Baobab School by Dan Wylie Netsoka Books, 2020 Reviewer: Mariss Stevens For a slim volume of 112 pages this is a weighty book. It contains an intriguing mix of the personal and the political, and is written with a candour that cuts to the bone. The disclaimer states: “This is fiction. Sort of.” The back cover blurb calls it a story and a meditation. Let’s leave it at that and resist the urge to debate how much is fact and how much is fiction. That said, technically it is a Bildungsroman, a novel of formation or of education, according to…
Author: Grocott's Mail Contributors
Grocott's Mail Contributors
Grocott's Mail Contributors includes content submitted by members of the public, and public and private institutions and organisations - regular and occasional, expert and citizen, opinion and analysis.
REVIEW The Pride of Noonlay (Modjaji Books) By Shanice Ndlovu Reviewer: SMANGALISO SIMELANE In September 2020, Zimbabwean writer Shanice Ndlovu debuted a collection of short stories titled The Pride of Noonlay. Published by Modjaji Books, The Pride of Noonlay features short stories set in an intricately imagined fantasy world with a distinctly African flair. Composed of seven short stories, The Pride of Noonlay tells of fantasy lands where magic, brutality and hope can be found in equal measures. Unbound Imagination The strongest aspect of Ndlovu’s writing, and what had me gripped from cover to cover, is her imaginative prowess. Each of…
A young girl’s dream from the rural areas of Lesotho was simply to have shoes on her feet and food on the table. She spent most of her first eight years alternating between primary school and tending sheep, never imagining that one day she would be recognised by an international scientific organisation. Rhodes University’s Director of the DST Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation, Distinguished Professor Tebello Nyokong, has been named an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Each year, the Board of Trustees of the Royal Society of Chemistry celebrates excellence in the chemical sciences by inviting a few…
Every year Rhodes University Community Engagement (RUCE) holds community engagement awards to recognise the hard work done by student volunteers, community partners, staff and donors. On Thursday evening, 26 November 2020, the University management, students, volunteers and community partners converged virtually to honour and celebrate the community engagement champions. Among the attendees was the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Sizwe Mabizela, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs, Dr ‘Mabokang Monnapula-Mapesela, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Dr Peter Clayton, Dean of Faculty of Education, Professor Di Wilmot and RUCE Director, Ms Di Hornby. Welcoming the guests, Professor Wilmot said: “It is in…
Ashley Westaway looks at the impact on school learning that Covid has had in Makhanda and what can we expect out of our Lockdown learners when the 2020 National Senior Certificate matric exam results are released next year. Lockdown and the associated closure of schools have had a negative impact on public education in South Africa. The protracted school closure has exacerbated inequalities across public schools and it has also widened inequalities amongst learners within schools. This analysis and forecast uses current assessment data from the no-fee sector to comment about the differentiated impact of lockdown on the learners of…
There are 25 or even more community kitchens operating in this town. Many, through the Grahamstown Residents Association, have been connected to the Makhanda Circle of Unity Food Security Cluster, which is made up of various local role-players. This cluster mobilises funds and other resources to keep these kitchens operating. Through personal networks, some of the kitchen operators are able to get donations from other sources. In running the kitchens over the lockdown period, they have identified many challenges within the communities they serve. Most of these challenges can be addressed by these communities, provided there is assistance and motivation.…
The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), together with research partners, Epicentre, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), is currently conducting Wave 1 of the National COVID-19 Antibody Survey (NCAS). This survey was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in September 2020 and the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Dr Blade Nzimande at the end of September this year. The survey aims to understand and generate a national estimate of what proportion of South Africans may have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 (or Covid-19) virus, including…
The Eastern Cape Liquor Board (ECLB) has urged community members to report non-compliance with Covid safety protocols at pubs, taverns and other liquor outlets to the nearest police station or to the ECLB. The Board said some liquor outlets had become super spreaders of Covid-19 in the Eastern Cape and they strongly condemned traders who flouted trading conditions and Covid 19 health protocols. “The Board is deeply concerned with cases of non-compliance by liquor outlets to Covid 19 health protocols, especially as the Province grapples with the rapid resurgence of Covid 19 cases,” CEO Dr Nombuyiselo Makala said in a statement. “It is extremely…
Domestic violence is defined in the Domestic Violence Act of 1998 as physical, verbal, emotional, psychological or economic abuse, intimidation, harassment, stalking, damage to property, entry into complainant’s residence without consent (when they do not live together), or any other controlling abusive behavior towards the complainant, where such conduct harms, or may cause imminent harm to the safety and wellbeing of the complainant. South Africa has one of the highest incidences of domestic violence in the world. Every day women are murdered, physically and sexually abused, threatened and humiliated by their partners. It is not only women who are abused,…
Subsequent to the pronouncement of national lockdown by President Cyril Ramaphosa, many people saw themselves losing their jobs and this meant that there would be less food to put on the table. As such, he called on businesses and individuals to play their part in assisting the government to alleviate poverty. A team of local hikers, Makhanda Wild Hikers Crew, heeded the call and have started to lend a hand to local soup kitchens. On Saturday, 28 November 2020, the team donated food items to Buyisa Isidima soup kitchen in Joza. The Crew Coordinator, Melumzi Mazzi Matiwane, said after noticing…