Author: Kathryn Cleary

Two Makhanda NGOs are concerned about the future of the children in their care, as delayed and inadequate subsidies see the organisations sink deeper into vulnerability. Kathryn Cleary reports. Child Welfare Grahamstown has faced delayed subsidy payments from the Department of Social Development (DSD) for more than 15 years, and despite the organisation’s critical work in the community, pleas for timely payments and better communications seem to go unheard. This year, the organisation received their subsidy only in September, a delay of more than five months.  “The NGO is subsidising government work”, said Director Woineshet Bischoff. “Nowhere in the world is…

Last week on 13 November, Nalithemba Hospitals formally announced that they will be pulling private services out of both Settlers Hospital in Makhanda, and Port Alfred Hospital. Private services to both hospitals are provided by Nalithemba, which is 50 percent owned by Netcare. The news has raised concern among local practitioners as well as the Grahamstown Business Forum. Nalithemba was in a public private partnership (PPP) with the Eastern Cape Department of Health (ECDOH), and says they will be withdrawing services as a result of low demand. In a press release, Netcare General Manager for Finance Chris Smith said, “At the outset of the…

Makhanda (Grahamstown) residents and businesses have opened their hearts to donate food and other necessities to the McKaiser Old Age Home. The home, a residential facility for frail and elderly persons, currently provides 24 hour care to 22 residents from some of the poorest areas of Makhanda. McKaiser depends on a monthly subsidy from the Department of Social Development (DSD), but did not receive this subsidy for four months earlier this year. The organisation has warned the DSD of another Life Esidimeni and filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).  Dire straits  Beginning of November, calls were made…

Nalithemba Hospitals has formally announced that they will be pulling private services out of both Settlers Hospital in Makhanda, and Port Alfred Hospital. Private services to both hospitals are provided by Nalithemba, which is 50 percent owned by Netcare. Nalithemba was in a public private partnership (PPP) with the Eastern Cape Department of Health (ECDOH), and will be withdrawing services as a result of low demand. In a press release on 13 November, Netcare General Manager for Finance Chris Smith said, “At the outset of the PPP it was anticipated that the demand for private healthcare services within these facilities would grow.…

Learners, educators, and parents, joined the Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (DSRAC) at Port Alfred High School recently in celebration of the Sarah Baartman District’s success at the Funda Mzantsi National Competition. DSRAC MEC Fezeka Nkomonye-Bayeni joined the celebration along with Ndlambe Municipality leadership, awarding learners with medals and inspirational words.  The 10th annual Funda Mzantsi reading competition took place from 23 to 27 September in George, Western Cape. This was the first year Sarah Baartman was represented at the competition, and the team brought home a plethora of first, second and third prizes.  DSRAC’s Fiona…

By MOGAU MATLOGA On Wednesday, 9 October, Professor Caroline Khene held a public lecture in Rhodes University’s Eden Grove Blue presenting the research that won her the 2018 Vice Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award. Professor Khene presented her Masters lecture titled, “The Journey for Digital Citizen Engagement as a ‘Game Changer’ for Development”,  with Vice Chancellor, Dr Sizwe Mabizela, as MC. “She is admired for her unrelenting drive,” Mabizela said of Khene who had been on the same research path since she was a student. This research and ideas of Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) has led to the…

By ZAKEELAH JANSEN The Community Engagement programme at Rhodes University has created a partnership between students living in residences and Makhanda schools. Through this, both parties have worked together to enrich the academic performance of pupils. On 12 October the students and their school partners came together to celebrate. Drostdy Hall hosted and organised a talent show for the children at Noncedo Preschool as well as painted the hall of the play area. They paid for the materials with money raised during the year by selling brownies on campus, as well as other residence funding.   At the end of the…

Local residents, including real estate agent Kim Webber, have taken it upon themselves to create a new way to fundraise for one of Makhanda’s (Grahamstown’s) essential educational institutions. Next week, a one-of-a-kind art auction will take place to raise funds for the Amasango Career School. “The school gives accelerated primary education for people with extrinsic barriers to learning”, said Webber. “Their needs are so incredibly significant that we need to fundraise not in tens and twenties, but in thousands.” Amasango is partly subsidised by the government; however, this is not enough to meet the needs of learners. Friends of Amasango,…

In 2016, young Tamsin Mbatsha Bouwer was the designated reserve rider for the South African Paralympic Equestrian Team. Born with cerebral palsy to a horse-loving family, riding and having a good long gallop were never a question. She grew up in Johannesburg competing in show-jumping and dressage, culminating in competing overseas for a spot on the Paralympic team. “I’ve always said that when I’m on a horse, a lot of people don’t see that I’m disabled and a lot of them don’t know that as a disabled person I show-jump or do dressage or whatever it might be,” said Bouwer.…

By ZAMAMIYA MAJOLA AND GEMMA RITCHIE It’s the fourth year anniversary of Michaela ‘Chaeli’ Mycroft’s summit of Kilimanjaro. On Tuesday, September 3 2015, Chaeli became the first quadriplegic woman to summit the tallest peak on the African continent. She remembered that in the morning they began the hike, her teammates were excited at the prospect of climbing the mountain.  “I was like, but we have been climbing a mountain the whole time,” she told the audience at Rhodes University’s on Monday night, 2 September, in Makhanda (Grahamstown). Mycroft was the keynote speaker opening the university’s ‘Mainstreaming disability’ week. For Mycroft,…