Holding our heads high

Grocott’s Mail in the past few days witnessed Makana Municipality acting quickly and decisively so that in three days, a catastrophe of the kind that has in the past left Grahamstown without water for weeks at a time, became an inconvenience well on its way to being resolved.

Staff and management worked around the clock to fix the problems – and there was not only the main fault at the James Kleynhans pump station, but three subsequent incidents. As important was that they showed respect for residents by actively communicating with them through the media and civic organisations what was happening.

No one is happy about what has happened this week – but many members of the public have expressed appreciation for that level of communication.

Grahamstown has also witnessed professional service and good leadership from Makana’s Fire and Rescue Services in six weeks of fires that stretched their resources.

Congratulations to the organisers of the Grahamstown National Music Competition, and the participants and prizewinners.

Hours and hours of preparation go into a competition performance – as with organising an event (or a crisis).

You can’t really perform without commitment and so it's an act of generosity that goes well beyond financial benefits or fame.

National Arts Festival organisers and performers know that well, and the fact that they have the stamina to put on this extraordinary 11-day show year after year really is nothing short of amazing.

Stronger than ever this year is Spiritfest, which has a full and varied programme on offer. No matter what your religious persuasion the Cathedral is a fantastic performance venue and one of Grahamstown’s more beautiful buildings. Several of the Spiritfest events happen there.

When Springbok coach Allister Coetzee came to his home town, he said, ‘I’m very, very proud to be able to tell people that I come from Grahamstown.’

The reason, he said, was because when you come from Grahamstown, you will always have to prove yourself.

That’s not a bad thing – and this town’s management and residents have shown they’re up for some of the toughest tests possible thrown at them.

But waiting for a water tanker... or a proper toilet, a place to live, or even just something to eat isn’t how it should be, and it’s worth thinking about how to use your vote to ensure politicians account to you.

It’s worth working out what wouyld make them accountable