Author: Sue Maclennan

Khutliso Daniels Secondary School Principal, Radio Mcuba, was upbeat on the first day of term. The Joza school has full intake with three classes each in grades 8, 9, 10 and  11 and a Matric 2020 group of 34 whom he describes as hard-working. The school has a highly motivated 16-member staff. Coupled with the beginnings of a new classroom – albeit still in pieces – it’s going to be a good year, Mcuba believes. Pointing to a whiteboard on one side of the stoep surrounding the central quad, Mcuba says, “That’s where I’ve been teaching Creative Arts.” This year,…

As South African consumers face a possible additional R69 billion in electricity tariffs over the next three years and loadshedding looms the likely flick of a switch away, local business Makana Brick is well on its way to electrical independence. Sue Maclennan reports On a piece of ground a bit smaller than a rugby pitch stand 1000 solar panels that have taken Makana Brick in Makhanda a step further from being at the mercy of Eskom. The new photovoltaic plant is designed to produce 600 000 kilowatt hours a year – around 17% of the factory’s electricity needs. Put differently,…

Taxi ranks in Makhanda have been operating normally since Sunday, when a high-level meeting between national representatives of the two taxi associations that operate here met with police. Around midday on Thursday 16 January, the taxi rank behind Shoprite was closed and police on the scene were in discussion with taxi operators. Police later confirmed that Grahamstown Station Commander Colonel Pika had instructed the rank be closed pending resolution of the dispute between Border Alliance Taxi Association (BATA) and Uncedo. The dispute was about loading areas for long-distance taxis. Both taxi associations on Thursday 23 January confirmed that the ranks have been…

Makana Municipality has confirmed it will appeal the 14 January ruling for its council to be dissolved and the municipality put under administration. Meanwhile, the UPM has vowed to ensure the order is enacted immediately, saying an appeal could see urgently needed remedies delayed for up to a year. Mayor Mzukisi Mpahlwa this week described as unfortunate Judge Igna Stretch’s ruling handed down in the high court in Makhanda last week. The Judge declared Makana Municipality non-functional in terms of administrative functioning and service delivery and therefore invalid. Mpahlwa says the municipality would appeal because the judgment hadn’t acknowledged significant…

“I would look at people on the street – homeless whose only aim was to find the next meal – and I would say to myself, ‘In ten years time… that’s not going to be me.’” Setting targets, establishing a routine, mentorship from the Gadra Education/ Rhodes University 9/10ths programme alongside the school’s own dedicated teachers, saw Cameron Edwards emerge as top matric at Mary Waters Secondary School. This was despite enduring one of the toughest years of his life. Proud mom Carol Edwards recounts what was definitely one of the toughest years of her life – not least because…

The Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM) will oppose the government’s likely bid to stall the dissolution of Makana Council, the organisation says. This comes as Mayor Mzukisi Mpahlwa admits the municipality is living on borrowed time. Hours after Judge Igna Stretch’s order for the Eastern Cape government to dissolve the Council and put the municipality under administration was handed down in the high court in Makhanda on Tuesday 14 January, the ANC’s Regional leadership indicated they would encourage the government entities among the 15 respondents to appeal it. As Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane later confirmed this would be the likely…

Grahamstown Residents’ Association’s statement on this week’s judgement to Dissolve the Makana Council and appoint an administrator. The 14 January 2020 judgement by Judge Stretch in favour of the Unemployment People’s Movement (UPM) that requires the dissolution of council and appointment of an administrator was long in coming. It is the endpoint of a long saga of half-measures when a major intervention was actually required. GRA through all this has tried to play an even-handed game. On the other hand, we have strongly supported the initiatives we outline here; on the other we have engaged constructively with government in the…

In this spot last week we published a photo of Graeme College teacher Morgan White and Holleman starting the cleanup of the driffie crossing Jarvis Street (off Cobden Street, past the Day Hospital). A week later, White posted these before and after photos. ‘From this… to this… today!’ Helen Holleman shared on Wednesday. ‘For the first time, I heard the river sing. It was beautiful!’ With the help of many people including stalwarts Gloria Papu, Zumzi Monakale, Swedish student based at SAIAB Magnus Janson and Makana Municipality’s front-end loader and driver, they picked up massive quantities of plastic as well…

The South African Municipal Workers Union in Makana has distanced itself from a statement by its national office welcoming this week’s ruling to dissolve the Makana Council and appoint an administrator and slamming the provincial government for considering an appeal. Secretary Wandile Duruwe said said Thursday’s statement was made without a mandate and the local branch would issue a statement after consulting with its members. Yesterday the SAMWU secretariat  issued a statement welcoming Judge Igna Stretch’s ruling handed down on Tuesday 14 January in the High Court in Makhanda. The Judge’s two-page order – part of a 117-page judgment -…

It will be a dark moment for democracy if the government decides to oppose this week’s ruling to dissolve the Makana Council, civil society organisations say.  Makhanda civil society organisations have called on the government to accept and act on this week’s judgment ordering that Makana’s Council be dissolved and the municipality be put under administration. This comes as the Eastern Cape government today confirmed it would consider appealing Judge Igna Stretch’s historic high court ruling. In the first judgment of its kind in South Africa, the Eastern Cape’s Provincial Executive was on Tuesday 14 January ordered in the High…