Author: Grocott's Mail Contributors

Rhodes University’s Chemistry Department has made history by being the first in any South African university to join the Green Chemistry Commitment programme. In signing this commitment, Rhodes University is joining over 70 signers from 11 other nations (including Kenya and Nigeria) in a commitment to educating the next generation of chemists in Green chemistry. Green chemistry (GC) is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce and/or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. This approach requires an open and interdisciplinary view of material and product design. It applies the principle that it is better to consider…

The government recently officially launched the Covid-19 vaccine online registration for the public as the Department of Health gears up for phase two of the country’s vaccine rollout. According to Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, the Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS) is now available to the general public and all citizens aged 60 years and above are invited to register for vaccination. “This launch marks a significant milestone not only for our vaccination campaign but for South Africa’s advancement towards Universal Health Coverage,” he said on Friday. The Minister said this was the first time in democratic history that a major public health campaign will be supported by one digital system for all South…

Rhodes University has appointed as the University’s first Ombudsperson.  His two-year appointment expires in 2022.  Advocate Roberts holds Bachelor of Arts and LLB degrees from Rhodes University. He lectured at the Law Faculty between 2003 and 2013. After graduating from the University, he worked for the department of Justice as Prosecutor until he became the Eastern Cape Attorney-General in 1993. The title changed to Director of Public Prosecutions in 1998. He retired in 2001.  The Ombud’s role is to create an appropriate channel for the final resolution for complaints involving stakeholders where the existing University structures and processes are deemed…

If we have any desire to follow Jesus Christ and model our lives according to his, we will soon encounter difficulty. Sometimes, the reason for this is to allow us to revaluate who is really in the driving seat: our Lord or ourselves. Influential church leader and former pastor Tim Keller accurately described our desire to remain in control, when he tweeted: We don’t want a King. We want a consultant in the person of Jesus to advise us as we order our lives. In such moments of testing, we will either turn our back on Christ, or bow our knee in fresh surrender. John…

The government last week officially launched the Covid-19 vaccine online registration for the public as the Department of Health gears up for phase two of the country’s vaccine rollout. According to Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, the Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS) is now available to the general public and all citizens aged 60 years and above are invited to register for vaccination. “This launch marks a significant milestone not only for our vaccination campaign but for South Africa’s advancement towards Universal Health Coverage,” he said on Friday. The Minister said this was the first time in democratic history that…

Sixty-six percent (66%) of the people graduating in Rhodes University’s third virtual graduation ceremony are women. The virtual graduation ceremony will be launched on the Rhodes University official YouTube channel on Wednesday, 28 April 2021, at midday.   Over the past few years, the University has seen a steady increase in women graduates. Of the 2204 graduands at this graduation, 1448 are women.  The graduands in their categories are as follows: 1317 undergraduate students 887 postgraduate students 363 international students The Faculty of Humanities, the largest faculty at the University, will see the most graduated with a total of 715. From…

Graad 10 en Graad 11 leerders by PJ Olivier gebruik vlamtoetse om metaal-katione te identifiseer. Speel met kleure is beslis nie tot die Kunsklas beperk nie. In die Wetenskapklas gebruik ons sommer sosatiestokkies en soute om ‘n kleurskouspel te maak!  Carissa Henning

Rhodes University athlete, Jonathan Benjamin, is set to represent South Africa under 30 at the World Triathlon Championships in Canada later this year. He recently participated in the South African Triathlon Championships in Bloemfontein, representing Eastern Province Buffalo City region.  A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the disciplines included. For the South African Championships, Jonathan cycled for 40 kilometres, ran for 10 kilometres and swam 1.5 kilometres.  He completed the triathlon in a total of…

‘The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions’ – Henry Martyn Luke records that Jesus inaugurated His ministry in Nazareth His home town by reading from (Isaiah 61:1-2) and applying the prophecy to Himself: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news (Gospel) to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour”(Luke 4: 18-19). “Jesus tells us that He has come to bring good news to the…

In the 1980s a Rosalind Slater published a collection of 10 books containing a collection of letters and diaries preserved by John Francis Slater and Sarah Ann Slater (Bland) from members of the Slater  family to their parents at Carnarvon Dale farm on the Bushmans River. The books are known as The Carnarvon Dale Papers and the one I have is number 7 – ‘Diamonds’. It contains letters written by Thomas George Slater (son) who was a diamond buyer and died in Kimberley on 31 December 1882.  My late grandmother was Mabel Mary Slater and her sister Constance Evelyn Slater…