Author: Sue Maclennan

Makhanda residents on Wednesday queued outside grocery stores and business owners scrambled to find out what will and won’t be permitted under the national lockdown that starts just before midnight Thursday 26 March. While some residents were upbeat, looking forward to family time and a chance to do DIY projects at home, many were anxious about putting food on the table and paying the rent, after losing three weeks’ income. Minister of Co-operative Governance Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma declared a national state of disaster, gazetted on 15 March. The following night, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the early closure of schools and tertiary…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a 21-day national lockdown to mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus Covid-19. This means every person in south Africa must remain at home except for workers in specific categories of essential services, and trips for medical supplies, groceries and fuel. The lockdown starts at midnight on Thursday 26 March and ends at midnight on Thursday 16 April. With 340 000 confirmed cases across the world and confirmed cases in South Africa jumping from  61 to 402 in eight days, the drastic measure was to contain the spread of Covid-19, the President said in an announcement…

Police and health officials on Sunday placed a Rhodes University student under quarantine after fellow students ascertained that on arriving from the US last Thursday he had been allowed to proceed to his shared accommodation in Makhanda. In a circular to students and staff on Monday Vice Chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela condemned actions that put others at the risk of contracting the Coronavirus Covid-19. There is no indication at this point that the student had symptoms nor tested positive for the virus, according to spokesperson for the Department of Health’s Makana Subregion, Siyanda Manana. However, fellow students had expressed concern on…

Schools, tertiary institutions close University trains staff for online education UPM raises red flag over Covid-19 water outage risk CEO announces first fully digital National Arts Festival Scifest Africa postponed to September Sport, cultural activities on hold *The headline originally said “lockdown”  – intended as a general description of actions taken; however in the context of the levels of official Covid-19 management protocols as per the National Department of Health this was the wrong term to use. Public and independent schools in Makhanda, Rhodes University and the Eastcape Midlands College closed this week and sporting, cultural and academic events and…

* THIS ARTICLE IS BEING UPDATED AS NEW INFORMATION ABOUT SCHOOLS AND TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS CLOSURES EMERGES. Public and independent schools in Makhanda will close this week following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s statement last night on national measures to contain the spread of Coronavirus. Eastcape Midlands College remained open Monday 16 March, but Rhodes University temporarily suspended academic activities as vice chancellors across the country consult with Minister Blade Nzimande about measures tertiary institutions should take to help contain Covid-19.  According to the World Health Organisation’s situation report, as of Monday 16 March, there were 164 837 Covid-19 cases confirmed globally in…

A multi-disciplinary Outbreak Response Team for the Department of Health’s Makana Sub-District has been established to manage potential incidences of Covid-19 and the Department of Education has issued guidelines for containing and managing the disease, should any learner or staff be diagnosed with it. Grocott’s Mail last week spoke to the municipality, the Department of Education and the Department of Health to establish what plans and precautions are in place in Makhanda for a possible incidence here of COVID-19. Director: Public Safety and Community Services for Makana Municipality Kelello Makgoka referred our query to the Department of Health, which leads…

The trial of six men facing rhino-poaching charges continued in the Grahamstown High Court this week. East London residents Francis Chitiyo, Trymore Chauke, Misheck Chauke, Simba Masinge and Nhamo Muyambo, and  Abraham Moyane were arrested in July 2018 during Operation Full Moon – the Eastern Cape Rhino Task Team’s code name for its anti-poaching operations. All six have since been in custody. They are accused on four counts. The first two fall under the riotous assemblies act – statutory conspiracy to commit a restricted activity involving rhinoceros, and conspiracy to steal rhino horn. The second two counts are under the…

A pile of pineapples ready to grab at the finish, live commentary by local legend Sid Penney, Basil Mills glowering as he cradled the start gun (a Blunderbuss swivel gun), every school on the route providing entertainment and refreshments at their water tables and NGOs and schools marshalling key points, the Makana Brick Nite Race draws the community together in a special way. Scores of runners lined up for the start at Graeme College’s Somerset Field for Makhanda’s iconic dusk dash on Thursday 5 March and took over the city’s streets for an hour and a half, with the first…

“One two three four, left two three four, turn to three four, salute two three four…!” The Indoor Sport Centre in Joza was a slightly chaotic, very noisy parade ground for a few hours last Saturday as March and Drill trainers from Motherwell Police Station put around 200 Makhanda schoolchildren through their paces. The March and Drill initiative is a collaboration by the Eastern Cape Education department, South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and was launched in 2012 as part of the School Safety Programme. Here in Makhanda, it took a little longer…

Child Welfare Grahamstown received a welcome boost this week from the 2019 Grocott’s Mail Christmas Cheer Fund, which amounted to R14 300. The organisation will put the money to good use at Ikhaya Losizo Cluster Foster Home in Joza. The centre is home to around 20 vulnerable and orphaned children, and provides daytime care for around another 60. A highlight of the fundraising drive is the Pro Carmine Choir’s annual Christmas Cheer Concert at Christ Church. The audience at the annual concert has become the biggest contributor to the fund and GBS Mutual Bank. This year, the choir’s supporters contributed over R5000…