were each given a R200 note and told not to return to work,”…

By SUE MACLENNAN AND JULIAN JACOBS “There’s lots of social distancing and sanitiser everywhere! It feels good to be back though.”“Weird with everyone in masks and stuff, but great to be back.” These were the comments of two Makhanda learners among hundreds of Grade 7s and 12s who returned to school on Monday after nearly 12 weeks. Grades R, 3, 6, 10 and 11 will return on 6 July, with grades 4, 5, 8 and 9 returning on 3 August. This week, the learners encountered all the new protocols in place to slow the spread of Covid-19, starting the school…

By NASI HAKO Local taxi employees are worried about the level at which they are risking their lives to serve their community, while making less than a third of their normal daily takings. “Usually taxi drivers make R1000 in a day, but they have to settle for R300,”* said a marshal at one of the Makhanda taxi ranks. “The financials went south, heavily,” said Qaqambile Dikana, an administrative officer for the Grahamstown Taxi Association. At level 3 of the national lockdown, the number of passengers allowed in a minibus taxi is 70% of the loading capacity. For a regular minibus…

I have always known that as South Africans, imbibing has become part and parcel of our social fabric. It is not uncommon to hear people advocate that our Heritage Day should be reduced to a braai ‘n beer day and – oh yes – gooi a brandy in there as well. As a result, I was never shocked by the euphoria and jubilation on my social media timelines when the announcement about the resumption of the sale of alcohol was made on the 24th of May. Even the lighting of firecrackers that I saw circulating on social media was a…

By WENDY NZAMA The health risks that come with learning in dilapidated Eastern Cape schools with poor sanitation have existed for years. However, these massive infrastructure backlogs are now greatly exacerbating the threat posed by COVID-19, according to Eastern Cape Equal Education head Athenkosi Sopitshi.  Despite efforts to accelerate delivery of key services such as water and temporary classrooms, the province was likely to be ill-prepared to protect learners and teachers, Sopitshi said. For example, over 1 500 schools still rely on pit latrines – and they won’t be replaced any time soon. “While no one could have predicted the…