General News

Gino’s survives small fire

Gino's, Grahamstown’s popular Italian restaurant and pizzeria, caught fire on Sunday evening. “The roof started smouldering from the pizza oven’s chimney and it started burning with visible flames,” said the owner of the restaurant, Kenneth Zacharellis.
 

They’re (h)all using it

The controversial Extension 9 community hall is finally being used by its residents. Municipal records reveal
that the hall has been used five times for funerals and four times for meetings since July, when Grocott’s
Mail published an article about the dispute between the community and the municipality.
 

Dondashe murder case awaits provisional date

The murder case of the late ANC Youth League regional secretary, Oscar Dondashe was not heard by the High Court as scheduled.
 

ANCYL members excluded, claim

When Julius Malema told delegates to the Eastern Cape ANCYL conference that the meeting would proceed no matter what, Simphiwe Mayekiso protested. Mayekiso was bundled out of the conference by security guards and dumped outside the gates of the Joza Indoor Sports Centre.  

A dance and a song for lunch

Drivers are used to being frustrated by traffic jams on Hill Street, but last week traffic came to a standstill as the Rhodes Chamber Choir entertained passersby with song.

Two students, four meals

Two people at a recent dinner hosted by the Student Representative Council (SRC) at a local restaurant ordered four main meals in the course of the evening all on the SRC tab. After a few mouthfuls of their first orders, the pair each ordered another meal.

Winter Rose begins to blossom

It’s Wednesday night and a group of young girls are standing outside Miki Yili rugby stadium. More are  standing in the street, gossiping among themselves.

No medical assistance at inter-res rugby

Conce rns have been raised over the availability of trained medical help at Rhodes University’s Friday night internal league rugby. Students, spectators and players have shown anger and concern at what they perceive to be the lack of attention injured players have received over the past few weeks.

Sweetest job in town

Riaan Boucher rarely wears gloves or a protective suit when on the job. I marvel as he reaches for a rooftop comb with his bare hands while a cigarette rests comfortably between his lips. Boucher is completely at home in a hive.
 

The testimony of crowds

“The future is new media,” Rebecca Wanjiku asserts without the briefest hesitation, as if it wasn't a controversial issue. For a new media writer who realises that many people she encounters “think I'm not a real journalist”, the blogger and Nairobi correspondent for IDG News Service is remarkably self-assured.

Compulsory microdots for cars in 2011

At the recent National Vehicle Crime Forum, the South African Police Force (SAPF) said that microdot technology will become compulsory for all vehicles from January 2011. 

"Mbalula forces" hold dissidents at bay

An ANCYL faction has accused Deputy Minister of Police Fikile Mbalula of abusing state resources by having dozens of police officers guard the ANC Youth League provincial conference over the weekend.