Author: Mzwamadoda Makalima

Mzwamadoda Makalima, better known as Azlan Makalima, is a Grocotts Mail Online Producer, Journalist, Graphic and Layout Designer. He is a Head-Director at Multimedia Makenik, a Small Medium Micro Enterprise on Event Management, Graphic, Audio and Visual Design.

This year was the 8th annual Fingo Festival, and it was organised in the unifying spirit of Tat’ Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. The organisers of the Festival see Tat’ Mandela as a person who most represents the Eastern Cape’s contribution to African modernity. So even though they welcomed President Ramaphosa’s dedication of 2018 as the “Year of Mandela”, they are aware that Tata was not alone in the fight against colonial apartheid. Through this year’s Fingo Festival they celebrated the Eastern Cape’s contribution to African modernity via the figure of its most celebrated son and the province’s rich jazz and literature…

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Grahamstown Child Welfare held their annual Tekkie Tax campaign and thanks to the Grahamstown community it was a great success. [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.grocotts.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/TTax-Campaign-Summary-for-2018.pdf”]

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A group of Grahamstown hikers raised more than R10 000 for the Camdeboo Hospice by taking part in the annual ‘Hike and Hobble’ fundraising on the 12 May.  The Grahamstown contingent joined Camdeboo locals for the 6am start at the top of the Ouberg Pass just outside Graaff Reniet to walk 50km to Nieu Bethesda in a single day.  It was a wonderful sense of achievement to reach their goal for this worthy cause, and they were extremely grateful to their sponsors, the organisers and a wonderful support team that provided assistance and much needed sustenance along the route. Standing from right to…

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On Saturday 12 May, a band named The Survivals hosted a tribute reggae event for Bob Marley at The Recreational Hall, Albany Road. They performed songs by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and UB-40 among others. Bob Marley was a Jamaican singer-songwriter, international musical and cultural icon who died on 11 May 1981 at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Miami at the aged of 36. His final words to his son Ziggy Marley were “Money can’t buy life.” Sticking to the roots, The Survivals decided to host an event on 12 May, dedicated to Marley and the reggae nation. The band was founded…

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By Francois van Eck  Dare 2 Dance (D2D) Studios from Port Elizabeth hosted their 15th Inter School (now inter district) Ballroom Competition at the Feather Market Centre in Port Elizabeth on Saturday 12 May. Grahamstown dance club, Dance With… entered 12 pupils  from St Andrew’s College and Diocesan School for Girls (DSG), six from Kingswood College and one pupil from Victoria Girls’ High School. The local dancers competed against 250 pupils from 14 different High Schools across levels like Pre Bronze, Bronze Badge, Silver Badge and Gold Badge. Two couples reached the finals in the Bronze Badge level for their Ballroom and Latin…

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Tomorrow, Saturday 12 May, a band named The Survivals will host a tribute reggae event for Bob Marley at The Recreational Hall, Albany Road. They will perform songs by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and UB-40 among others. Bob Marley was a Jamaican singer-songwriter, international musical and cultural icon who died on 11 May 1981 at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Miami at the aged of 36. His final words to his son Ziggy Marley were “Money can’t buy life.” Sticking to the roots, The Survivals decided to host an event on 12 May, dedicated to Marley and the reggae nation. The band…

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A two-day choral extravaganza, featuring South Africa’s First Lady of song, brought joy in the Monument’s Guy Butler Theatre this week. The fifth edition of the Masicule – Let’s Sing! concert in Grahamstown, featured guest artist, Dr Sibongile Khumalo. Khumalo is the most celebrated member of a musical dynasty marked by an extraordinary vocal gene-pool and passion for making music. In 1993, Khumalo won the Standard Bank Young Artist Award at the National Arts Festival. In 2009, she was honoured by Rhodes University, by being awarded a Doctor of Music honoris causa. Masicule 2018 brought together nearly 1000 choristers from…

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