Author: Sue Maclennan

Media personality Tracy Going, who will be in Grahamstown tomorrow night to talk about her recently released memoir, says when she wrote her account of surviving abuse, she had to find a way of protecting herself from her own story. The award-winning former TV and radio news anchor for many years co-presented SABC2’s Morning Live, and was prime-time news anchor for Radio Metro and Kaya FM. Grocott’s Mail spoke to the former journalist this week about the process of writing her own story. Brutal Legacy: A Memoir is published by Jacana Media who summarise on their website:  When South Africa’s…

Makana Municipality on Monday 4 June advised residents to continue boiling water before drinking it. This comes as privately conducted tests on the water at a factory in Grahamstown show that the water at that site is once again safe for drinking, and as testing by the Department of Water and Sanitation is under way in Makana. The news follows weeks of concern about poor water quality, leading to a protest in which angry residents left buckets of dirty water and sewage outside the Makana Council Chamber last Thursday morning. The results of samples taken at Carara Agro Processing’s Currie…

With Day Zero now estimated at fewer than 130 days, Grahamstown’s looming water crisis loomed large in the City Hall at the last council meeting. If Makana sticks to the budget it passed on 28 February, Grahamstown’s leaky pipes and inability to properly supply water to the eastern side of the city could finally become part of our history. Called to approve the municipality’s 2017/18 Adjustment Budget, the refurbishment and expansion of existing water bulk supply infrastructure, replacement of old pipes and the secondment of a water engineer were tabled in last month’s full sitting of Council. Treasury has approved…

A 31-year-old man was arrested in Prince Street on 21 May. Police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender said found in his possession were 16 sachets of tik; three packets of cocaine; 103 mandrax tablets, 19 Grip tik bags and one small weigh scale.

A former Grahamstown resident has warned drivers in Grahamstown to be vigilant after her car was damaged when she hit a cow around 6pm last Wednesday night. Misiwe Mpahlwa was driving from Peddie to Grahamstown and had passed the turnoff to Extension 6 when a cow suddenly appeared in the road. “It was completely dark because the high-mast lights were out so I saw it at the last minute – its front legs were already in the road.” With oncoming traffic, there was nowhere to go and she hit the cow. The windscreen was shattered and the front bumper damaged…

“The liberties we enjoy in this country have not come to us easily and we are prepared to make sacrifices to maintain them. Sometimes, that could mean making the ultimate sacrifice.” Commanding Officer of 6 South African Infantry (6 SAI) Battalion Lieutenant-Colonel MA Saki was speaking at a wreath-laying ceremony at 6 SAI on Friday 25 May to honour fallen soldiers. The occasion was also to welcome back members of the Battalion from United Nations peacekeeping duties. According to defenceweb.co.za South Africa is one of 125 countries contributing to United Nations peace missions worldwide. Its contribution is currently limited only…

Participants in an annual networking event for Gauteng Women in Insurance got to try out specialised goggles that simulate the effect of drinking on one’s vision. The theme of the event was ‘The Ripple Effect’, looking at how one event can have multiple consequences for a person’s life. Drink driving was core to this and MasterDrive was there to share their drunk buster activity and give participants a first-hand view of how drinking can impair your vision when driving. Nicky Eveleigh, divisional head at Marsh Africa and GWII chairperson, shared her experience with drinking and driving. Her family was left devastated…

“If we are not safe at schools, it means there is no proper learning and teaching taking place.” Head of the Education Department’s Grahamstown office Ray Ndabeni opened proceedings at the launch of the School Safety Programme in the area, along with the handover of sets of marching drums to six schools. The six Grahamstown schools have been selected for a pilot programme that aims to bring discipline and positive values to schools with the March and Drill programme, linked with the schools’ physical education and life orientation curricula. 40 boys and girls in grades 7-11 are the pioneers of…

The results of samples taken from sites across Makana on Monday 28 May to test whether Grahamstown’s drinking water is safe again should be available tomorrow, Wednesday 30 May. Acting  municipal manager Ted Pillay, was speaking to Grocott’s Mail three days after essential treatment chemicals were applied to the city’s supplies. He said he was giving the matter serious attention until he was 100 percent satisfied “that everything to do with the water supply in every community is perfect”. His comments follow widespread outrage as high e.coli levels were reported in the municipal supply and came as the results of…

More than a week after a spotted hyena was seen ambling across the Highlands road, small-scale farmers in the area west of Grahamstown are frustrated at the slow progress in tracking down and capturing the protected predator. The drama began when small-scale farmers Shane and Sunell Lockwood were returning to their smallholding around 9pm on Saturday night. “We crossed the railway line and as we started turning into the left-hand bend, we saw something in the bush on the right,” Shane said. Shane, who was driving, slowed right down and then came to a stunned halt, as a spotted hyena…