Author: Grocott's Mail Contributors

Imbongi is praising the City of Saints. Even though Grahamstown is now Makhanda,  the City of Saints is to him the same. He is very excited about Makhanda. He asks all writers, imbongis from different backgrounds, modern and traditional, to write about the City of Saints, which according to him, is Makhanda. Ise ngumntwana wenu bahlali Mazibhale iimbongi zosiba. Maziprofiteshe iimbongi zomthonyama, zithi ithi Imbongi yemveli. Buya sixeko ndini sengcwele, Sixeko ndini esidiliza iintombi noonyana  baba Ntu. Ewe ubufudula ubizwa nge sixeko sengcwele, iiNkokheli zakaLizwi ziphuma kuwe. Wabizwa nge sixeko sika Makhanda, iiKumkani neekumanikazi zomthonyama, zizalwa nguwe kodwa akonelisekanga. Buya…

SA Under-20 flyhalf Damian Willemse is one of three uncapped players included in the Springbok squad for the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, with the Emirates Lions quartet of Malcolm Marx (hooker), Warren Whiteley (No 8), Ross Cronje (scrumhalf) and Lionel Mapoe (centre) also back in the Bok fold for the first time this season. Rassie Erasmus, SA Rugby’s Director of Rugby, announced a squad of 35 players on Monday, with two loose forwards, the Vodacom Bulls’ Marco van Staden and Cyle Brink of the Emirates Lions, joining Willemse, the 20-year-old DHL Stormers and Junior Springbok flyhalf, as the uncapped players in…

By J.J. Botha According to the dictionary to be content means to experience peace and joy. In today’s society so many people live their lives wishing for peace and joy. So many people hope or dream of different circumstances. So many wish for their situation to change. But the Apostle Paul had a very different view of contentment, whilst in jail we find him writing the following very profound piece of Scripture. Php 4:11-13; 11 I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a…

In these days when there is so much (justified) negativity surrounding various aspects of public service delivery, it is a pleasure to highlight one bright spot in the administration. Twice in the past year I have visited the Grahamstown SASSA office. On the first occasion in late 2017 I waited only about two minutes before receiving attention. On a further visit this week, after checking  in with security, I was immediately able to meet with one of the ladies dealing with exchange of SASSA cards. She was pleasant and efficient and I was out of the office with my new…

The cold weather is still here and especially overnight when the sky is clear, make sure your pets are indoors or given adequate shelter at night and in poor weather. Extra food can help them stay warm but shelter is essential. If you are cold then your pet will be too! For more information and or advice on animal care, please do not hesitate to contact the Grahamstown SPCA or one of the friendly vets in town. Ikhala Veterinary Practice on Strowan Road, Tel: 046 622 3261 The State Vet on George Street, Tel:  046 622 7112 Grahamstown Veterinary Practice…

Graeme College hosted Kingswood on Wednesday 25 July in what is always an eagerly anticipated derby fixture. Graeme took on their visitors in three hockey matches early in the day, which saw Graeme’s U15 A side take on the U14 A side from Kingswood, while both sets of First and Second teams went head to head. This was the start of the final week of winter sports fixtures for Kingswood’s hockey side, which included a 3-1 win for the Kingswood First Team. Graeme were slow to get out the starting blocks and struggled in the first half. The Kingswood side had…

This letter refers to the recent arbitrary gazetting by the Minister of Arts and Culture of changing the name of Grahamstown to Makhanda.  Makhanda is already commemorated in the name of the Municipality, namely, Makana. Grahamstown had long outgrown its colonial beginnings and is now a worldwide BRAND name. It is a city renowned for its creativity and is a cultural and educational centre, with world-class institutions. It is home to the annual Grahamstown National Arts Festival, currently underway.  The Festival contributes millions of rands to the city and to the province. Nobody will come to the Makhanda National Arts…

Schools in South Africa may have generally improved since 1994 but for special schools, the conditions are appalling. There is no regulatory framework specific for special schools, which has led to injuries, deaths, abuse and neglect of special needs pupils. These incidents have previously made headlines which led the Legal Resource Centre and Centre for Child Law to intervene. On 24 November 2017, we wrote a letter to the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga  requesting her to enact regulations to ensure that special schools hostels are managed in an appropriate and protective manner. The Minister acknowledged our letter, but…

If you are a parent, you probably would like your child to attend university after high school.  Unfortunately, university is extremely expensive and this often places a huge strain on your family’s finances.  The #FeesMustFall campaign has provided relief in certain instances but it is not a universal panacea, as not all families qualify for free tertiary education or financial support. A prudent way around this problem is to save every month using a suitable investment.   The sooner you start, the better.  As with any other investment, the longer it stays in the market, the better your investment will perform…

NguThobani Mesani Inkqubo kaTrading Live yakulo nyaka iphele ngeyona ndlela ingumangaliso. Le nkqubo iqale ngomhla wokuzalwa wakaTata uNelson Rolihlahla Mandela, i-18 July, yaze yaqukunjelwa ngolwesithathu umhla we-24 July. Le nkqubo ikhuthazwe yimibhiyozo yomhla obizwa ngokuba yiMandela Day, apho abantu bathatha imizuzu engamashumi asithandathu anesixhenxe (67) ngokuthi bancedisane noluntu kwiindawo abahlala kuzo ngezenzo zoBuntu ezahlukeneyo. IYunivesithi iRhodes yona yathatha isigqibo sokuba izokuthatha iveki yonke ikhuthaze abahlali baseRhini bephelele ukuba bancedisane ekwakheni iRhini ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo. Kule veki yale nkqubo kuye kwabakho abantu abaninzi abaye bafaka izicelo zokunceda nezofuna uncedo. IOfisi yeCommunity Engagement yaseRhodes yaze yaququzela ngokudibanisa izicelo nabantu abafanelekileyo. Kule veki kuye…