By GAIL OLIVER South Africa was the first country in the world to make sexual orientation discrimination illegal in its Constitution and the fifth in the world to legalise same-sex marriage. The protection afforded to LGBT+ people is unparalleled compared to the rest of the continent. However, there is a gap between what’s on official paper and what gay people actually experience. Students at Rhodes University felt it was important to embrace, represent and celebrate queer people and did something about it. This was when the student society Nkoli Fassie was born. The inspiration behind the society’s name is Simon…
Author: Rod Amner
By KATLEGO NKOSI A few connections. An ask here and there. Instagram stalking and a quick well-constructed direct message. A ready and willing student photographer who is also an upcoming DJ to join my adventure. A fifteen-rand taxi to Makhanda’s township and almost getting lost. This is all it took to meet with Lazola finally. A face in Makhanda. The way I met Lazola, popularly known as DJ Admix SA, is precisely how our interaction carried throughout our interview on that autumn Sunday afternoon. A hasty character bumps into Tlamelo, the photographer, and me as we enter the gates of…
After a short Festival break, the Makana LFA first division returned to action this past weekend. This break seemed to work well for some of the teams, while others felt the impact of it. Former Makhanda’s football giants Santos FC are finding life very difficult in the lower ranks as they lost both of their games 1-4 and 1-2 to Young stars and African Spears, respectively. Early title contenders and stream A leaders Black Stars collected maximum points as they defeated African Spears and Young Stars by 3-2 and 4-1, respectively. Sophia Stars humiliated Young Ones by eight unanswered goals…
Last week, Rhodes University Community Engagement (RUCE) partnered with Amakhala Game Reserve to provide SD cards to the Grade 12 learners who live in the communities of Amakhala. These SD cards contain study materials, including subject-specific study guides, videos explaining concepts and past exam papers. The learners will use the SD cards on their phones to study and prepare for their final exams. The SD card campaign is a Vul’Indlela initiative which began during the Covide-19 pandemic when learners were required to learn remotely. The campaign has provided matric learners in several local no-fee paying schools in Makhanda with SD…
By HARTMUT WINKLER, Professor of Physics, University of Johannesburg South Africa’s power utility, Eskom, has not been able to provide a steady electricity supply for several years. At the start of the 2022 winter, the utility warned the public to expect up to 100 days of rolling power outages. At the end of June, there was at times a 6,000 MW shortfall in electricity supply, corresponding to about 20% of the evening peak demand. While there is consensus that new electricity generating plants are urgently needed to minimise power outages, there are radically differing views on how this is best achieved. The official electricity…
By CHRIS TOTOBELA Local boxing clubs hosted a Port Alfred-based boxing club in early July as part of the preparations for the upcoming district trials. There were some very exciting bouts at the Joza Indoor Sports Centre that got the crowd on their feet. One of them was between Ayabulela Mxuma from Port Alfred and locally-based Philasande Myeza of Masibambane Boxing Club. Mxuma won the fight with a TKO. The main bout of the day which also happened to be the last was between Makhanda’s Qhama Dzedze and Mihlali Daniels from Ndlambe. Dzedze, who is also part of the Eastern…
By GEOFF EMBLING, Ward 4 Democratic Alliance councillor “Grahamstown has old infrastructure” is the standard excuse at council and portfolio meetings. London and other European cities have infrastructure many times as old as Grahamstown’s. The difference is that municipalities there use ratepayers’ money to upgrade the infrastructure on an ongoing basis. Thirty years ago, one never thought about ‘potholes’. Grahamstown had good roads, working streetlights and drains, and water was available 24/7. The infrastructure held out for 15-20 years with little maintenance, then it started deteriorating at an increasing rate. Now it is collapsing. The municipal rates and taxes, intended…
By STAFF REPORTER Grahamstown Properties and Food4Futures are collecting 67 blankets for this Mandela Day, 18 July. So far, 14 blankets have been donated – just 53 to go. Steve Birt of Grahamstown Properties urged Makhandans to “look in your cupboards and drawers for an old blanket and pass it on to us”. “We will find a home for it where it will be much appreciated,” Birt said. Blankets can be dropped off at Grahamstown Properties, Shop 20a, Pepper Grove Mall (next to FNB). Alternatively, one of the people below will fetch your donation: Donors are invited to attend the…
By ROSS MARRINER Teaching your children how to manage their money successfully is one of the greatest life lessons you can give your loved ones. Fortunately, life lessons and money lessons are not mutually exclusive. There is usually a strong correlation between the values associated with careful money management and those of raising well-rounded children. This is especially true when it comes to investing. Let us take a closer look at some of these values and how you can pass them on to your children. Showing your children how to plan for the future can make an incredible difference in…
By CHESLEY DANIELS Klipfontein United recorded a hard-fought 20-15 win over Ndlambe Tigers in their EPRU SEDRU Regional Rugby League played in Port Alfred on Saturday. The visitors enjoyed a 12-3 lead at the break. The win moved Klipfontein up to second position on the overall log, four points behind log leaders St Mark’s of Alicedale. The second-round fixture saw Klipfontein needing to work hard for their win after crashing to the Tigers in the first round at home. Thembi Mangwana (Prop) of Klipfontein scored a try within 10 minutes of the first half from structured rugby, converted by John…