Author: Sue Maclennan

Brothers Jack and Harry Rama were among the Grahamstown residents who shared memories of a more integrated Grahamstown before the forced removals of the 70s, at an event titled ‘Remembering Forced Removals’ hosted by Rhodes University’s Isikhumbuzo Applied History Unit at the Eastern Star Museum Wednesday night. Here Harry (right) holds up a painting of the family’s Chapel Street home on the corner of Chapel and Queen Streets before it was demolished. Jack (left) holds up a photograph of the vacant plot that remains today, around three decades later. More about the project in next week’s edition. Photo: Sue Maclennan

Clumber Church near Bathurst celebrated their 150-year anniversary in true country hospitality style last weekend, with a bash that started with a shindig at the Pig n Whistle on Friday and ended with a on Sunday where Methodist Bishop Andile Mbete led a special service that featured the DSG Chapel Choir and a piper. Grocott’s Mail caught some of the musical action on Saturday, including The Keiskamma Music Academy, Mnaza Choir, Port Alfred Scottish Dancers, St Andrew’s and DSG Wind Orchestra, Noxolo Children’s Choir, Full Gospel Church Band and the Graeme College Steel Band. Speaking to Grocott’s Mail in this…

At the heart of health and well-being is food security and agriculture, according to South Africa’s National Development Plan, could create nearly a million jobs by 2030, with small-scale farming playing a big role. Meanwhile, it’s hit home in the Eastern Cape that long-term drought is a reality, and of the nine provinces, ours recorded the highest increase in unemployment (3.8 percentage points) according to Stats SA’s latest report. Looking for ways to increase food production through more efficient and effective use of water is the mission of a group of researchers from Rhodes University’s Environmental Learning Institute, led by…

Eskom last week confirmed its intention to interrupt bulk electricity supply to Makana following the municipality’s failure to pay its bills to the power utility. This follows the publication of a notice in a regional newspaper on 12 October warning of scheduled interruptions to Makana’s supply from 8 December. “Makana Local Municipality (Grahamstown Town) [sic] is currently indebted to Eskom in the amount of R52 366 886.70… for the bulk supply of electricity, part of which has been outstanding and in escalation from 3 November 2016,” the notice reads. Eskom says in terms of the Electricity Regulation Act 4 of…

The Grahamstown Residents Association said it is pleased that most owners retrieved their livestock rounded up in an early morning raid on Thursday 19 October. Close to 200 cattle and donkeys were herded to a central holding area in a joint operation that involved five state agencies alongside residents co-ordinated by the GRA who volunteered for the pre-dawn round-up of stray livestock in the city. Around 15 South African Police Service officers, 12 members of the Stock Theft Unit, 15 Makana Parks Department staff, five Provincial Traffic Department officers and three local traffic officers were joined by 15 citizen volunteers…

Rotary’s Grahamstown Sunset’s chairperson Tim Dold and member Debbie Smuts handed over bicycles to Anele Peter (15), Siviwe Tokwe (16), Siphelo Mbekela (15), Noziqhamo Nakele (12 and her sister Sinokhanyo Nakele (15) at Manley Flats on Wednesday. The children live on a state-owned farm on which their parents have built the Manley Flats Community Trails.  Their parents are beneficiaries on the land who maintain the hiking, mountain bike and 4×4 trails. All proceeds from the trail go to the Sikhululekile Community. Users pay R30 for a day’s use of the trails into an honesty box at their starting point, Radway…

Airport operations are continuing as normal and flights have not been affected at Cape Town International Airport following a shooting shortly after 5am today (Wednesday) on the upper roadway in front of the terminal building. In a statement the airport’s management said several shots were fired and one person had been hit by a stray bullet. “Paramedics and the SAPS attended the scene immediately. The injured person was stabilised before being taken to hospital,” said Deon Cloete, General Manager of the airport. Cloete said the area had been cordoned off while police investigations continued.

Thembelani Qwakanisa was killed “in the most callous and cruel way imaginable” on the basis of an accusation that was probably false. Judge John Smith had strong words last week in the high court in Grahamstown in sentencing Siviwe Gqotholo to 18 years imprisonment for his part in the murder of the 29-year-old man whose body was found dumped in Extension 6’s Zion Dam just over a year ago. Qwakanisa had been accused of stealing a laptop computer. Gqotholo appeared last month with his four co-accused, Thembani Onceya, cousins Akhona Onceya and Simamkele Theron Onceya and Mzwanele Degree Maki in…

Chemistry Masters student Zweli Hlatshwayo reckons students are among the most creative thinkers around and he’s thrilled to be the 2017/18 Director of the Rhodes University leg of the Hult Prize. Saturday is D-Day for Rhodes students vying for recognition in the world’s largest student testing ground for budding social entrepreneurs. The annual competition for the Hult Prize has been named by TIME Magazine as one of the top five ideas changing the world. Run in partnership with the United Nations, it runs for a year at a time, aiming to identify and launch the most compelling social business ideas…

The construction company building three new residences on the Rhodes University campus had an external auditor conduct a full compliance audit and a plan had been implemented to rectify issues flagged by the Department during a recent site visit, according to lawyers for the company. A letter sent to the Department of Labour by CMHRB Joint Venture’s legal representative, Brenda Campbell Attorneys, listed five areas of alleged non-conformance at their site at the south end of Prince Alfred Street – scaffolding, barricading of openings, the appointment of an occupational health and safety officer, temporary electrical installations and protective clothing and…