Author: Thapelo Matlala

By Thapelo Matlala On the morning of 1 May 2023, when St Mary’s school patroller, Steve Abrahams, got to school and saw that a copper cable was cut off on an electricity pole on Albany Street, near the school. Immediately after witnessing the damage done by the perpetrators, Abrahams called the school principal, Gerald Jacobs. Although the cables were cut-off on the street pole, the remainder of the cable was in the school because the perpetrators couldn’t have access to the [the school premises]. “The only damage that was done was the cut-off only,” said Jacobs, who assumes the incident…

By Thapelo Matlala Some Makhanda residents were left without water for nine days after mechanical issues, cable theft and a go-slow affected the water supply to the town. On 22 April, the municipality said a stuck intake valve at Howiesonspoort dam had prevented water from being pumped up to Waainek water treatment works, affecting the western side of town. The municipality does not employ anyone able to repair the valve, and said it was waiting for experts from elsewhere to arrive and fix the problem. On the same day, the municipality said one of the two pumps at the James…

by Thapelo Matlala I am a 22-year-old student, born and bred in the dusty streets of Makaepea Village in Limpopo province. I appreciate that education is the bridge to my academic journey because I would not have landed at this reputable institution without it. I also would not have had the opportunity to transform my imagination into reality. Coming from my primary school as a top learner, I transitioned to high school as an average student, then subsequently managed to set the bar high in my undergraduate studies. I was able to conquer my impostor syndrome after being accepted for…

By Thapelo Matlala Two of Makhanda’s finest creatives, sangoma and Amazwi museum curator Sithembele Xhegwana and poet Jeannie McKeown have won the Avbob poetry competition. “How ironic that two Makhanda creatives would scoop the Avbob Poetry Project mini-competition under the theme, ‘Water is life’! For the two, it did not rain but poured… Xhegwana came tops, and McKeown came second. Poetic justice” said Zongezile Matshoba, manager of education and public programmes at the Amazwi South African Museum of Literature. Amazwi museum research curator, Sithembele Isaac Xhegwana won first place in this year’s Avbob poetry contest with his poem, ‘Ostrich Egg…

by Thapelo Matlala A highly spirited woman, Babalwa Budaza, caught the ball from the sky last December and kept it rolling.  Budaza is the founder and manager of the New Young Aloes Netball club of Fingo. Budaza comes from a family highly committed to grassroots sports – she is the niece of the late Fundile “Jeff” Budaza, the former Makana municipality sports officer, who was instrumental in having the Joza Indoor Sports Centre built. An activist in the Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM), Budaza confidently describes that she intends to make sure that the team always thrives as a means of…

By Thapelo Matlala The National Health, Education and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) strike is set to move into its second week unless the government agrees to pay public sector workers a 10% pay increase and a R2500 housing allowance. The indefinite national strike began on 6 March despite a 5 March Labour Court interdict prohibiting the strike. Nehawu has appealed the interdict and vowed to continue the strike until the courts rule on its appeal. Striking workers have shut down many public hospitals and clinics across South Africa this week after rejecting the government’s 4.7% increase. Public sector workers are…