Author: Student Reporter

By MZWANDILE SIBANDA Eastern Cape supporters came in their numbers to watch a 14-man Connacht clinch a win against the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth last weekend Directly after match kick-off on 1 March, the Kings made a poor pass into a Connacht player’s line of play and he ran less than 50 metres to score the first try of the game. The Kings hit back with a quick response from their skilful backline and crossed Connacht’s try line. However, after being reviewed, the TMO Decision was to disallow the try. Minutes later, a physical Connacht side made ground using…

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By Jacqueline Holloway and Nienke Botha There are days when pupils at Samuel Ntsiko Primary have to relieve themselves in the bushes behind the school, and there are days when the school has to send the children home early. Along with water outages that last for days on end, the school is also faced with theft from its tanks from neighbouring residents. The school has 527 learners and relies almost entirely on water from eight 5000-litre tanks tanks. This should be enough to see the school through a week or more without municipal water in the taps. But when the…

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By Jacqueline Holloway Love was in the air last week as everyone celebrated Valentine’s Day. Khutliso Daniels Secondary School did so as well, but not in the way you would think. The school hosted Sophumelela Youth Development Program (SYDP) to come and speak to their thirty eight grade 12’s. They host this event every year to teach males about menstruation and how to care for the girls they know. Their aim was to break the stigma about menstruation as well as to teach them that relationships have more than one dimension. The event included talks by the founder and chairperson…

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By MOGAU MATLOGA The daughter of a woman who went missing after being discharged from Settler’s hospital sings SAPS’ praises following their quick response.  Ndileka Tshunungwa was admitted to Settlers Hospital on 13 August after an epileptic fit at her home in Joza, Extension 6. Her family left her in the hospital’s care overnight and found that she had been discharged the next day.  Tshunungwa’s daughter, Thandokazi, and her grandmother, said they only realised her mother was missing after visiting the hospital the following day. Thandokazi immediately contacted the local police, who did not waste any time, she says. After…

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Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane was one of 18 South African individuals and entities honoured at the Rhino Conservation Awards on Sunday night. The South African filmmakers behind the investigative rhino poaching documentary, Stroop, were also acknowledged at the Gala Dinner, held on 21 July 2019 at Montecasino in Johannesburg. The Rhino Conservation Awards were founded by Dr Larry Hansen and Miss Xiaoyang Yu in 2011 and have been hosted annually in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Affairs and the Game Rangers’ Association of Africa (GRAA). In 2018, the national poaching figures in South Africa showed a 25% decrease in…

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Youth crime prevention campaign and Sport Extravaganza for high school learners to take place at Fingo Soccer City on the 15th of June 2019. Kamvelihle Netjies reports As the month of June is a youth month, the Department of Sport, Recreation, Art and Culture has cooperated with a number of Governmental and local stakeholders in creating a crime prevention campaign for the youth of Makhanda. This comes after high reports of crime around Makhanda involving youth. The event serves as a way to talk with the youth, and encourage them to stay away from crime and illegal substances. For the…

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By KAMVELIHLE NETJIES GBS Mutual Bank on Wednesday 29 May awarded bursaries valued at R200 000 to eight academically deserving students from Rhodes University. The bursaries are to support Makhanda students who are not funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) – a group who often struggle to pay fees, referred to as “the missing middle”. Accepting the cheque, Rhodes University’s Vice Chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela, expressed the institution’s appreciation. He said the GBS contribution would ensure those students had the opportunity to further their studies in commerce. “When I became the Vice Chancellor of Rhodes I committed to ensure…

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By JOSI-FAY SALVADORI and SARAH CONNOCK There should be two mobile libraries serving the Makana District – but neither is currently operational. A Chinese company donated a mobile library to the Department of Basic Education in 2016 – but the department does not have a driver with a Public Driving Permit (PDP) and there is no funding to keep it roadworthy – which means that it is hardly ever used. Meanwhile, the vehicle housing the Makana Library Services’ mobile library was written off in an accident in 2015 and has still not been replaced. Deputy Director for Makana Library Services,…

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By KAJAL PREMNATH The Cawse Library at St Andrew’s College has the honour of hosting the South African Schools Librarians’ Conference from 28 June to 2 July this year. Described as a “centre for reading, learning and innovation”, the state-of-the-art Cawse Library is an ideal host for a conference themed ‘Libraries of the Future’. Librarians from independent schools will converge in Makhanda for a two-and-a-half-day programme that has been spread over five days to overlap with the National Arts Festival. Keynote speaker, Ron Starker, works as a librarian at Singapore American School and is the developer of ‘The Connections Project’,…

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By JASON MASEKO On 27 March, the Grahamstown Residents’ Association (GRA) hosted a meeting at Noluthando Hall in Joza. Ward 2 Councillor Ramie Xonxa was present to answer questions, while GRA Committee Member Xolani Simakuhle made note of each ward’s respective issues. Community members expressed their grievances on topics ranging from dilapidated infrastructure, lack of services, and ineffective service delivery. From the concerns raised, lack of maintenance and accountability seemed to be the root of the problems in Makana’s ill-maintained wards. “The issue that handicaps us is money,” Xonxa said. “There are reasons why there’s a lack of money,” GRA…

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