Makhanda festival city with SID PENNEY
The city is renowned for its educational institutions, for being the national seat of the judiciary and for its cultural events
THEFT LEADS TO POWER OUTAGES
Large areas of northern Makhanda surrounding Sugarloaf Hill were left without power at the weekend after highvoltage links at the power line adjacent to the Sugarloaf sub-station were stolen last Friday night.
This was the second such incident reported at that site last week.
Areas that were left without power included Hooggenoeg, Vergenoeg, Zolani, Phaphamani, Scott’s Farm, Currie Park, Mary Waters Heights and Ghost Town.
A Makana Municipality spokesperson said: “This act of vandalism will result in prolonged power outages across town that will affect critical daily operations.”
Meanwhile, it was reported that Rhodes University’s Gavin Relly postgraduate village (formerly Settlers Inn Motel) between the N2 bypass and the Monument was without power on Saturday due to the theft of copper overhead line conductors.
YOUNG BLOOD SAVES LIVES
“It was nerve-wracking beforehand but not as bad as I originally thought,” were the words of a Kingswood College grade 11 pupil with a faint smile as she reclined on a ‘blood bed’ in the school’s memorabilia-filled museum on Thursday last week.
She was one of 42 Kingswood pupils donating a unit each of the life-saving fluid on the day.
While the pupil was a tad nervy, others around her were chirpy and in good spirits, having donated before.
The previous day saw the SA National Blood Service (SANBS) mobile unit from Gqeberha visiting Graeme College where 37 units of blood were collected in the school library.
Back to the museum on the Kingswood campus, where portraits of former headmasters looked down on proceedings, SANBS clinic supervisor Phumelelo Nyepa appeared well-pleased with the number of pupils donating blood and the ‘vibes’ among the young people.
There were prefects, sports enthusiasts, a ballroom dancer and academically-minded pupils.
Among those donating blood was head girl and water polo captain Matipa Karimazondo, who smiled broadly and chatted with friends throughout the procedure.
HOSPICES BECOME PALCARE
For some years there has been talk between Grahamstown Hospice and Sunshine Coast Hospice regarding the possibility of a name change to unify what the public perceived to be two separate entities, but was one legal body.
This has resulted in the name Palcare being adopted to serve both the coastal and inland palliative care centres.
A spokesperson said: “It (the separate names) was confusing for people as they did not understand the relationship
between the two hospices. We also want to highlight that we provide palliative care (from diagnosis in conjunction with curative treatment) and not just hospice (terminal/end of life) care.”
FUN ON THE HILL
Food stalls and games are on the programme for the fun day from 9am to 12 noon on Saturday February 17, an event being hosted by PJ Olivier high and primary schools.
MUSIC MEETING
The Music Society of Makhanda holds its AGM tomorrow (Friday) at 5pm in the mathematics centre adjacent to the drill hall at St Andrew’s College. After the meeting, music enthusiasts will meet informally at The Highlander in Worcester Street.
STARRY EVENING
An evening of entertainment, food and drinks awaits those attending the
‘ Valentine’s Mingle’ in the Observatory Museum in Bathurst Street from 5.30pm to 9pm on Saturday, February 17. Tickets are R200 per person and more info can be had by telephoning 084-458-3533.
THE BIG-PRIZE RAFFLE
Fancy a two-night stay for two people at a private game reserve, or two wooden bedside tables, or a R2,000 indefinite period share or a free round of golf for one four-ball, including two carts?
These are four of the 10 prizes on offer in Palcare’s annual raffle.
Donors of prizes have supported the hospices in the past and have come forward again to sponsor prizes for the 2024 raffle.
The prizes and donors are:
● Two-night stay for two people at
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve.
● Two bedside tables donated by Ryan Ferguson Fine Handcrafted Furniture.
● A R2,000 indefinite period share from GBS Mutual Bank (minimum term 18 months).
● Free round of golf for one four-ball, including two golf carts donated by Royal Port Alfred Golf Club.
● R1,200 voucher donated by Gorgeous — The Gift Shop at Opposite the Arch.
● One 25-litre container of water every month refilled for a year, donated by Oasis Water.
● R1,000 voucher from Pick n Pay.
● R700 voucher from Major Fraser’s.
● Hamper of products donated by Carara.
● An A3 canvas print donated by Foto First/Print My Photos.
Those wishing to support Palcare can purchase tickets at R100 each by contacting Janine Peinke on
046- 622-9661 or by e-mailing her at practicemanager@palcare.org.za.
The draw will take place in October.
THE WEEKEND READ
Talk of the Town is part of the Arena Holdings media group, and so too is Gqeberha-based The Herald, which announced last week that the Saturday publication Weekend Post will be discontinued, and its last edition will appear on February 24.
However, The Herald team is thrilled to announce the introduction of The Weekender, a lifestyle supplement to The Herald on Fridays. The first edition will be inserted in The Herald on March 1. The Weekender will contain handpicked content from travel, food and wine to water sports, gardening and more.
GOOD TIMES IN THE GARDENS
The next occasion on which Lulama Ntshinga completes a parkrun it will be his 100th, and he will join the list of local ‘parkrun centurions’.
He and 98 others took to Makana botanical gardens in ideal conditions on Saturday for their weekly parkrun outing. Parkrun participant and volunteer Jobst Bodenstein has two to go to his 100th.
Meanwhile, no less than 20 runners, joggers and walkers recorded personal best times last Saturday.
They are Caleb Manyika, Morgan Trauernicht, Kgothatso Rapoo, Nicol Gowar, Edie Minas, Jessica Louw, Sihle Mvumvu, Fynn Alec Trauernicht, Catherine Foxcroft, Nita Coetzee, Lynne Angus, Jessica Pitchford, Aldwain Loutz, Lulu Mbenyana, Rodney Wanckel, Gillian Miles, Angie Southey, Uzukhanye Ntantiso, Mandy Wanckel and Yagambal Ramsugit.
Parkruns are held at 8am each Saturday from the entrance to the botanical gardens in Lucas Avenue.
FLOODLIT FRIDAYS
It’s being dubbed ‘Friday Night Lights’ cricket and the floodlit T20 match between the first teams of St Andrew’s College and Selborne College takes to Knowling field at St Andrew’s from 5pm tomorrow (Friday). Besides the cricket, there will also be food stalls and music.
ONE ON EACH SIDE
Whichever way the Betway SA20 cricket trophy went in Cape Town last Saturday night, a former Grahamstonian would
have been involved with the winning team. As it was, Old Andrean Adrian Birrell was coach of the victorious Sunrisers Eastern Cape side.
Unfortunately on the losing Durban Super Giants team, Old Graemian Jon-Jon Smuts is the son of well-known Makhanda couple, Neil and Di Smuts.
WHO NAMED IT?
Mullins Street up there in Hill 60 joins Cory Circle and Jacobus Uys Way, according to an up-to-date street map of Makhanda.
While Cory Circle and Jacobus Uys Way appear in the listing of local streets compiled in the 1960s, Mullins Street does not, and it makes one wonder after which Mullins the street was named.
Incidentally, Cory Circle, named as Cory Crescent in the 1960s listing, was named after Sir George Cory, one of the first professors at what was then Rhodes University College.
And you thought the street was named after a local dentist of many years ago!
The records have it that Jacobus Uys Way was named after “a Voortrekker from Uitenhage” and the leader of that party.
Interestingly he was presented with a Bible by British Settlers at his outspan where the Bible Monument is today, not too far from Jacobus Uys Way.
TRIO IN THE ROOM
Among SA’s foremost chamber musicians, pianist Nina Schumann, violinist David Bester and cellist Aristide du Plessis have joined forces for a once-off concert tour and will present Intertwined in the Beethoven Room in Somerset Street on Wednesday, February 21 (7pm). The concert is being hosted by the Music Society of Makhanda. Tickets are priced at R100 and pensioners pay R80, while season ticket holders and school pupils will be admitted free of charge.
BLOCKAGES POSE PROBLEMS
An irate reader of this column expresses his views regarding the proliferation of potholes across the length and breadth of Makhanda, ascribing much of the damage to streets as negligence on the part of Makana Municipality.
He cites the heavy rain recorded on January 17, when water was streaming down Hill Street towards its intersection with Beaufort Street and was “extremely dangerous for vehicles at that intersection”. It was an “accident waiting to happen,” he added.
The resident said he felt this situation was caused by blocked gutters and stormwater drains. “This is only one of many gutters causing damage to the town’s infrastructure, and it seems as if it is more important for the municipality to treat the symptoms rather than see to and solve the cause.”
The ratepayer concluded by asking, “Is this negligence or incompetence?”
REMEMBER THE DAYS?
When savings books were issued by building societies and the Post Office Savings Bank to record holders’ transactions? How things have changed!
The Perm Building Society, in an advertisement in a local publication in 1984, asked the question, “Does your building society give you the simple saving Blue Book? Invest in the Perm’s Blue Book and watch your money grow.”
Send your news of local events and achievements, or of any issues you might be having to or call (046) 624-4356
NO MORE BRIGHT RED
That once bright-red post box used to look very smart in front of the equallyhandsome Lewis furniture store building at the corner of High Street and Bathurst Street. That is until those unscrupulous ‘service providers’ came along and pasted their posters all over the post box, and it’s no longer bright red, but tatty as people have tried to remove the posters.
Wonder if mail is collected there anymore — probably not.
There was a time, not too many decades ago, when luxury coaches would stop on Church Square opposite where Videotronic is and Nikon and Canonwielding tourists wandered around the square clicking away, aiming at all the historic buildings, including the once fired-razed Lewis building, now beautifully restored.
Where are the tourists these days, one may well wonder?
THOROUGHLY THREADBARE
For many years, a half-dozen or-so international flags have flown from the balcony of the Frontier Country Hotel at the corner of High and Bathurst Streets. And the elements have certainly taken their toll on the once-colourful and crisplooking flags that have since been left weather-beaten and worn. Older residents will remember the former tenants as Goodwood Hotel and Crillion Hotel.
BIG SPORT AT GRAEME
Two major sporting events are lined up for the Graeme College campus next month, one that will attract hundreds of people to the Somerset field, and the other many thousands to its three rugby grounds.
Upwards of 400 runners and walkers are expected to take part in the Makhanda Nite Race over 8km on Wednesday, March 6, an event being sponsored by Makana Brick. Entry fee is R20 for pupils and R30 for adults, with proceeds going to Graeme’s first hockey team.
Registration is from 4.30pm and the start is at 5.30pm.
Last year the Graeme rugby festival was spread over three days, and the format will be repeated this year as U14A, U15A, U16A and first teams take to the school’s three fields for its mammoth rugby extravaganza from Thursday March 14 to Saturday March 16.
Matches at age group level will be contested on the Thursday and Friday, and first team matches on Friday and Saturday, with participating schools coming from across the Eastern Cape.
The main first XV game on Somerset field on the Saturday afternoon is that between hosts Graeme and Selborne College from East London (3.30pm), while the main curtain-raiser is between St Andrew’s College and Brandwag High School from Kariega (2.15pm).
ON-COURT LEADERS
St Andrew’s College’s basketball leaders for 2024 are Brandon Mosarwe (captain) and Thando Nxumalo (vice-captain).
NEWS AND VIEWS
Local news snippets, notices of club events and meetings, and sports results, can be e-mailed to sidp@imaginet.co.za for inclusion in this column. Deadline for submission is 1pm on the Sunday prior to publication of Talk of the Town on a Thursday.