By ROGER ROSWELL It’s looking promising for good rains for the Spring season. At Darling Street, the monthly total was 48.4mm over nine raindays. This is slightly better than the LTMed at 45.1mm but has not quite achieved the LTA at 52.7mm. Since June, the monthly rainfall has been steadily on the increase. The lowest rainfall recorded for September in 36 years (1986-2021) was 1.4mm (2013) and the highest 170.8mm (2002). About 60% of the September monthly rainfall has been in the range of 0mm to 50mm. I have compared this year’s monthly rainfall in Darling Street with the 1922…
Author: Rod Amner
By STAFF REPORTER The Makana Citizens Front has adopted a code of conduct that includes voters’ right to recall. During the shutdown protest of 16 June 2021, a promise was made by community activists to Makhanda residents: if you disapprove of our performance as local councillors, fire us. MCF candidates have signed a code of conduct that reads: “If 100 voters of my constituency (ward voters for ward councillors, all of Makana for PR councillors) sign a well-motivated petition for me to step down, the management committee shall convene a disciplinary committee that provides a fair process, and I will…
By CHESLEY DANIELS The man found dead in a stream on Sunday under mysterious circumstances has been described by his sister as a good, humble, respectful person loved by everyone in the community. The body of Phillip Bosch, 48, was found in a stream near his home in Valley Road, Vergenoeg, just after 6 pm on Sunday, 3 October. According to Bosch’s sister Lynette Koeberg, Phillip was last seen Saturday afternoon when he visited Zolani to visit his friends. “He left the Saturday afternoon and didn’t come home. Normally we expect him to sleep over at his friend’s place, but we…
The ruling party has ignored protests and court orders, leaving the Makana in a state of collapse. The Makana Citizens Front (MCF) is offering an alternative to party politics, writes Anna Majavu of New Frame. The Makana Citizens Front (MCF) believes it is racing against time to save the city from total collapse after the municipality ignored yet another high court order to eradicate seven informal dumping sites by 29 September. The municipality managed to clear away only two. Makhanda’s townships have no regular garbage removal services. Residents are forced to pile up waste in open areas while businesses dump their…
Citizens want a meaningful say in how they are governed, not local government that foists on them what it has decided the people need writes Steven Friedman. Local elections are upon us once more, so it is “service delivery” time again. Some parties are campaigning on the promise that they will offer “service delivery”. The media – not surprisingly, since they are addicted to the phrase – tell us that “service delivery” is the central election issue because it is what local government is all about. So clichéd has this phrase become that it is rarely challenged. It has become…
The Black Consciousness Movement was committed to praxis; theory and action. Steve Biko and his comrades devised programmes that justified their ideas and improved people’s lives. A special Heritage Month report by TRICONTINENTAL (an Institute for Social Research). When in the central Durban neighbourhood of Greyville, you might notice a building bearing the signage: 86 Charlotte Maxeke Street, Ultra Kidney Care Renal Dialysis Unit. There is no indication that this modern structure stands today on a site of immense historical and political importance. Here once stood the building that housed the national office of the South African Students’ Organisation (Saso), founded…
On 7 September, the Makana Residents Association issued a statement in the GPN Newsletter calling into question Caitlyn Hilliard-Lomas’s Scraps for Strays project. They wrote, “Whilst one sympathises with the concern expressed in Scraps for Strays (Grocott’s 3rd Sept), feeding strays and encouraging them is a strategy which will encourage population increase and bring stray dogs (and other animals) into increasing contact with people.” This is Caitlyn’s response. By CAITLYN HILLIARD-LOMAS It all started with an empty ice-cream container, a boost of confidence and a passion for giving. I headed out of my comfort zone and straight to asking local restaurants…
There were some thrilling encounters at the Makana LFA U18 football tournament on the Heritage Day weekend, played in front of a packed house at JD Dlepu stadium, the home of local football. In one absorbing encounter, Santos threw away an early lead which allowed Newseekers back in the game in the dying minutes. But Santos eventually won it in a penalty shootout. The defending U18 champions Sophia Young Stars had an easy opening game as they thrashed African Spears 5-0. This 14-team event went down to the wire and presented the Young Eagles with an opportunity to score revenge against…
The number of South Africans who have received at least one vaccine dose is 12 494 219 or 31.39% of the eligible adult population. Meanwhile, according to the Department of Health, 8 719 336 million have been fully vaccinated. In addition, the latest data show that the country administered 17 349 100 vaccines as of Wednesday 29 September, of which 156 818 were distributed in the last 24 hours. According to the WHO’s COVID-19 weekly epidemiological update, the number of weekly infections and deaths continued to decline. The WHO said over 3.3 million new cases and over 55 000 new…
The Department of Basic Education has announced that it is recruiting young people between 18-35 as part of the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI) until 3 October 2021. No prior training in education is needed and young people with disabilities are also encouraged to apply. Successful candidates will receive the necessary training, which will help them grow in various skills that could equip them for future employment opportunities. Successful candidates will be placed in schools for five months (starting from 1 November 2021 – 31 March 2022) in either of the following roles: • Education Assistant – Curriculum • Education…