Author: Sue Maclennan

When Brookshaw resident Duncan Greaves turned 80 recently, he decided to celebrate in high style – by jumping from 10 000 feet. The jump at the EP Skydiving Club, with tandem instructor Gerrit van Zyl, was to raise funds for the home’s frail care centre. Brookshaw residents turned out in full force, teasing Greaves as he prepared for his jump. “Have you been to the toilet!” “Don’t forget your glasses” And son James joked, “Dad have you updated your will?” Was he nervous? “Not at all!” he told Grocott’s Mail as he got kitted out in a fetching black jumpsuit.…

By HELMO PREUSS The Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index declined, albeit marginally, by one Index point to 56 points in the second quarter of this year. Despite the slight decline in confidence, the sector remains in expansionary territory. This is the fourth consecutive expansionary reading, indicating that agricultural activity continues to stabilise following the damage of the 2015-16 drought. The Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index reflects the perceptions of at least 20 agribusiness decision-makers on the ten most important aspects influencing a business in the agricultural sector (i.e. turnover, net operating income, market share, employment, capital investment, export volumes, economic growth, general agricultural…

An urgent meeting between Makana and Eskom officials on Friday 16 June may stave off a cut-off of the power supply to Grahamstown. However, the town’s water supply crisis may not be as easy to solve. Acting municipal manager Mandisi Planga on Thursday 15 June confirmed that Eskom 1 June issued a disconnection letter, after the municipality defaulted on payment. Makana had until Thursday to pay or be cut off; however, Planga said the fact that they had agreed to a meeting meant this was unlikely to be enacted. Planga said according to municipal documents, Makana owes Eskom R56 million.…

The 13th edition of Grahamstown’s annual Polar Plunge at Grey Dam will take place on Wednesday 21 June, at 7.30am. The local tradition sees dozens of people of all ages diving into the dam for a brief, freezing dose of cold reality to celebrate the Winter Solstice. This marks the time when the southern hemisphere starts its journey “into the light” and towards summer. And it’s those words participants will listen out for as the signal to take the plunge next Wednesday. Organiser George Euvrard has asked participants and spectators to bring and donate a blanket or an article of warm clothing “for those who are…

The Makana Unity League have confirmed they are preparing papers for a court hearing on 31 August regarding the municipal landfill site. This comes after Judge Thamie Beshe granted Makana Municipality condonation regarding the late submission of documents in a case of contempt of court against it. Lawyers for the League had opposed the application. The contempt case arises from a compliance notice issued to Makana Municipality in March 2015 in terms of the National Environmental Management Act. A court order requiring specific actions to remedy harmful conditions at the dump west of Grahamstown was served on the Mayor and…

The shortage of dam water in the Makana Municipal means that shortly after the National Arts Festival the flow of water in our pipes will be severely reduced every night.  Dali Mlenzana, Makana Director of Engineering and Infrastructural Services delivered this message at a Grahamstown Residents’ Association meeting at the Grahamstown Bowling Club on Monday evening. Mlenzana added that his offices were finalising a set of restrictions to reduce water consumption. The restrictions will be serious and he hoped that citizens would encourage each other to save water because the municipality does not have the capacity to enforce the restrictions.…

Arguments in Court A on Thursday 8 June, weighed the seriousness for the individuals of possible conviction, against the serious effects on citizens of Makana Municipality’s alleged failure to improve the state of the landfill site. The case was heard on Thursday 8 June, as the city was filled with smoke from the municipal dump, which had been burning since the previous evening. Advocate Torquil Paterson for Nomhle Gaga and Riana Meiring, whom the applicants say should be criminally convicted and sentenced to jail, pointed out the serious consequences of such a result for the two officials and pointed to their…

ANC Treasurer General Zweli Mkhize’s visit to Grahamstown yesterday was focused on young graduates and students, as he launched Youth Month with a series of engagements ending with a lecture titled ‘The Evolution of OR Tambo’ in the City Hall. Among those in attendance at a dialogue with the Unemployed Graduates group yesterday morning were ANC Regional Secretary Scara Njadayi along with subregional chair Mabhuti Matyumza, Mayor Nomhle Gaga, Speaker Yandiswa Vara and Councillor Rami Xonxa. The gathering, at Makana Resort, which an expert believes is good news for Grahamstown, saw various local and district government entities pledging support for…

Sue Maclennan @SusanMaclennan2 Yesterday’s  berg wind conditions, in Grahamstown and other parts of the Eastern Cape are expected to bring very strong winds today (Wednesday 7 June), possibly reaching gale force in the western and northern interior, with a sudden drop in temperatures on Thursday and Friday, according to the South African Weather Service’s Port Elizabeth office. And the Weather Service last night warned of veld fire conditions in the Makana area, and as far west as Addo and Koukamma,as the region awaits the severe cold front Tomorrow morning (Thursday) could see light snow on the Sneeuberg, in the Graaff…

“The state of this document is worse than when it was in its draft form,” Speaker in the Makana Council said in this week’s special council meeting to table Makana’s Budget and Integrated Development plan for the next three years. While councillors from all parties were scathing about inaccuracies in the document that ranged from spelling errors to assigning the wrong wards to councillors, officials were equally scathing about councillors’ failure to read the document in its draft form and red-flag the errors before they reached Council. The DA requested a caucus and returned agreeing that while the document could…