By ZIMKITA LINYANA Last Friday, travel journalist and author Marion Whitehead launched her latest book, Burchell’s African Odyssey, co-authored with researcher Dr Roger Stewart. The authors highlight the life story and contribution of the seasoned traveller, explorer, camper, hiker, and field researcher to science as we know it today, William John Burchell. “The book reveals Burchell’s return journey from 1812-1815. This unrevealed part of the journey is the most significant one, as Burchell collected 75% of the specimens he collected here. Burchell disembarked in Cape Town in 1811, an eager 29-year-old naturalist with a romantic passion for science.” “His achievements…
Author: Zimkita Linyana
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As Makana Municipality works to restore our connection to Howieson’s Poort Dam by the end of Friday, the city’s water bosses have disputed a widely-distributed report by Democratic Alliance (DA) Ward 4 councillor Geoff Embling based on his investigation into Makhanda’s month-long water restrictions. Infrastructure director Asanda Gidana and water manager Gubevu Maduna explained the profoundly unpopular one-day-on/two-days-off restrictions, answering some of Embling’s questions and refuting most of his allegations. ROD AMNER reports. On Wednesday, 12 October, Asanda Gidana told Grocott’s Mail that after the breakdown of the rising main pipe linking the Howieson’s Poort Dam to the Waainek Water…
BY AIDEN DARIES South Eastern District Rugby Union (SEDRU) recently celebrated its 50th anniversary Gala Dinner at the Tantyi Indoor Sports Centre in Makhanda. Various speakers affiliated with SEDRU spoke at the event, which drew a massive turnout. The evening paid homage to and honour past legends who contributed so significantly to the game of rugby in the South Eastern area. SEDRU was established in 1972 on the foundations of non-racialism, non-sexism and non-discrimination in opposition to the Apartheid government and the South African Rugby Union (SARU). SEDRU’s status was changed to a sub-union of the Eastern Province Rugby…
By ZIMKITA LINYANA The SA Institute of Aquatic Biodiversity ((SAIAB) will host its annual Smith Memorial Lecture, in memory of JLB and Margaret Smith, with the launch of a seminal, five-volume publication, Coastal Fishes of the Western Indian Ocean, on Zoom this Thursday at 6 pm. Some 25 years in the making, the homegrown tome grew out of Smiths’ Sea Fishes. The work involved almost 100 contributors from around the world and included 3 500 species of fish in the largest area of the ocean a book like this has ever covered. It has generated renewed interest worldwide in fish…
BY ZIMKITA LINYANA What did you do for Heritage Day? This is a very loaded and somewhat judgemental question in South Africa, depending on who you are, owing to the country’s history of legal erasure of non-Western cultural heritage. Many South Africans find themselves guilt-tripped by this day, not knowing what kind of heritage they should or are ‘allowed’ to celebrate. Some puzzle over what might be considered cultural appropriation – others are scared of being accused of nonchalance. South Africa is wealthy in diversity, both culturally and biologically, with each group and kingdom boasting a strong heritage. For centuries…
By ZIMKITA LINYANA In South Africa, very few learners receive a quality and comprehensive science and mathematics education at the school level. This can be attributed to many factors, including historical public school resource distribution and the quality of teaching. Most South African schools don’t have functioning laboratories, and many learners do not own science textbooks over a school year. This is a huge barrier to learning the intricacies of science, biology, and chemistry. The science taught in school mainly encompasses the fundamentals of science, the basic tenets of all science, and thus, it is very abstract and not easily…
By STAFF REPORTER A vehicle dealership’s Winter Warmers initiative to keep needy children in Makhanda fully clothed during the coldest time of the year has gone from 0-100 overnight. The campaign, arranged by Kelston Isuzu, led to the collection of loads of clothing and blankets for a cash-strapped haven in the town. It all started at the height of winter when the dealership asked the public to drop off warm items at a collection point in the building. These were gifted to the Home of Joy, an informal establishment that cares for homeless babies and children. Sales manager Duifie Nieuwoudt…
By LWANDO NTENDA Following two preliminary exclusive screenings at Rhodes University and the University of Fort Hare, the 65-minute-long documentary film, Intellectual Giants of the Eastern Cape, officially premiered at the 25th Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF). The film, directed by Rhodes University Journalism and Media Studies Lecturer Dr Alette Schoon, and scripted by Dr Schoon and Classical Studies Head Dr Hleze Kunju, highlights the Eastern Cape as a hotbed of some of the country’s foremost intellectual thinkers. Emeritus Professor of History, Jeff Peires, was the film’s historical advisor. Intellectual Giants of the Eastern Cape was screened at the biggest venue in…
By ZIMKITA LINYANA In less than two weeks, the national science festival, Scifest Africa, will kick off live in Makhanda. It will be packed with exciting workshops, exhibitions, lectures, and Sci-Fun science shows from chemistry to robotics, maths, space science, and theatre. The space science lineup includes guests from three continents: Europe, North America, and Africa. These include Bianca Rhym from NASA Kennedy Space Centre for an overview of the past, present, and near-future of fruitful international partnerships and shared success between the USA and South Africa in space communications. Lorna Lewin from the UK National Space Academy who will bring an exciting workshop on ‘Life in Space’ where you can…
By ZIMKITA LINYANA Makhanda residents are calling for timeous communication from the municipality regarding delays or glitches in service delivery. This follows a week of worry, as residents waited hours after the normal refuse collection time, not knowing whether to return the refuse to their houses or wait into the night. “The garbage truck rode past the house now at 8 pm – and most people have taken the rubbish back inside,” one resident said on a social media community group on Wednesday evening. Makana Municipality spokesperson Yoliswa Ramoko told Grocott’s Mail on Thursday evening that she could not confirm…