Please check your email and enter your one time pin below:   Open in Gmail Sorry there was an error loading the audio the performance of South Africa’s education system really sucks There are places of outperformance; it’s critical to find out why and how they are outperforming One of those places is Makhanda (Grahamstown), where the turnaround has been so mind-boggling, the question shouts out at you: “What on earth have they done there?”advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Here are the basic stats (and I’m grateful to Rhodes University Economic Professor Emeritus Gavin Keeton for bringing this to my attention): Makhanda’s government schools were the worst-performing in the Eastern Cape and close to the worst in all of South Africa Only 49% of those who wrote the matric exam passed As fewer than half of their overall age cohort wrote the exam this means that less than one-quarter passed matric Just 11% of those who wrote matric received the pass required for entrance to university These numbers are particularly dire because Makhanda is an education-focused town In addition to Rhodes University it has three swanky private schools — St Andrews The town also boasts two excellent public schools Graeme College and Victoria Girls’ High School — which have been outperformers since year dot The number of scholars at Makhanda’s township schools who went on to attend the university in their own town in 2013 was perhaps 10 In the past year, however, the city’s matric pass rate has increased to 82%, even though the total number of scholars who sat the exam has more or less doubled in the past five years.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads And the number of university passes has increased to around 43% over the past five years with the number of university passes at one of the township schools now matching Victoria Girls’ High School for the first time back to that crucial question: How has this extraordinary turnaround been achieved the head of the longstanding Makhanda organisation Gadra (the Grahamstown Distress Relief Association) widely regarded as the leading education NGO in town Westaway says it comes down to one essential thing: mobilising a community which includes great leadership and lots of interventions It helps that Makhanda is a town where educational facilities are on hand so the mobilisation process can do its job started in 2014 when Professor Sizwe Mabizela was installed as the new vice-chancellor at Rhodes Mabizela highlighted the very South African disparities in the town and committed the university to participating in a wider educational effort which was instrumental in putting together a multilevel programme of transformation in the town’s public schools One is the Nine Tenths Mentoring Programme at Rhodes in which more than 100 student volunteers mentor matric students at four township schools every year They teach their mentees to plan their study programmes and make notes and they teach general academic skills that are sorely lacking at no-fee schools The programme gets its name from the French novelist and journalist Anatole France “Nine-tenths of education is encouragement.” Keeton says the mentors provide scholars with more than just educational assistance; they are also role models The second intervention is the Gadra Matric School (colloquially known as the Second Chance School) The idea is to enable some students to redo the matric year so they can improve their marks and get into university or a Stem-associated university course and Westaway says it is here particularly that the organisation can draw on the resources in the city using either retirees or students to do some of the teaching Behind all of this is transformational leadership The town (everyone you speak to in Makhanda calls it a “city”, but you know, let’s be real) has set itself the target of being “the leading academic education centre and city in South Africa”.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads is that they are naturally self-perpetuating and enhancing people who got Gadra scholarships in the past are now participating by helping the next generation The situation is by no means perfect and one of Makhanda’s schools demonstrates the effect of outstanding leadership because it was once a higher performer before a renowned headmistress left five years ago What worked in Makhanda won’t necessarily work in other places in South Africa but it does demonstrate the obvious: nothing is inevitable coordinated action — otherwise called leadership *This article was updated from the original column to include this correction: In addition to Rhodes University it has three swanky private schools — St Andrews, Kingswood and DSG.  The town also boasts two excellent public schools, Graeme College and Victoria Girls’ High School – — which have been outperformers since year dot.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Hopefully these can be replicated elsewhere in the country Lovely to see the positive results of the efforts undertaken to lift their game May the est of the nation’s educators draw inspiration here Graeme College and Victoria Girls are state ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " This article may contain graphic and/or adult content unsuitable for minors and sensitive readers have died in a single-vehicle accident on the N2 about 30 kilometres from Makhanda The Eastern Cape Transport Department said two other passengers in the VW Polo sustained serious injuries said the jaws of life had to be used to extract those trapped in the front of the car which he said overturned after hitting "a concrete slab" on Saturday afternoon Binqose said one of the two females who was injured was airlifted to a hospital in Gqeberha while the other woman was rushed to a hospital in Makhanda Police have opened a culpable homicide docket an exclusive podcast on the life of Vicki Terblanche Dive into the expansive world of motoring with Naresh Maharaj Join Mark Marshall as he shares his extraordinary encounters with everything from bees to reptiles i a vacuum tanker servicing the town of Riebeeck East has been unusable because it needs new tyres and brake pads it would take two days to get the truck back on the road More than two months later the truck, known as a honeysucker, which sucks up waste materials, still hasn’t been fixed. Riebeeck East’s sewerage system is overflowing, and people’s toilets are full. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads the municipality was warned on 18 November that a critical sewer situation was developing in Riebeeck East because the truck was not in service and a stormwater drain had become blocked There are only two vacuum tankers available for the Makana Local Municipality meaning that half the fleet is out of commission The other truck works full-time in Alicedale to prevent a similar collapse Makana Local Municipality spokesperson Anele Mjekula said it might still take another two weeks to get the truck back on the road water trucks to provide drinking water to residents are also in short supply Mjekula said they had two water trucks but one needed an engine overhaul This truck has not been operational for 18 months The municipality is also serviced by three trucks from Amatola Water (the water utility service in the province) are also not operational and need tyres and hydraulic pipes The Roads and Stormwater Department’s truck is also out of commission as it needs new tyres, rims and flaps and two new batteries. It also needs a road test as the licence has expired. This was reported on 16 October but it is still not fixed.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Several sources have confirmed that a senior engineer who was appointed as Makana’s acting head of the Department of Infrastructure and Engineering was “warned” not to present a status quo report highlighting these issues in a meeting attended by national and provincial representatives on Monday Britnell has temporarily left Makhanda as a precautionary measure The Makana Local Municipality admits that one of its two water trucks is out of order DA councillor Geoffrey Embling again renewed his request for an investigation into allegations that the municipality’s chief financial officer Nomfundo Ntsangani used an Amatola Water tanker to fill her swimming pool in December 2023 There were several eyewitnesses to the event “Residents are still complaining about it,” he said “This occurred at the height of water outages when Somerset Heights [a suburb in Makhanda] had been without water for a week and the Amatola Water truck was meant to be delivering water to residents the driver of the Amatola truck allegedly parked over the sewer line on the verge of Dulverton Road and damaged the pipe in the process took photos and are prepared to give statements,” he said The municipality refused to comment on the issue, and Ntsangani ignored multiple requests for comment on this issue. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads The offices of the Infrastructure and Engineering Department at the municipality, the very office tasked with looking after water and sanitation in the municipality, have been declared unsafe and condemned by the Department of Labour. The Traffic Department was closed for the same reason.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads The Makana Local Municipality’s offices in Makhanda Some of the evidence found by the Department of Labour at Makana Local Municipality offices before they were condemned The Labour Department’s notice closing the municipality’s technical services offices in Makhanda The Makana Local Municipality offices that were condemned by the Department of Labour the Makana Local Municipality made history when the High Court declared that owing to its persistent unconstitutional failure to provide services taken to the Supreme Court of Appeal and settled on the basis that a judge would oversee a recovery plan Since then the municipality has been hit by one self-made crisis after the other Last year, it was ordered to pay back R60.7-million in unspent infrastructure grants; this was later reduced by half. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove adsadvertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Read more: Reprieve for Makana municipality after Eastern Cape treasury claws back half of unspent grants according to minutes from the latest infrastructure committee meeting the Makana municipality had spent only R156,000 by the end of the first quarter The meeting also discussed the release of R9.3-million from the new infrastructure grant provided by the Treasury It is understood that where a municipality has been found to be non-compliant with Department of Water and Sanitation standards it can apply for 10% of the infrastructure grant to be ringfenced for spending on water and sanitation infrastructure the town was hit by such an extended water outage that Rhodes University had to suspend its lectures Read more: Rhodes University suspends lectures as Makhanda despairs over prolonged water outage caused by sabotage The South African Human Rights Commission is investigating service delivery failures in the municipality commissioners are due back in Makhanda on 17 December A tractor to be used for service delivery awaits repairs in a municipal warehouse The Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which had received a proclamation to carry out a wide-ranging investigation into the municipality, raided the municipality’s offices in Makhanda in September.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads along with a number of private schools and civil society groups issued a joint statement welcoming the investigation “This investigation is crucial to promoting transparency We encourage all organisations and members of the public to cooperate fully with the SIU as may be required “Our interest is in revitalising our municipality and removing any obstacles to positive development integrity and accountability are essential for advancement and this investigation is a chance to address past irregularities and rebuild public trust in our institutions “We will continue to contribute to improving Makhanda and making it liveable sustainable and attractive through social collaboration and activism,” read the statement Read more: SIU launches comprehensive investigation into Makana municipality’s five-year service delivery crisis The SIU investigation follows a damning report from the Auditor-General for the 2022/2023 financial year The Auditor-General said she couldn’t express an opinion on the municipality’s financial statements and gave it a disclaimer One of the findings by the Auditor-General was that for purposes of monitoring service delivery auditors could not find evidence that 60% of targets to remove asbestos pipes had been met; the municipality declared that it met only 9% of a 100% target to refurbish the Belmont Valley Waste Water Treatment Works The municipality said it achieved 75% for the refurbishment of the Waainek Waste Water Treatment Works but auditors could find no evidence of this Or should we ask why they persist in going to the ballot box to vote for this Possibly the threat of removal of SASSA grants The state of the town is a direct manifestation of the mindset and outlook of the voters Democracy in their hands is like an assault rifle in the hands of a toddler Were free foodparcels and t-shirts at stake Why do voters keep on bumping their heads The voters cannot connect the dots that the reason there is sewage in the streets and no water in the taps is because they have repeatedly voted for the ANC Definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome Scrutiny needed on water truck supply contracts Makana Citizens Front reduced the ANC majority to 1 seat With solid support for 2026 we can do even better Why don’t they simply pay money into a central account and take over the function of the defunct municipality the councillors wo be getting paid every month and shiny cars would be parked neatly in their garages The problem starts with appointing incompetent Municipal officials Irrespective of which political party rules if the municipal manager does not have the first inkling of what managing means The people appointed to manage does not know the meaning of the word The problem starts and is directly caused by those who make their crosses next to the wrong party the council and the sewage works will be broken too The only short term solution is for the local private sector to bring together the technical and administrative skills necessary to fix the town – as is occurring in other towns in the same situation this article will not be available to most voters in Makana and Makhanda you have two photos of the same tanker truck The first refers to a ‘honeysucker’ (sewage sucker) Although noted as ‘photo supplied’ – I hope the tanker is not used by the municipality for both purposes This is the worst state of a municipality I have seen I bet all the council workers/officials have been paid fully and bonuses for xmas done and yet nobody worries or fixes the place They would rather have the devil rule over them because they know him Rapidly imploding but still a stronghold of ANC support Being an adult implies that society will hold you responsible for your actions and choices The state of the towns is the punishment for poor choices made by adult voters This serves them well…Congratulate on voting for who you did Keep groveling we will look after ourselves …wish you luck The reporter should go to Queenstown and see the dire state of its sewage plants and free flowing sewage into the roads and rivers etc…there was a court order against Queenstown to solve the sewage problems The Supreme Court appointed a judge to oversee recovery? Why is a judge considered competent to oversee a recovery plan Why not a Project Management Practitioner or a Business Rescue Practitioner The Makana Municipality’s honeysucker needs more than breakpads incompetence and mismanagement week after week It is beyond comprehension how this be allowed to continue it is now Crismiss so all work like delivering wheels and brake parts will stop till mid January — even if someone in the municipality figures out how to pay for them The eight week holiday for businesses used to be a Natal thing How is this not before the Human Rights Commission HRC’s tied up with hurty words cases Elect incompetent thieves for 30 years straight and stuff falls apart coupled with the fact that by the time of the 17 March 1992 referendum I have been to most of Sub-Saharan Africa and the fact I regarded my soul as much Motswana as Afrikaner Despite water and sewerage issues I doubt these”officials” waistlines are shrinking Some facts above may not be as clear as they should be The mayor before Cllr Vara was suspended and replaced by an administrator The previous CFO paid R2.9M for a pump at the water treatment plant Let’s hope that what transpires here and elsewhere on the continent the past 50+ years The current CFO has no better track record She arrived after having caused havoc elsewhere She is the direct reason we had a water crisis in Sept – wide-spread industrial sabotage because of no communication (notices of outages long after the fact) and a choice between overtime or paying ESKOM I am so glad they changed the names of those towns One of these days the locals are going to start killing officials and “Shocked” will be Squirrels response I am humiliated at the continued backwardness ineptitude and corruption being displayed by my people We are all individuals in our own right and our skin colours are irrelevant We must just all co-operate; we are in the same boat There can only be one reason: APARTHEID !! But we are used to such reports of incompetence Nomfundo Ntsangani however has taken it to another level Openly using precious municipal water to fill her pool is a big fat middle finger to her community Yet the good residents of EC will vote for the ANC again and nobody will learn a single thing… that by voting for whatever would be the best political party to run their metro’s they would be employing new servants to undertake provision of services that they are paying for Instead they vote for new masters and get stuck with the ANC who provide nothing Proudly brought to Makana residents by the exact same party that they voted for I find it extremely difficult to sympathize with them No supplier will supply parts when they don’t know if they will ever get paid I’ve seen empty fire stations all over the country Queenstown had their fire trucks repossessed I am sure there are a number of retired civil engineers with extensive municipal engineering experience who could provide a useful service to these smaller municipalities they don’t conform to the BEE requirements and so are unemployable by local government There is an engineer but he has been muzzled He has actually been threatened and had to leave town for his own safety Local residents have tried to do something and have taken Makana to court several times but the ANC keeps fighting back The unemployed outweigh the employed and employers and that’s how the ANC gets votes I sent this article to associates in California The outside world may be interested in what happens when ANC cadres take over a municipality Makes one wonder about the reasons why the ANC lodged case against Israel at the ICC whilst total anarchy reigns in their back yard So does transformation or decolonisation work empirically Collapse of previously well functioning infrastructure is a common thread today I can’t post links here but look for Makana Citizens Front on Facebook Follow us there and if you really want to make a difference support us directly Our Facebook page also has a link to donate Possibly all the whites on this page including myself cannot speak a black language If we all spoke Xhosa or Zulu and could talk to other citizens this whole SH1T show may never have occurred The voters are drowned in vernacular mistruths and propaganda The Archbishop of the Ethiopian Episcopal Church in Makhanda and a well-known cleric in the university town Nkosinathi Ngesi will on Wednesday lead the first in what residents promise to be a string of protests to demand the removal of the Makana Local Municipality’s mayor Makhanda is an iconic and historic town in the Eastern Cape and home to Rhodes University.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Ngesi said they are expecting hundreds of people to join “We couldn’t even bathe on Christmas because there was no water,” he said She has been here for years and she can’t show us a single thing that she has done “when the Special Investigating Unit came to town the people were celebrating like that day that the Springboks beat the All Blacks Give us a competent administrator who can run this municipality until the next elections “The mayor has already rolled two Volvos while we are still driving our donkeys,” he said Ngesi said the march on Wednesday will be the first step in their campaign The Human Rights Commission is on their way here We want to bring charges against these people There are parts of our community who now haven’t had water for a month some of them are still having to use the buckets.” They hoped to meet a representative from the office of the minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs to hand over their demands.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads These include: An end to supply chain corruption; ANC councillors “must stop promoting unlawful procurement contracts”; disaster management plans water service plans and a proper spatial development plan must be drawn up; contracts signed by the municipality must be made public; an end to unauthorised wasteful and fruitless expenditure; repair dilapidated municipal buildings blocked drains and sewage; and put up streetlights said the Makana Local Municipality had underspent conditional grants by 100% and it was the worst performing in this regard in the country In a report before Parliament the municipality was described as having poor service delivery and financial mismanagement and was deficient in monitoring and performance But for the current financial year both the MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs and council speaker Mabhuti Matyumza said the municipality was making great strides in spending its conditional grants and is the best performing in its district Yet, Vara insists that money is their only problem – they need more of it. She and Matyumza said they will keep on saying this until the President and the premier give them more. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads their claims that old age is the only problem with the town’s collapsing water infrastructure does not ring true The mayor promised to strengthen political oversight through changes to her mayoral committee.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads The Special Investigating Unit is probing almost all the multimillion-rand projects implemented in the municipality including the Makana Bulk Sewer Upgrade in 2019 (flagged by the Auditor-General) professional engineering services for groundwater development projects and the appointment of implementing agents for water conservation and demand management was appointed by the national Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to save the water system in the Makana Local Municipality before he could attend his first meeting to provide feedback on what he found at the municipality he was threatened not to do so he had to leave town and has been waiting for the police to conduct a security assessment to facilitate his safe return Daily Maverick is in possession of no fewer than three letters from the Amatola Water Board threatening to take back its water trucks because of non-payment. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads The Makana Citizen’s Front has pointed out that the municipality kept ghost councillors who were removed from council by court order “exposing the municipality into a serious financial loss and as a result of your negligent behaviour you have exposed the municipality into an unauthorised This party has also started asking questions about the use of a deregistered company to do the property evaluations in the municipality Late in 2024, the municipality was ordered to pay R634,000 in damages to its former director of engineering and infrastructure, Asanda Gidana, for appointing her without the qualifications required by law, and then, two years into her contract, firing her because she lacked the necessary certifications.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads She also faced a charge that she facilitated “prepayment” to a service provider of R2.6-million for a pump “without conducting due diligence” Municipal manager Pumemele Kate also signed off on the payment The office of the municipality’s technical services department was condemned and the municipality faces a huge equipment crisis owing to non-payment of suppliers Read more: Makana on its knees as water and sewage services all but collapse amid broken equipment crisis Vara admitted that ratepayers owe the municipality R750-million She said they were in the process of addressing this Daily Maverick is in possession of three letters from the Amatola Water board demanding payment of about R15,000 a month per truck for the use of three water trucks which left the Grahamstown Correctional Facility as well as the Settlers Hospital and several communities without water Gift of the Givers was asked to step in to provide humanitarian relief The municipality publicly thanked its own teams “Gift of the Givers have been flooded by calls from Makhanda calling for our intervention,” the organisation’s Ali Sablay said One after the other settlements reached out to us clinics and schools also called us… The most distressing call for the day was about the prison sanitation or drinking water for days when they called Our teams had been there since 2019 on a permanent basis.” “We will be sending our trucks once again for short-term solutions A more permanent solution must be implemented We know of the dire situation at Settlers Hospital as well.”  Vara remained upbeat that they would solve all problems in the municipality She said the infrastructure in the town was old and there were on average about three pipe bursts a day several community members reported that they were given wheelie bins by municipal officials on Tuesday – on the condition that they don’t march But Anele Mjekula from the municipality said the distribution of the bins was just part of the day-to-day programme of the municipality “Today’s handover of wheelie bins to Nkanini residents is part of an ongoing municipality programme We also handed over wheelie bins in Sun City and we will continue distributing wheelie bins beyond the march Makana Municipality is on a drive to improve waste collection to ensure cleanliness all around Makhanda and surrounding areas.” DM When will the ‘people’ ever learn that their votes count As Thomas Jefferson said: “The government you elect is the government you deserve.” if you keep on voting us in – it must mean everything is going swimmingly (no water – but you get my meaning) where you are When we lose votes though – then we start moving some deck chairs around This happens when voters are cheaply bribed with chicken And yet 53% of people voted for the ANC and 15% for the EFF in Makana in the last national election More than 2/3rds of people voted for thieves and robbers Dogs lazed on dirt roads and inside fenced gardens Dust swirled in the distance of eThembeni — the outskirts of Makhanda in the Eastern Cape Children dressed in impeccably white T-shirts trickled in to sit at a sparkly white table “Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,” called Limise Gagayi, the founder of the non-governmental organisation, Meal After School. She was busy checking the children’s report cards. Apparently, the children chose the theme of the lunch — a white Christmas. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads while two women put the finishing touches on a three-course meal inside a hot kitchen Festive music drifted out the mixed corrugated iron and brick house while the children patiently waited It was time to celebrate the pass rate of the children and feed everyone for the last time Gagayi moved from New Brighton in Gqerberha to Makhanda in 2020 she found the poverty in eThembeni particularly bad “Most people aren’t working and depend on grants; there’s a lot of drinking and drugs So we wanted to make a little contribution Her husband Madixole is a carpenter and upholstery designer whose business was not going well in Makhanda when they first arrived and they were relying entirely on the rent money from the Gqerberha house Gagayi’s mother had worked as a domestic worker for 30 years for the same family. The family, whom she considers her own, sent R800 to help during their financial struggles. Gagayi took R300 and spent it on a soup kitchen for the community. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads “What challenged me was there were some people that came to cater in that area and they were only concentrating on older people And I decided I would do the soup kitchen for the kids She continued the soup kitchen for the children they didn’t have tutors to do homework with the children they decided to formalise the operations into Meal After School focusing on serving different ages and improving educational outcomes One of the regular children who attend Meal After School to get one-on-one tutoring and a crucial meal after school in eThembeni contemplates the moulded pasta and spinach with tuna starter He is waiting for everyone to get a plate before eating which they have dutifully brought to her for the Christmas lunch and end-of-year celebration “Imagine you’ve got a 10-year-old child who is going to do Grade 2 It’s better (here) because they get the attention they need the children bring along their report cards so Gagayi can check their results She’s unhappy when a child drops the smallest percentage But I’m happy,” she said of the end-of-year marks Every child got a duvet cover as a Christmas present because they know if they don’t go to school they know they are not allowed to come to Meal After School The top two children from each class got a second gift A few regular donors came to the Christmas lunch — reluctant to make the programme about them — but willing to speak about the good work Gagayi does. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads “Limise does it out of her own goodwill, I appreciate what she’s doing for the kids. Kids have always been close to our heart, with MTR Smit Children’s Haven in Port Elizabeth, we’ve worked with them as well,” said a representative from Smhart Security. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Her four Grade 11 students passed the year hopeful they will get into a tertiary education institution Gagayi plucked spinach from the garden for the Christmas meal Around the back of the house is a neatly fenced garden of a few metres but the gardener who usually helps weed needs to return in early 2025 for replanting “We really want to eat from our garden. It also helps the kids not to buy everything and to learn how to grow their own food. We’re dealing with the community as a whole. I’ve got five households,” Gagayi said, pointing towards surrounding houses with their own patches of flourishing produce. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Each family grows vegetables for their own consumption They’re striving to create that lovely community set-up where if Gagayi doesn’t have a vegetable and can then in turn provide something the neighbour does not have but she’s trying to incorporate vegetables wherever possible For the Christmas lunch she received tuna from Kingswood College and her daughter used the spinach from the garden to make a molded pasta starter Gugulethu Mahlangu moved to Makhanda and began outreach work to get to know the town She lent her expertise to Meal After School to start the gardens in the area “You put faeces and rubbish in it. Anything that nature provides. Ideally, it’s better if it’s mushed up,” said Helen Holleman, a donor, and organiser within River Rescue in Makhanda She was talking about a biodigestor they have named Manqoba There’s a yard for cows just across the street so one just has to grab poop and pop it in It ferments with water to power Gagayi’s stove because you “feed it mush and they spit fire” Manqoba means “the one who conquers in hopeless situations” but they couldn’t get one delivered in time and were put to work to collect bottles or orange sacks to help create a floating layer that creates more surface area for bacteria Donated gravel was put at the very bottom of “the conqueror” The septic tank cost about R5,000, whereas a flow bin would have been about R2,000. A flow bin is just a repurposed it can be used for methane conversion into usable energy and is conquering what she can do in her corner of the world Never again will I say I have too little money for my startup Despite a flurry of fake messages claiming that their march had been cancelled residents from Makhanda came out in their droves and braved the rain and the potholes to join what organisers said was just the first day in their campaign to remove the municipality’s mayor Led by the town’s clergy holding hands, hundreds of residents marched to the town to hand over a memorandum to the Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs’ chief of staff Dr Masilo Mokoena. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Organisers were out from early morning with bakkies and loudspeakers to refute an overnight message that appeared on social media claiming that the march had been cancelled Mayor Yandiswa Vara did not meet with the protestors Since last night communities had received several fake messages on social media that the march had been cancelled one for small businesses and one for the community works programme to hand out work at the same time as the march The municipality was asked about the timing of these hastily organised meetings Read more: Mayor insists they will solve Makhanda’s many problems as hundreds gear up to demand her removal The memorandum demands that the mayor be removed, among other issues. Mokoena said he would make time to listen to all the problems in town, and they immediately met with the representatives of the community and the Rhodes Student Representative Council afterward.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads “The bishop said he wanted 30 minutes,” Mokoena said “We want the municipality to remember that they are working with our tax money,” said one of the organisers of the march He added that if anybody ran a business like the municipality was run He also reminded the community that a former manager in the municipality who was well known in the community for his zero tolerance stance on corruption — was assassinated in 2022 when he spoke the truth of what was happening there But they must go.” He said that in their discussions with the national ministry they would also ask for the removal of the municipal manager “This is an uncaring local government,” he said We have lost confidence in the leadership.” Read more: Makhanda on its knees as water and sewage services all but collapse amid broken equipment crisis The march was triggered by the latest of many extreme water outages in the town but Ngesi said it was also about the irresponsible way the municipality was spending money and keeping the local government accountable The community was also campaigning for the safe return of a specialist engineer who was appointed to sort out the water problems of the town but left after he received threats to not attend a meeting with the National Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to update them on the state of the town’s water system SuperSport Schools Plus on their way to a 181-run victory over Pearson St Andrew’s College thrashed Hellenic Academy by 242 runs to which Hellenic responded with an ineffectual 134 Manack arrived at the crease in the eighth over with St David’s on 47/2 after they had lost two wickets in three deliveries They needed someone to stabilise their innings He creamed 24 fours and nine sixes on his way to a brilliant 203 off 139 balls Pearson needed a good opening partnership to stand a chance in the contest The Gqeberha side lost three wickets in the powerplay for 75 runs Any hope they had of chasing down the stiff victory target died shortly after the powerplay St Andrew’s College’s William Beamish and Rhys Wiblin tore apart the Hellenic Academy bowling attack when they compiled an outstanding 319-run opening partnership in 45.3 overs Beamish scored an excellent 201 off 145 balls with his innings featuring 22 fours and seven sixes Wiblin was the foil to Beamish’s aggressive approach He registered a more sedate 130 off 143 balls but none had an answer to Beamish and Wiblin’s dominance The openers’ effort was complemented by the St Andrew’s bowling attack He received good support from Oliver Johns and William Stevens Peterhouse registered a hard-fought two-wicket victory over Kingswood thanks to half-centuries from Victor Watama and Luke Marillier Watama’s run-a-ball 74 was the highest individual score in the contest and his presence at the crease from the 16th over until the 40th all but ensured victory for the visitors Marillier’s 50 off 50 created a solid platform for Peterhouse in their run chase The Zimbabwean school took 46.2 overs to score 274/8 after Kingswood had batted first and compiled 270/7 in 50 overs Marillier and Watama’s efforts counterbalanced Kingswood’s trio of half-centuries Jankins and Klopper did a fantastic job with a 127-run opening partnership wasn’t enough to push Kingswood’s total beyond Peterhouse’s reach St David’s 343/4 (Morteza Manack 203* St Andrew’s College 376/2 (William Beamish 201 Hellenic Academy 134/10 (Christian Makings 29 Kingswood College 270/7 (Franco Klopper 57 Daniel Jankins 53; Nicholas Orphanides 3/51 Related News Sensational Rowles Puts SA u19 1-0 Up in Namibia Cricket SA 2025-04-28 WINDHOEK: Jason Rowles claimed an incredible five-wicket haul to set South Africa Under-19 Men on their way to a one-sided 10-wicket win over TSHWANE: Building on the momentum of previous SA20 U19 Women’s Camps the second instalment of the SA U19 Women’s national training JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) has today announced the 15-player South Africa Under-19 Men’s squad set to tour Namibia for a TSHWANE: Cricket South Africa (CSA) is gearing up to host two national training camps for the South Africa Under-19 Women’s team smashing an unbeaten 117 runs against Saints Christian School WINDHOEK: Jason Rowles claimed an incredible five-wicket haul to set South Africa Under-19 Men on their way to a one-sided 10-wicket win over Rhodes University students and Makhanda citizens braved a misty drizzle to express their frustration with the way leaders of the Makana Municipality Council are doing their jobs Students began gathering on Wdnesday February 26 just after breakfast in front of the Drama Department The university had suspended all academic activities so that students could participate in the protest Members of the Ethiopian Episcopal Church were prominent in this group as its Archbishop Reverend Nkosinathi Ngesi was one of the key organisers of the event some of the marchers were carrying umbrellas to offer protection against the miserable weather Numbers swelled as the two groups moved along eventually meeting up at the corner of Bathurst and Beaufort Streets When they got to their destination at Church Square in front of City Hall there were close to a thousand people singing protest songs and generally making their displeasure known Makana Local Municipality had  invited Community Work Programme (CWP) workers and ward committee members to a meeting at a time to coincide with the protest Addressing participants on the reason for the march Ngesi said of the state of Makhanda: “It affects me affects the community and it affects all of us here in Makhanda across political He said that the water question had been around for more than ten years so it was disingenuous of the municipality to say that citizens should be patient because they only started working on the repairs three months ago He was referring to a recent media briefing where Mayor Yandiswa Vara took local media to visit construction sites considerable progress has been made in upgrading the potholed streets He raised an important question about how the water crisis is affecting local businesses “Can you imagine during Festival when we have visitors our businesses and hotels do not have water?” it had been particularly hot but there was no water for the children The leaders of the march had made a concerted effort not to politicise the event but it was hard to ignore the almost complete absence of the ruling party contrasted with the stoic presence of the opposition did not participate in the march but with his foot in a cast Leader of the DA caucus in the Makana Council “This is a protest against the non-service delivery issues in Makana – issues of water So the residents of Makana decided to take it upon themselves to show their dissatisfaction to the mayor the Speaker and the Manager of the municipality” Asked whether the protest would make any difference “Seeing the arrogance that we’ve seen before Inclement weather and work commitments kept many unhappy residents away from the march It is also possible that some Makhanda residents had taken seriously the fake WhatsApp messages that were circulating suggesting that the march had been cancelled Talk of the Town is the weekly newspaper of record for the community of Ndlambe and serves readers in and around Port Alfred Procession to deliver five-litre bottles of water to Vergenoeg residents We have to guess if and when a water truck may come There’s water lying everywhere here because the pipes in the valley keep leaking It was in response to desperate pleas for help that saw a group of Makhanda residents fill dozens of five-litre bottles with clean water and take them to Vergenoeg at midday on Friday March 7 The group, whose members span political and social divides, has become known as Concerned Makhanda Residents (CMR). They grabbed national attention when, joined by Rhodes University students, they marched to the city hall on February 26 to hand over a petition to the department of cooperative government chief financial officer and municipal manager In last Friday’s “water funeral” Archbishop Nkosinathi Ngesi addressed grateful Vergenoeg residents at the first stop Ngesi is head of the Ethiopian Episcopal Church and has been key to drawing together diverse stakeholders “There are water shortages all over town,” said Ngesi “But we have heard what you are going through here in Vergenoeg – that you have been without water for more than a week “That is why these people here – none of them is rich – what little we have The procession to Vergenoeg was dubbed as a “water funeral” to dramatise the seriousness of the crisis and many of the participants wore black They gathered outside the Beaufort Street Police Station before setting off “We are faced with a problem that is not of our making,” said Mahlubandile ‘Hlubi’ Kuhlane the bottom line is you are drinking filthy water So we are saying we will share with you the little that we have to the council: the people of Makhanda are united and we will stand together This problem was not created by us but it needs us to solve it.” “Thank you for understanding the struggle we are going through,” said resident Sinoabi Scheepers “We are glad that people came out to see our needs We’re very grateful and we thank the lord for you guys “We have been nine days without water in our taps or toilets it’s dirty and it stinks so we can’t just use it But we are grateful for the clean water we’ve just received The notice issued on March 5 said the contractor replacing asbestos pipes was scheduled to do the last tie in changing over from the old to the new pipe “Bothas Hill reservoir will not be opened to supply the eastern side until the work is completed It is anticipated to complete the work [Wednesday] afternoon A roving water truck will be available to provide water to the affected areas.” township areas as well as Vergenoeg are supplied by Botha’s Hill reservoir the timing of the announced disruption didn’t correspond with the period and duration of the water outages that Vergenoeg residents reported On February 25, Makana Mayor Yandiswa Vara hosted a media briefing She said that the biggest challenges are faced in repairing and replacing the more than 400 kilometres of (mainly asbestos) pipes She said there had been significant progress in the supply of bulk water to Makhanda but that there were still problems with the reticulation grid serving local residences and businesses metres from where the water procession made their first stop last week 13-year-old Asanda Qomfo drowned in a trench left by contractors hired to replace the water main from Botha’s Hill reservoir residents of Makhanda and smaller towns in the municipality have experienced water outages – some of them lasting weeks at a time Hundreds march in Makhanda service delivery protest Rhodes University temporarily suspended its academic programme on Friday as Makhanda endured a weeklong water outage It is understood that the town’s water system was sabotaged as part of an illegal strike.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads About 97,000 people living in the Makana Local Municipality have borne the brunt of water problems for years The provincial government has for years been “implementing” some kind of financial rescue plan at the municipality The implementation of a successful financial plan was also part of a “settlement” agreed to after citizens won a significant case in the Makhanda High Court when the judge ordered that the municipal council be dissolved for its unconstitutional failure to provide services Read more: Judge to oversee the financial recovery of ‘failed’ Makana Municipality Apart from the water outage the town has also been hit by electricity outages Read more: Access to water in Makana: How an incapable state destroys service delivery The extended water outage comes as the Auditor-General published shock findings on the municipality’s finances The municipality once again received a disclaimer on its financial reports The local government has run up R779.3-million in unauthorised expenditure Read more: R400m later, Makhanda is still facing a catastrophic water crisis “The campus has been without municipal water since Friday, 23 August 2024, and the university has had to provide water via tankers to kitchens, residences, academic buildings, and offices,” reads a university statement, which was released on Friday.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads health and study conditions are affected and are increasingly at risk Access to water and sanitation is an internationally recognised human right linked to an acceptable standard of living.” Vice-Chancellor Professor Sizwe Mabizela expressed serious concern over the outages in Makhanda and their negative impact on students “Reports connect the current crisis to potential sabotage to support industrial action in the municipality Water availability in Makhanda is not the cause of the problem This justifies firm leadership intervention and urgent dispute resolution between the municipality and its employees “The situation will significantly influence the university’s future action as the institution strives to mitigate risk emanating from such unpredictable actions while strengthening self-sufficiency The university is the biggest employer and ratepayer in the town,” the statement continues the university has procured additional capacity to distribute water on and off campus to meet stakeholders’ immediate needs with these measures expected to come into operation immediately The university has called on all involved parties to consider the long-term consequences of their actions on the viability of Makhanda as a whole “It is unacceptable that the whole community and institutions suffer due to the actions – or inaction – of a few that undermine human rights and dignity,” the statement continues is home to the province’s maximum security psychiatric hospital and is the seat of the high court the water accountability arm of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse also expressed its deep concern over the water situation in Makhanda “These disruptions have caused significant inconvenience and hardship for residents impacting daily life and essential services,” said Dr Ferrial Adam “One of the key challenges was the corruption and mismanagement related to the R400-million for the upgrade of the James Kleynhans Water Treatment Works in Makhanda that was lost or stolen “The recent outages have exacerbated the challenges faced by a very patient community, particularly in terms of health and sanitation. We have said this over and over, the only time things will get better is when people face the music. When we charge municipal managers, then we will see things change,” Adam said.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads “WaterCAN demands that municipalities publish clear maintenance plans, provide open and transparent information on water tanker companies (including the full costs to the municipality), charge responsible officials for negligence and pollution, and provide regular information on the quality of the water we are drinking.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads “Access to clean water is a fundamental human right and it is imperative that we work together to ensure that all residents have reliable access to this essential resource,” she said In an unprecedented step the headmasters of the town’s three private schools – St Andrew’s College and Prep Kingswood College and the Dioscesan School for Girls (DSG) – issued a public letter saying they are in full support of Rhodes University adding that it is time to become “more assertive” with the municipality Jakes Fredericks (St Andrew’s Prep) and Leon Grove (Kingswood) the letter said the schools have always avoided an adversarial approach to the municipality but realise that the time has come to be more assertive The Democratic Alliance’s Jane Cowley said the “broken Makana Municipality is on the brink of financial collapse and the news that one of its biggest economic drivers has had to suspend classes due to an extended water outage highlights the reality of a complete failure” “The DA has been informed that the cause of the water outage is the current deadlock between the municipality and its employees regarding the non-payment of overtime “It is clear that the municipal manager does not have the backbone to deal with Makana’s problems If he can’t get the municipality’s administration back on track “I will write to the Premier of the Eastern Cape calling on him to intervene in the deadlock between the two parties under Section 154 of the Constitution,” she said must support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities to manage their own affairs to exercise their power and to perform their function The municipality only responded to the water outage for the first time on Saturday when they told residents to close their taps Its response came a day after it received a lawyers’ letter from the Makana Residents’ Association the Makana Unity League and the Makana Business and Residents’ Association “The municipality’s failure to provide water to Makhanda is not only an infliction on the dignity of residents of Makhanda but it also creates a significant health and safety risk which in turn negatively affects the smooth running of the various businesses and institutions in town We note that Rhodes University will temporarily suspend part of its academic programme as a direct result of the disruptions and the supply of water to its staff and students,” the letter reads The letter was signed by Mike van der Veen “The municipality is accordingly requested to take urgent steps to address the self-sabotage presently taking place and to ensure that the water supply to Makhanda be restored by close of business today [Friday] failing which an urgent application will be launched against the municipality.”  The letter continues that the associations will approach the court to ask for an order that municipal officials do their work and make sure the town has water the municipality said: “Several days of outages and backlog has destabilised the water supply system Even though reservoirs have been 70 to 90% full this morning it took only three hours to hit the floor “Residents and businesses all over are filling their tanks and recharging their on-site systems including Rhodes University We have now closed some reservoirs to replenish them and build up pressures It’s a very difficult situation and we are appealing to residents and businesses to consider not to fill their tanks to full capacity but gradually in order to allow water to reach as many areas until the system [reaches] a certain level of stability If residents and businesses may assist in our request we trust the system can stabilise soon “About 98% of Rhodes university system is now recharged and receiving water,” the municipality said extortionats will start targeting that town And who is getting kickbacks for supplying said tankers why get the work done during regular working hours The workers know this and anyone who tries to control them has a target on his/her back Rhodes famously does not have an engineering department Maybe time to start a water engineering degree with a large practical element That way there should always be enough spare pipes to jerry-rig a supply Unfortunately Rhodes wouldn’t be able to attract top academic engineers because of their HR policies and it doesn’t have the money to create a whole new department Their maintenance department has been chronically understaffed when it comes to plumbers for years now where schools’ cricket fans will be treated to four days of high-quality cricket action when the Makhanda Cricket Festival comes to life on Thursday The region’s top schools – Graeme College and Kingswood – take turns to host the season-opening showpiece “We are excited to be this year’s hosts We are looking forward to great action,” Andrew Birch the Kingswood Head of Cricket and one of the festival’s organisers with teams competing in declaration cricket matches on the first day 50-over contests on the second and third days The festival has been running for over 25 years and has often had 10 or more teams participating the 2025 edition has been pared down to eight teams Birch said this was done to improve the quality of cricket at the festival Pearson High School will make the one-and-a-half-hour trip from Gqeberha to join the local sides Gauteng will be represented by two powerhouses St David’s Marist Inanda and St Alban’s while Peterhouse College and Hellenic make the trek from Zimbabwe They didn’t attend the last couple of festivals They are a strong and competitive outfit,” Birch said The event offers a good opportunity for up-and-coming players to show what they are capable of and to solidify their claims to places in their first XIs It is also an opportunity for players to catch the eyes of provincial selectors There is a good chance of some future stars making their mark “We have a side of exciting young players who are hungry to make an impact at the festival Everyone is looking to fill the spots left vacant by last year’s matrics and this is an opportunity for youngsters to show what they can do,” Birch said of the host’s 1st XI The teams will spring into action on Thursday morning The contest between St Andrew’s College and St David’s is sure to attract attention and viewers on the SuperSport Schools app will be treated to a great clash while Graeme College will square up against Peterhouse 9:00 – Kingswood College vs Hellenic 9:00 – St Andrew’s College vs St David’s 9:00 – Graeme College vs Peterhouse 9:00 – St Alban’s vs Pearson 9:00 – Saint Andrew’s College vs Hellenic 9:00 – Graeme College vs St Alban’s 9:00 – St David’s vs Pearson 14:00 – Kingswood College vs Peterhouse 9:00 – St Andrew’s College vs Pearson 9:00 – Graeme College vs Hellenic 9:00 – Peterhouse vs St Alban’s 14:00 – Kingswood College vs St David’s 9:30 – Kingswood College vs Pearson 9:30 – St Andrews College vs St Alban’s 9:30 – Graeme College vs St David’s 18:00 – Peterhouse vs Hellenic with matches on day three of the Makhanda Cricket Festival affected by rain The conditions made for good bowling surfaces produced scintillating performances with the bat to lift their teams to victory Morteza Manack continued his fine run of form with a half-century as St David’s Marist Inanda came up just short against Kingswood College going down by one wicket in a tense and chaotic finish Fresh off scoring an imperious unbeaten double-century in a win over Pearson Manack followed up that stupendous performance with a brisk 53-ball 61 which had seen Manack take to the crease with his side on 47/2 this time St David’s had already laid a sound platform and were on 124/3 the dismissal that brought him to the crease was the first of three to tumble in the space of 1.5 overs stabilised matters by sharing in a 92-run sixth-wicket partnership with Samrat Basu (38) Patrick Mouton continued his great run with the ball for Kingswood with his 10 overs bringing him a return of 4/55 His fine effort and an unbeaten 75 from Josh Loon in Kingswood’s innings enabled the home team to squeak by their Johannesburg opposition Oliver Johns struck an unbeaten half-century to guide St Andrew’s College to a five-wicket victory over Pearson Following the dismissal of Rhys Wiblin in the 17th over cracking 10 fours on his way to an even-paced 71 off 113 balls he had to watch Ethan Bradfield and Benjamin Coventry depart within 14 deliveries of each other Johns’ measured innings received the support it needed when Ben Scharges contributed an undefeated 31 as the duo combined for an unbroken 85-run sixth-wicket partnership Alistair de Kock and Rhys Wiblin had claimed three wickets apiece as Pearson was bowled out for 174 in 48 overs Sulaymaan Gangat‘s half-century and Luke Hector‘s 49 were not enough to carry the Gqeberha school to a total that would challenge the Makhanda boys William Beamish and Thomas Bussiahn also got in on the wicket-taking act for College Corbin Tidbury carved a brilliant 95 off 94 balls to lead Graeme College to an insurmountable total of 235/7 in a match restricted to 40 overs a side by the rain when they faced off against Hellenic Academy That score was too great for the Zimbabwean side who folded for a meagre 130 runs in 39 overs giving Graeme College an emphatic 105-run victory Tidbury joined forces with Zuko Pontshi (46) to add 109 runs for the fourth wicket but Graeme went on to a dominating victory carrying his bat to score an unbeaten 66 off 114 balls he was one of only two Hellenic batsmen to make it into double figures He chipped in with 36 and together with Sanders put on 57 for the fourth-wicket which was the best partnership of Hellenic’s innings Andrew Muir was Graeme College’s most successful bowler Jordan Damons weighed in with a useful 2/10 Tyler Chapman and Isheunopa Mutungi scored superb half-centuries to steer Peterhouse to a 62-run victory over St Alban’s College boosted Peterhouse to a sound 254/7 after their 40 overs but the Zimbabwean side batted at more than six runs an over fighting hard for a valiant 46 from 83 balls but St Alban’s was limited to 192/7 in their 40 overs It was a welcome pick-me-up for the Zimbabwean schools after Hellenic’s heavy defeat at the hands of Graeme College St Andrew’s College 175/5 (Oliver Johns 71* St Andrew’s College won by five wickets Hellenic Academy 130/10 (Ruben Sanders 66* St Alban’s College 192/7 (Zayd Mohanlall 46 Home | South Africa Minister of Water and Sanitation Pemmy Majodina has launched the multi-million rand James Kleynhans Water Treatment Project which seeks to address the persistent water crisis in Makhanda and surrounding areas in the Eastern Cape Makhanda had two water plants that did not have enough capacity to provide water to the growing population of the City affecting not only communities but businesses as well Majodina says such projects are vital for the development of businesses and local farmers in the area The national government has budgeted R393 million for three phases of the water project This project aims to ensure all citizens of Makhanda have access to clean water This city has been battling with water demands exceeding supply for several years Majodina says with the Kleynhans Water Treatment project Makhanda now has access to 28 megalitres per day which is more than enough to sustain the city’s water needs indefinitely The incapacity of service providers and bad financial management are some of the challenges attributed to the delay of this project “We have been led down [by] so many service providers in terms of checking whether appointed companies have cash flow and enough experience But we have learned … from phase two Phase one of this project has been completed Makana Mayor Yandisa Vara has welcomed this development “No we have not failed the people of Makhanda we were abused by our workers’ demands over time and some would burst pipes intentionally to get paid twice But we want to focus more on Kleynhans Water now and provide better services,” explains Vara Plans to implement phase three of this project are afoot Minister Majodina will also visit other municipalities that are faced with water challenges across the country A spat has erupted between two top schools in Makhanda following accusations that Kingswood College had implemented an “aggressive” recruitment policy that is severely impacting on Graeme College and also other schools signed the letter to parents and guardians in which they also cut all sporting and other ties until this matter is resolved “Reports indicate that Kingswood offers reduced fees to Graeme College learners a large number of our learners have to Kingswood often discreetly,” Watson said in the letter He said the Graeme learners targeted for recruitment are typically high achievers in academics and sport as well as children of families who consistently contribute to the success of Graeme College “This recruitment strategy is not only disruptive to the school’s operations but also deeply demoralizing for the Graeme community the active recruitment of Graeme learners undermines the relationship between our institutions and threatens the stability of the school,” said Watson The letter also noted that a few schools in East London Hudson Park High School and Cambridge High School have also cut ties with Kingswood “under similar circumstances” Kingswood College meanwhile said it was aware of the letter circulated by Graeme College and was concerned by its contents said in a statement that their relationship with Graeme College has always been important to them and to the greater Makhanda community “Kingswood College’s scholarship and bursary opportunities adhere to a fair and are centred around the individual learner and the opportunities that we can provide to them in consultation with their guardian/s “This year we have had over 600 applicants from around the country and the world for our scholarships and bursaries and we will look at each candidate through an equal lens is being targeted is simply untrue,” Grove said She said Kingwood College would continue “to attempt to engage” with Graeme College saying the cancellation of fixtures and cultural events was not in the best interest of the children of Makhanda Makhanda, South Africa (04 August 2024)—The National Arts Festival (which celebrated 50 wonderful and important years recently) may have come to an end but good news for Makhanda is still rolling in The NAF itself is part of a special collaboration aimed at empowerment through the creation of job opportunities that go far beyond the festival—the Social Employment Fund that since beginning two years ago has sparked immense positive impact NAF manages over 2,000 previously unemployed locals at its various projects for Makhanda with each participant paid a stipend for this part-time work all while performing important work for the town from maintaining and upgrading infrastructure to clearing storm water drains recycling waste and working for social change shares: “Participants are drawn from all areas of the community others haven’t finished school but the commonality is employment and SEF is about work that needs to be done and people that need work.” Participants are divided into groups and given various tasks for which they are trained and paid Catching multiple butterflies with one net the project not only offers work but work that benefits the town and the environment “We are extremely proud of the SEF projects which are fully integrated,’ says Monica Newton turned in compost and used in our food gardens It’s about the projects collaborating to make ensure our efforts are successful.” there has been a 90% reduction in litter along the river banks and garbage going to the landfill has also reduced by over 20% One of the latest projects for Makhanda is a factory that’s making bricks and pavers borne out of a need for building materials and finding alternative uses for recycled material The bricks are produced using a mix of ground recycled glass and finely chipped plastic Hilton says the aim is to become self-sustainable from the sale of compost Part of the SEF programme includes life skills training as well as teaching participants additional skills to help them perform better Participation in work not only provides much-needed income through stipends it also gives people entry-level work readiness skills and the confidence to seek work opportunities— vital for securing a job and enhancing enhances of becoming self-employed “Receiving a stipend for work done instils a sense of dignity and purpose It reinforces the fact that participants are earning their livelihood through their efforts and contributions within their communities,’ says Monica “It has been incredible to watch the transformation of people They are not only proud of the work they are doing but are also first-hand witnesses to the difference they are making within the community.” participants have gone on to gain permanent employment as team leaders with the others employed for a few days a month on a contract period The SEF is as ambitious as it is vital in addressing unemployment and helping foster economic resilience over 117,000 people have participated in and benefitted through SEF nationally with 65% being young people and 70% being women Around 65% of the work is in rural and peri-urban areas “Investing in social employment is not just a matter of economic policy it is a commitment to building a more inclusive and prosperous society,” says SIvu Siwisa Social Employment Network Campaign Manager “From individuals to the broader community and economy social inclusion and reduced unemployment.” The SEF is open to additional collaboration and partnerships and anyone keen to make a difference or to be part of the initiative can learn more here.  Ashleigh Nefdt is a writer for Good Things Guy Ashleigh's favourite stories have always seen the hidden hero (without the cape) come to the rescue her labour of love is finding those everyday heroes and spotlighting their spark - especially those empowering women sustainability shakers and creatives with hearts of gold she's dedicated to her canvas or appreciating Mother Nature Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a104e6903f66c23b80f960cab6c03cd2" );document.getElementById("d2d9e305b5").setAttribute( "id" and website in this browser for the next time I comment Would you like to receive truly phenomenal inspirational and good thing stories right to your inbox Then subscribe to our weekly GoodThingsGuy newsletter today I accept GTG’s Privacy Policy GoodThingsGuy is the home of everything good and those are the things that really matter We believe that there is good news all around us and over 1 million readers a month agree with us GoodThingsGuy was officially launched on the 1 August 2015 in order to only promote good news inspirational stories and promote only positive multi-platform media company that distills unique 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Be sure you have your GPS enabled and try again The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) says blasting operations are planned on the N2 between Makhanda and the Fish River pass at 3pm on the following dates in January and February 2025 The road would be closed on these days from 3pm to allow sufficient time for cleaning of the existing N2 and making it safe for the travelling public There would be further closures from km 84+500 to km 85+900 and km 79+100 to km 79+600 that wouldl allow single-lane traffic for 24 hours per day Motorists travelling westwards between East London or Qonce (King William’s Town) and Gqeberha may consider using the following alternative route: Motorists travelling eastwards between Gqeberha and Qonce (King William’s Town) or East London may consider using the following alternative routes: “Motorists are requested to plan their trips accordingly consider alternative routes and use caution when making use of the roads,” said Kayakazi Mafuta SANRAL Southern Region’s Acting Regional Manager “SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused.” South Africa (02 December 2024) – Having fun by the pool or beach is almost always a great idea many primary school learners in Makhanda were recently empowered to improve their swimming skills thanks to an impactful series of Survival Swimming lessons at the DT Hudson Pool complex The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) and Station 11 Port Alfred brought together 45 enthusiastic Grade 5 and 6 learners from Good Shepherd School in Makhanda for an introduction to essential water safety skills these lessons marked their first formal water safety instruction – an essential step given the risks posed by nearby water bodies And their excitement as they splashed about in the water but there were a lot of very nervous children too especially when they realised that no swim aids or goggles were being used,” shared Carol Mewse NSRI Station 11 crew member and Survival Swimming Coordinator one of the key challenges in teaching younger children water survival skills is their initial fear of water and energetic vibes to get children scared of being in the water to enjoy their first lesson,” Carol explained The initial sessions can be challenging as nervous learners require more focused attention the young swimmers gradually gained confidence under the guidance of experienced instructors the children learned vital water safety techniques A significant barrier to water safety education in the community is the widespread fear of water passed down from parents and guardians St Andrew’s College Community Engagement Manager “I was made to be terrified of water from stories that my parents and grandparents told us as kids The involvement of 36 dedicated volunteers from St Andrew’s College and Diocesan School for Girls played a crucial role in the success of the initiative “The strong community service ethos at St Andrew’s College and Diocesan School for Girls motivates learners to engage in impactful projects.” This ethos and the NSRI’s high regard among the scholars spurred excitement and a sense of pride “The scholars all expressed a desire to make a difference in the community either through altruistic motives or personal near-drowning experiences,” Mewse added These incredibly valuable lessons contribute to broader NSRI goals by empowering children with vital survival skills and promoting water awareness the NSRI aims to expand these initiatives through partnerships the NSRI hopes to embed water safety education across South Africa cultivating generations that are not only skilled but also committed to promoting water safety far beyond their school years "a76bdf28e534cb3b581817361938e143" );document.getElementById("d2d9e305b5").setAttribute( "id" It was a weekend to savour for two Makhanda powerhouses as St Andrew's College and DSG Makhanda claimed top honours at the Woodridge Stayers Water Polo Tournament in Thornhill on the weekend St Andrew's defeated Selborne College 6-5 in the boys' final St Andrew's was dominant from the get-go in Pool B they came up against Gqeberha's Pearson High School and made light work of them before edging out Gqeberha's Grey High School 7-5 in the semifinals they came up against the defending champions but St Andrew's eventually edged out their East London opposition by a single goal "We are very excited to come away with the win," St Andrew's head coach told SuperSport Schools Plus after the tournament "Our preparation was not what we wanted it to be with the holidays in between I was very happy with the team's overall performance and it was a good way to start our new season The bar has been set for the rest of the season and we are going to have to put in extra effort to stay competitive across the country," he added The next big challenge for McKenzie and his troops will be against top teams from throughout South Africa in Johannesburg "The team has had a very inclusive approach for all the new boys that have joined us," he said "We have the St Stithians Stayers Tournament coming up We have two weeks to prepare and we're looking forward to the challenge." The girls' final was contested between traditional rivals with DSG Makhanda facing Kingswood College for the title scoring five times without conceding to close off the tournament on a high They also recorded wins over Merrifield College they faced a tough challenge from Clarendon School for Girls They had gone down to Clarendon in a pool stage clash but with a place in the title decider on the line they ran out 6-3 winners Winning the title also secured DSG a slice of history as they became the first winners of the girls' title which was introduced this year with 12 teams competing for it head coach Julia Gaybba said: "The DSG water polo girls have worked hard to get to this point and we have started the season off well with a bronze medal at the MacKenzie Cup and now with gold at the Woodridge Stayers." "I feel that the girls are improving with each game we play but there are always things we can work on." everything will come together at the St Stithians Tournament," she added