Author: Sue Maclennan

The Provincial Health Department has confirmed one listeriosis-linked death in Grahamstown. The confirmation from spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo came Thursday after the Sarah Baartman News carried a front-page report that there had been two cases of the disease in Grahamstown. A number of people, including Makana staff, who saw the report, expressed concern that residents had not been told about cases of the Category 1 Notifiable Disease in the city. According to the report, which appeared on page 1 of the December 2017-February 2018 edition, Sarah Baartman Mayor Eunice Kekana told councillors this information at a District Council meeting on 24…

Premier Phumulo Masualle’s State of the Province address was lacking in vision and failed to align itself to the priorities identified in the State of the Nation address earlier in the week – including issues that are crucial for Makana and other local municipalities. This was the view of Local Government Researcher at public service monitor PSAM, Lungile Penxa, on his return from the day-long event in the Eastern Cape Legislature on Friday. More seriously Penxa said, the strategy outline for the Province in the next year presented no plan for dealing with drought and listeriosis – potentially the two…

Seven suspects were shot and killed in a shootout with police early this morning after a major breakthrough by the multi disciplinary team tasked to investigate the murders of the five police officers and a civilian from eNgcobo made a major breakthrough, spokesperson for the Hawks Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said in a statement this morning. More than 10 other suspects were arrested while others managed to escape.  One police officer was wounded and is recuperating in hospital, Mulaudzi said. Armed robbers killed five police officers and a member of the public and took 10 firearms and a police van at eNgcobo police…

Not everyone who studies music needs to become a professional musician – but every child should be pushed to their limit when it comes to learning music is what performer, producer and music educator Caleb Vaughan-Jones believes. Cellist Caleb Vaughan-Jones, has very strong views about the place of music in school curricula. He spoke to Grocott’s Mail after a recital in the Kingswood College Chapel Saturday 17 February to launch the school’s Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship programme (ICE). Close to his heart are the relationship between music education and entrepreneurship, and breaking ground with new audiences. Vaughan-Jones is the first…

Day Zero for Makana Municipality is three months away, if the current rate of water useage continues, according to Infrastructure and Technical Services Director Dali Mlenzana. Speaking at the Council’s Infrastructure and Technical Services Portfolio Committee meeting yesterday, he said measures were in place to reduce water useage; however restrictions were difficult to enforce and relied on social pressure among residents. The dam levels recorded in yesterday’s agenda were: Settlers Dam 19.8% and Howieson’s Poort 76%, with the total number of days of water available from both dams 132 at current water useage rates. Additional water restrictions immediately effective when…

What can we deduce from the State of the Nation address as far as local government is concerned, asks Lungile Penxa The key theme of the State of the Nation Address was that Stakeholder Collaboration is necessary to take the country forward. The President invited us all to contribute in improving the socio-economic state of the country. As a result, he recognised the need to work with civil society which he regarded as playing a critical role in tackling poverty, inequality and related social problems. He proposed a Social Sector Summit sometime this year, which would seek improve the interface…

The owners of 38 Somerset Street, where the collapse of an old stone wall during the construction of a new business centre sparked outrage among some residents, say they are acutely aware of the history of the building. They say that rebuilding using the original stone was planned from the inception of the project. However, municipal officials say no permission was given to break the wall, and no occupation certificate for the premises would be given until it was restored. The wall was rebuilt this week and the owners have expressed the hope that the public sees they’ve done the…

A high alert notification has been circulated to all Eastern Cape police stations following the attack of Ngcobo SAPS near Queenstown by a gang of robbers during the early hours of this morning, according to a South African Police Service media release. It is reported that five male officers, a Warrant officer and four Constables were shot and fatally wounded while two more male officers were shot and wounded. The two were taken to hospital where they received medical attention and discharged. They are reported to be in a stable condition. Other five female members who were on duty namely, the…

Bob Dyubulu checks a pump draining a huge hole at the west end of Worcester Street, as Victor Ngumbela checks on progress at the site. Some residents at the Smokey Moon Backpackers property beyond the yellow barrier were trapped and unable to get to work, fearing that the road was to perilous to drive on. Ngumbela said the stormwater pipe channelling a natural stream under the road was blocked on the north side of the road and a pipe had burst in the south side causing the flooding. He said the pipe had been replaced and once the water was…

By KATHRYN CLEARY AND SUE MACLENNAN Criminals in Grahamstown are using car-guarding as a cover according to acting director of public safety and community services, Coenraad Hanekom – an assessment supported by recent reports on social media. Hanekom presented a report on car-guarding in Grahamstown to the Social Development Portfolio Committee at its meeting in the City Hall on Wednesday. According to Hanekom’s report, fake car guards are openly selling drugs at certain venues; women are aggressively targeted for tips and vehicles are deliberately damaged. Since pavement parking meters were phased out in Grahamstown in 2002, two attempts to systematise…