Makhanda festival city
The city is renowned for its educational institutions, for being the national seat of the judiciary and for its cultural events
KNOCK SHOP TAKES A KNOCK Makhandans were indeed shocked to the core to learn of the fire that ravaged through the premises of The Knock Shop, a family business, in Cawood Street on the eastern edge of the CBD last Wednesday afternoon.
Business owner Craig Fourie was on the premises at the time, and was able to summon the municipal fire department, a mere 200m away.
Quickly on the scene, firefighters doused the flames but not before the entire building had been gutted and most of the contents destroyed in the inferno.
The Knock Shop traded in secondhand furniture, cottage furniture, collectibles, antiques, plus new beds and mattresses.
Craig and Kim Fourie moved the business to its current position five years ago from Cobden Street, just below the railway station.
Talk of the Town visited the scene of the fire on Sunday and observed blackened walls on the exterior of the building, broken windows, and extensive damage inside with mangled and burntout remnants of stock strewn about. A security guard was on duty.
The Knock Shop opened its doors for business in a cottage at 47 New Street in 1990, under the ownership of Knockie (after whom the business was named) and Di Wakeford, buying and selling secondhand furniture, antiques and bric-a-brac.
The business, situated close to the university campus, sold new beds as well, proving popular with ‘digs’ students.
Back in the 1960s and 1970s the same premises in Cawood Street, scene of last week’s fire, was occupied by Wesson’s Service Station under the ownership of Mr RH Wesson. The business was later sold to Neville and Susan Koch, who moved it to Beaufort Street and then to its current position at 39 High Street, around the corner from The Knock Shop.
BLOOD STOCKS DWINDLING
As blood stock levels decrease, posing a severe risk to patients in need, the SA National Blood Service (SANBS) has appealed to donors to come forward and donate units in the weeks leading up to the holiday season.
In Makhanda, November was not a good month for the SANBS, with their four visits to the NG Kerk hall in Hill Street yielding just 64 units, reports SANBS donor relations practitioner Tando Maseti.
Meanwhile, SANBS senior marketing manager Thandi Mosupye said the SANBS was facing a critical shortage of blood and urgently called on donors to help the service get through the challenging period ahead of the festive season.
“The demand for blood remains constant, yet our current supply falls short of meeting this need. As we approach the festive season our donations are expected to decline due to the closure of workplaces, schools and tertiary institutions. Should this decline continue, our ability to meet the needs of patients will be severely impacted,” she said.
The SANBS visits the NG Kerk hall in Hill Street from 12-6pm each Tuesday.
RIVER MADE FOR ROWING
The Standard Bank SA Schools’ Boat Race, hosted by St Andrew’s College, takes place on the Kowie River at Port Alfred tomorrow and on Saturday, with 32 school and club crews from across the country tackling the course that meanders its way towards the coast.
Among the schools taking part in the two-day event are Makhanda’s Diocesan School for Girls (DSG), making a return to the event after an absence of nine years, and hosts St Andrew’s.
The first round of racing takes place tomorrow, with crews competing in a time-trial — junior women from 2pm and junior men from 4.30pm. The finals take to the waters of the Kowie on Saturday.
In the junior men ’ s category, St Benedict’s College from Johannesburg are the defending champions, while St Mary’s School, also from Johannesburg, have won for eight years in a row.
EMPLOYEES IN HOT WATER Disciplinary action is expected to be taken against Makana Municipality employees whose alleged negligence resulted in the Howiesonspoort pump station in the Settlers dam area being flooded.
A spokesperson in the Makana communications office said the Howiesonspoort pump station had to be switched off due to flooding on November 21.
It is alleged that the operator on duty was “not at the pump station at the time of a pipe burst, hence the flooding”.
The pump motors had to be sent to a service provider for repairs.
The statement concluded: “Makana Municipality cannot say for sure when the plant will be restarted because this is a crisis and we are still trying to remedy the situation.”
GOING, GOING, GONE Representatives of Mthatha-based Mozi Auctioneers are in Makhanda today conducting an auction at the municipal workshops in the industrial area on behalf of Makana Municipality.
Registration was due to open at 8am and the auction itself at 10am. Among the lots are Toyota, Isuzu and Nissan LDVs, Nissan sedans, tractors, trucks and fire vehicles, computer equipment and laptops. Makhanda residents are no doubt hopeful that the proceeds from the sale will go towards purchasing an essentialservices vehicle or two.
MEET THE MINISTER
In a mail addressed to “Makana stakeholders”, Makana Municipality invites them to a meeting with the minister of water & sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, in City Hall at 9am tomorrow (Friday).
LOCAL RUNNER IN TOP 50
Thoko Sipungu was the first of five Albany Runners athletes to finish the NMB 1-City Marathon in and around Gqeberha on Saturday, completing the 42,2km course in 3 hours, 7 minutes 30 seconds for 48th position out of a field of 609.
Other Albany finishers were: 215th Cassandra MacLachlan 3:58:00 294th Cecile van Schalkwyk 4:11:41 340th Juanita Fuller 4:21:27 472nd Mvelo Phungula 4:45:55. Two Albany members completed the NMB 1-City half-marathon (595 finishers) — Andrea Comley was 426th in 2:26:31 and Jaqueline van Dyk 479th in 2:35:57.
PARKRUNS IN THE FAMILY
The conditions were ideal in Makana botanical gardens on Saturday for the first parkrun of December when 80 runners, joggers and walkers took to the pathways.
Between them the three members of the Hockly family have completed no less than 191 parkruns, Judy Hockly 76 and sons Samuel 85 and Daniel-Keagan 30.
Visitor Michelle Whittington from East London completed her 100th parkrun in Makhanda on Saturday.
Parkruns are held at 8am each Saturday from the entrance to the botanical gardens in Lucas Avenue.
JAGGER TOPS
Jagger House has won the Kingswood College Inter-House Shield for 2023, for the second year in a row.
MARKET AT ALBANY
Albany Sports Club hosts its Christmas market at the sports complex in lower Florence Street from 9am to 3pm on Saturday, December 9. Stalls include food, bric-a-brac, crafts and gifts.
IN CRICKET SQUADS
Three St Andrew’s College players have been included in the EP squad for the Khaya Majola U19 cricket week on grounds across Makhanda from December 16-20. They are Matthew Beamish, Sibusiso Mxube and Matthew Poole.
Meanwhile, three players from Graeme’College Andrew s have been and selected two from for St the EP squad for the U16 cricket week in George from December 10-14. They are Luphelo Mdyesha, Zuko Pontshi and Rhys Wiblin of Graeme, and William Beamish and Samuel Scheckter of St Andrew’s.
BRIGHT STAR
Victoria Girls’ High School grade 12 pupil Hlumelo Gaqa was a frequent visitor to the stage during the school’s annual prizegiving to take possession of numerous trophies and prizes awarded to her.
Top of the list for Gaqa was the Old Girls’ Union/Martha Emslie prize for top pupil, while the MG Richardson cup for service was also awarded to her, as was the VGHS prestige certificate for all-round achievement, and the Elsbeth Dixon prize for mathematics.
Gaqa excelled in her matric year at languages, receiving the Glennie prize for English; Dr Ella Britten prize for English literature; Rapportryers prize for Afrikaans first additional language; Corinne Purdon cup for most bilingual pupil; and sharing the prize for the most trilingual pupil.
PREFECTS NAMED
PJ Olivier High School’s chair of the management committee (head prefect) for 2024 is Marcelle Schoonbee, with Jaco Slabbert deputy chair (deputy head prefect).
PLAYING HOST
Rhodes University has been hosting three University Sports SA (USSA) tournaments during the past few days — basketball 3X3 championships (December 2 and 3), golf at Belmont Golf Club (December 3 to 9) and tennis (December 3 to 7). In addition, Rhodes hosted the SA mixed ultimate frisbee inter-varsity championships from November 30 to December 2.
KC SPORTS AWARDS
Athletics colours have been awarded at Kingswood College to Tapiwa Zhanda, while basketball colours have been awarded to Mila Miti, Sinengomso Brawen, Mvelo Sibam, Munangi Kamwendo, Panashe Makoni, Isabella Greyling and Sthando Mandlendoda.
On the cricketing side, the JonesPhillipson trophy for the best first team allrounder was awarded jointly to Matthew Collett and Angus Johns.
Back indoors, squash colours have been awarded to Leah Ewing, Angus Brown and Stephen Aylesbury.
WASH, CUT AND BLOW DRY
Two hairdressing salons that continue to wash, cut, blow dry and highlight hair locally after many years are Salon Gavroche in upper High Street and Salon Tippin in Pepper Grove Mall.
Going back several decades, who remembers these hairdressing salons?
Sybill’s Beauty Salon, 16 Bathurst Street; Helen Campbell Hairdressing Salon, 63 High Street (where Makana Tourism is now); The Beauty Place, 41 Hill Street; Flamingo Hair Salon, 48 Bathurst Street; Salon Carol Unisex, 91 High Street; Sylvia’s Hair Salon, 41 Bathurst Street; and Salon Rosita, 118 High Street.
PERPETUAL DAWN
Two or three weeks ago a post appeared on social media mentioning New Dawn as a Grahamstown guitars-and-drums band of a few years ago. Does anyone know who the band members were and what instruments they played?
Then, this writer read the words “perpetual motion” in a recent article and was reminded of a local band of many years ago by the name of Perpetual Motion. Again, does anyone have band members’ names?
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A GOVERNOR AND A SURVEYOR During the recent Grahamstown Christmas market at PJ Olivier, hundreds of people would have driven up Somerset Street and passed Robinson Street on their left as they entered the school grounds. Robinson Street was named after two gentlemen — Sir Hercules Robinson (governor from 1881-1889) and Mr MR Robinson (surveyor general in the 1850s).
CLAY WAS MINED THERE
Driving up Robinson Street towards the Grahamstown Christmas Market at PJ Olivier the other day, the writer passed what was once known as the clay pits, between the electricity sub-station and the school.
Several decades ago, the municipality employed casual workers to dig and bag the clay which was then transported to the municipal stores depot in Knight Street across the road from the present-day traffic department. From there it was sold to pottery businesses and local potters.
COYS AND HARRISONS
Coys Motors, managed by Ginger Muddle, with Syd Williams the technician-in-chief, operated several decades ago on the corner of Hill Street and Dundas Street.
Other motor dealerships, motor repair workshops and motor-related businesses from years back included Pioneer Motors, 15/17 Beaufort Street; Harrison’s Motors, Howse Street; Nel’s Radiators, 2 Jarvis Street; Kowie Brake & Clutch, 2 Dundas Street; Albany Auto Services, 12 Beaufort Street; and Mike’s Motors, 30 Beaufort Street.
THE PIG’ UP FOR SALE
Described as “the heartbeat of the quaint and quirky village of Bathurst”, the 10bedroom Pig & Whistle Inn is up for sale at a cool R12m, according to a Pam Golding Properties advert appearing on social media.
Just 42km from Makhanda, Bathurst will experience plenty of through-traffic in coming weeks, what with tourists from up-country descending on the Sunshine Coast.
“The Pig”, as it is affectionately known by many, is SA’s oldest licensed pub, having slaked many a thirst since 1832.