Author: Sue Maclennan

Grahamstown needs to plan for no rain, says Makana’s Director of Insfrastructure Dali Mlenzana, as the Department of Water and Sanitation reports a 1% week-on-week decrease in South Africa’s dam levels. Mlenzana said a final report from Blackwater Divers, the team that investigated infrastructure and actual levels at Grahamstown’s Settlers and Howieson’s Poort dams on 12 and 13 July would likely be available by the end of this week. The dams are the main supply for the western side of Grahamstown. “Finally we have reliable information about our water supply,” Mlenzana said. While the data had been handed over, it…

Judge Judith Roberson on Wednesday 26 July reserved judgment in the case of Paul Notyawa, who holds that he was appointed municipal manager in March 2015, against Makana Municipality and the MEC for local government, who say he wasn’t. Arguments in the High Court in Grahamstown were led by Advocate Izak Smuts for the applicant, Notyawa; Advocate Torquil Paterson for the first respondent, Makana Municipality and Senior Counsel Richard Quinn for the second respondent, the MEC. Notyawa lodged court papers in February this year that seek to have the court declare he was lawfully appointed in the post of municipal…

A drama enacted on Church Square last week caught the attention of passers by, giving officers from Grahamstown Correctional Services, volunteers, probationers and parolees the opportunity to speak to them about their offender rehabilitation programmes. The lively outreach campaign in Church Square on Tuesday 27 July morning brought correctional supervision into focus, with Correctional Services social worker Vuyokazi Gwarube explaining what various programmes entailed. “My job is to help offenders refrain from doing crime while they’re in the community, and we have various awareness and education programmes including substance abuse, anger management, life skills and restorative justice.” The play, Ama-Uneducated,…

The South African National Parks (SANParks) announced on Friday that the holiday bookings for June and July 2018 will open on 1 August 2017 as opposed to 25 July 2017 as originally planned. According to SANParks Head of Communications Janine Raftopoulos, the change of date to 1 August is due to a possible protected strike by some members of staff. “SANParks is still locked in talks with the union representing the majority of staff and a deadline has been set for Monday, to agree on a settlement and in anticipation of any disagreements between the two parties. Achange of date…

A firearm seized during a search in Grahamstown last weekend was stolen from the police earlier this year. SAPS spokesperson Captain Mali Govender said on Saturday night 22 July, members of the SAPS Grahamstown Operational Command Centre conducted a search in a house in Vukani, following information they’d received. They found a male suspect inside the house and a Lorcin Walter 7.65 with an identifiable serial number and 13 rounds of ammunition. “During further investigations it was established that this firearm was stolen from Peddie Police Station in March 2017,” Govender said. The 26-year-old man was arrested for possession of an…

As residents awaited the water cuts they were told would be instituted after the National Arts Festival, service reporting organisation MobiSAM, reported that Settlers Dam was down to 24% of capacity and Howieson’s Poort 58%. And according to divers on site this week, of four supply inlets to Howieson’s Poort Dam, the deepest is blocked with silt and another is well above the water level. The other two outlets are open and operating enough to allow water into the dam feeding Grahamstown’s western water treatment works. Settlers Dam feeds into Howieson’s Poort and commercial divers Blackwater Divers this week…

Sue Maclennan @SusanMaclennan2 Council officials expressed surprise at a demand from a coalition calling themselves Concerned Citizens of Grahamstown,  acting with the support of attorneys Wheeldon Rushmere and Cole, that Makana Municipality be placed under administration in terms of Section 139(5) of the Constitution. And an expert has expressed doubt that the Province has the capacity to implement full administration. The details of the demand were contained in a letter addressed to the Mayor, and circulated to media, councillors and political parties as well as municipal officials. Signed by the chairperson of a group called the Concerned Citizens Committee, Ron…

The Grahamstown area features many wonderful private game reserves who are offering fantastic specials over the National Arts Festival. For something completely different contact an accredited tour guide who will design a tour of our area just for you at a price you can afford.

The Village Green Craft Market at the National Arts Festival will move to a new venue from next year, festival organisers have announced. The market typically hosts about 300 traders, crafters, food vendors and artists during the 11 days of Amazing.

Every lunchtime from Tuesday to Thursday this coming week of Festival, you can buy great books at good prices, with proceeds used for the South African Library for the Blind (SALB’s) Mandela Day projects.