Fishaways heist accused seek bail

R5.00 Friday 13 April 2012

RDP house worse than a shack

Editorial: living with crime

Archers take on Grahamstown

Sport

R5.00
SAs Oldest Independent Newspaper

www.grocotts.co.za

Cacadu rename push from district ANCYL

Loyiso Dyongman
l.dyongman@grocotts.co.za The ANC Youth League in Cacadu district is strongly pushing for its renaming and say they mean business. The youth league wants to change Cacadu to the Sarah Baartman district municipality. Mabhuti Matyumza, chairperson of Cacadu district ANCYL and Makana Municipality councillor, said discussions have been on-going for years now and the youth league had decided it was time to revive the move. They said support for the Sarah Baartman name had come from the notion that it truly acknowledged the demographics of the region. It unites the people of Cacadu, as well as acknowledging the role played by the Khoi-San people in the liberation struggle of South Africa said Matyumza. This Cacadu name change is not something that has just come up. We looked at history what role she played and where she came from, Matyumza said. Continued Page 2

Allen Street pipe burst damages businesses

Overburdened infrastructure fails, damages property and restricts traffic

ANC and DA representatives debate on media freedom

Zamathiyane Ndaba
z.ndaba@grocotts.co.za Jackson Mthembu, ANC spokesperson, and DA Shadow Minister, Marian Shinn, came to Grahamstown last Thursday to speak about problems facing the South African media today. The talk was chaired by Prof Jane Duncan, who opened by expressing her concerns about the decline of media freedom in South Africa. The diversity of the media is not what it should be, she said. Print media is dominated by four large companies. There are worrying signs of a regression on the horizon, Duncan went on. Freedom House used to rate the South African media as free and just. Recently it just down-graded that rating to partly free. Mthembu criticised the South African media for perhaps being too free to the point where it is irresponsible and expressed concern that journalism in the country is not adequately regulated and monitored. The media also needs to subscribe to values enshrined in South Africa, even the press cannot act outside these values. The press cannot be free outside the Constitution, he said. Mthembu said he was concerned about the way in which the South African media operated outside their own regulations and sometimes disrespected their own regulators. We need an independent regulator that watches that the media adheres to its own codes of conduct. Not a code that comes from the government, but that comes from you, he said, addressing the journalists present at the discussion. This regulator needs to ensure that bad journalists are removed from the system, he said. It has never been our wish to see the press being regulated by government. We want the press to able to operate on its own. Mthembu then asked how might it be possible to ensure universal access to the media. And how did we allow the industry to self-regulate to the extent of abusing the South African people? he asked. Mthembu echoed Duncans concerns that South African media is monopolised by four companies, as well as the fact that there is only a 4.4% representation of women in the media. He said technology had a leading role in bringing about more media diversity, which Shinn heartily agreed with. She said that if South Africans are serious about media diversity, we should be using technology to break up the old monopolies of the past and power blocks of media ownership. She said that the government needs to free up the regulatory load however, and put up the basic infrastructures that allow media diversity. Take the opportunity that technology offers and lets use it to break new ground. The opportunity is already there, its just a matter of connecting the dots, said Shinn. According to the head of Rhodes Universitys journalism department, Larry Strelitz, the only serious threat the media faces is the Protection of Information Bill. Even though there are challenges, people in the media have been able to overcome these. The South African Constitution allows journalists to exercise their power, said Strelitz. Radio Grahamstown also dedicated an hour of programming last Thursday to a discussion on media freedom and the climate in which South African media operates.

Rhodes graduate murder, rape suspect arrested

Desiree Schirlinger
d.shirlinger@grocotts.co.za Port Elizabeth detectives have arrested a suspect linked to the murder of Rhodes University Honours graduate Lelona Fufu. On Monday The Herald reported that the Swartkops Murder and Robbery Unit, investigating Fufus case, was alerted by detectives that they held a rape suspect, who is believed to be connected to Fufus murder. The man was arrested in Kamvelihle last week and is currently being held in St Albans Prison. The Motherwell Police Station warrant officer Dumile Gwavu stated that the suspect would appear in the Motherwell court today. He confirmed that in a preliminary hearing... the suspect will be charged with the murder of Lelona Fufu.

Desiree Shirlinger

d.shirlinger@grocotts.co.za

looding on Allen Street on Thursday morning caused havoc for shop owners and commuters. A burst water pipe and blocked storm drain covered a great part of Allen Street and parts of Pepper Grove Mall with municipal water. A security guard reported the problem to one of the affected businesses, Insight Technology, at about 6.30am. The water main to the immediate area was shut off at 7.45am to stop the flow and allow repair work. One of Makana Municipalitys honey-suckers was brought to pump water out of the flooded area. The truck removed water for 12 hours before the level was low enough to allow a steady flow of traffic. Insight technology co-owner, Craig Foord said he could not even imagine how much this disaster will cost them in damages but it will

be thousands of thousands of rands. Their Pepper Grove Mall premises was flooded, destroying computer servers, furniture and records. Dr Oosthuizens offices, next door to Insight Technology, were similarly affected. Thandy Matebese, Makana Municipality spokesperson, said the night flow pressure caused the old asbestos pipe section to burst. Repairs are under way. The infrastructure in Grahamstown is very old, were slowly replacing as much of it as we can, said Matebese, however, the new pipes we are laying are technically far superior to the old ones and are coping much better with the demands. According to Matebese, Makana Municipality has increased the maintenance budget allowance over the past two financial years but at this stage pipes can only be replaces once they have failed. Matebese added that Makana was replacing the damaged pipes with technically superior ones.

A Makana Municipality truck pumps leaked water from a burst pipe on Allen Street on Friday morning. The leak caused extensive damage to shops in Pepper Grove Mall. Photo: Desiree Schirlinger

Water shortages persist over Easter as infrastructure fails

Kawela Mule
k.mule@grocotts.co.za

idespread water shortages were experienced in Grahamstown during the Easter holiday, with Westhill, the army base and parts of Oatlands North (along Kettlewell Street) being the hardest hit. Some areas water trucks were supplied to assist the residents, as municipal officials scrambled to find a long-term solution. Thandy Matebese, Makana Municipality spokesperson, said that the on-going water supply interruptions in Grahamstown are a result of pipe bursts and valves that could no longer handle the pressure. Due to the population growth over the past years the demand on the infrastructure has increased and Grahamstown was not built to accommodate as many people as it does at present, Matebese said. There have been no upgrades to the infrastructure due to lack of

funds and prioritisation, he said, adding that efforts would rather be made to supply water to places that do not have a constant water supply. He mentioned Joza as one of those parts of Grahamstown that receive water for a limited time every day. Matebese said that the municipality has applied for a R30m loan from the Development Bank of South Africa to upgrade the water infrastructure. The municipality plans to build a parallel water line from James Kleynhans Water Treatment plant to the Botha Hill reservoir which supplies... water to Grahamstown East. He explained that without either the James Kleynhans Water Treatment or Waainek Water Treatment Works plants being upgraded, the water pressure in certain sites, especially on hills, would continue to be low or to be interrupted. Matebese said that adding another water line will relieve the pressure being placed on the current water plants and water can be supplied more efficiently to residents.

2 News
Emergency Numbers
Ambulance: Aids Helpline: AA Rescue: Copper Eagle Security Medical Rescue: Child and Family Welfare: Electricity: a/h Eskom: Fire Brigade: Police: Hi-Tec Raphael Centre: SPCA: Traffic Services: Water: Hospice: Settlers Hospital: Day Hospital: Ft England Hospital: Legal Aid SA: Locksmith: 046 622 9350 082 556 9975 046 622 4592 046 603 6036 046 603 6000 086 014 0014 046 622 4444 046 603 9152 046 636 1660 046 622 8831 046 622 3233 046 603 6067 046 603 6136 046 622 9661 046 602 5000 046 622 3033 046 622 7003 0800 033007 046 636 1355 10177 0800 012322 0800 111997 046 622 6396

13 April 2012

Vacant positions cause rifts in Makana

Zama Khumalo & Thembeni Plaatjie
frustration. The municipality is still struggling to find a technical director, director of corporate services and chief financial officer. We need leadership in this municipality as soon as possible, said DA Councillor Les Reynolds, at the meeting. We are the servants of the public and we cant carry on without captains of the ship we know the situation that we are in and we need to do something as soon as possible. Reynolds criticised Mayor Zamuxolo Peter for not responding urgently to the matter, saying his written and verbal responses were not good enough. Reynolds further expressed his disappointment that questions of the vacant posts issue had not been put into the meetings agenda and that a detailed report on the status of the senior posts had not been made available to the councillors. I would like to see a proper report; I dont want to hear a brief verbal report from the mayor I must express my disappointment in the fact that you did not put it upon yourself to put that item on the agenda, Reynolds said. The mayor responded by high-

ensions are rising among Makana councillors as the Council comes under urgent pressure to recruit suitable candidates to fill vacant management positions. Called to account for the still vacant senior leadership positions some of which have been unoccupied for nearly five months the mood in a special council meeting held in the Council Chamber on Wednesday was one of anger and

lighting that there was a series of technical procedures that had to be adhered to when appointing people to posts of this level and that it entailed a lengthy administrative process. Municipal Manager Ntombi Baart said the security clearance required for the candidates had not been made available. Council Speaker Rachel Madinda assured Council that a detailed report on the status of the vacant senior posts would be made available soon and that a special council meeting would be scheduled for that item.

Cacadu-Baartman name change not official, says Cacadu manager

Continued from Page 1 According to the Cacadu district municipal manager, Ted Pillay, the name change is not official and it has only been discussed outside of the Council. A Cacadu municipality councillor and former Makana councillor, Michael Whisson, said he was not clear on the question of renaming the district municipality after Sarah Baartman. We know little about her other than the abuse she received. I think the ANC Youth League is trying to show real support for the coloured population, said Whisson. He added that he was concerned about the cost of the name changing process and that as Cacadu was not a colonial name it was not offensive. ANC Cacadu regional deputy chairperson, Lungile Mxube, said renaming Cacadu to Sarah Baartman was a way of recognising her contribution and had been approved by the tripartite alliance. He continued to say that her name will attract investors to the region as she is a recognisable and important historical figure.

Ratepayers may pay water improvements

Felix Bodenstein
f.bodenstein@grocotts.co.za Ratepayers across the country may be lumped with paying for the R338 billion shortfall that the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs needs to improve water services in SA. But according to the environmental affairs minister, people have brought it upon themselves. On Monday water affairs minister Edna Molewa announced plans to spend R670bn over the next decade to develop national water management and infrastructure. This hefty sum will go towards renewing infrastructure, investing in human capabilities, stimulating innovation and technological development and redressing historical inequalities However, the department admitted that it is faced with a R338bn funding shortfall that may be collected by increasing consumer tariffs. We have said it before, that it is highly likely that if we do our billing properly and the right people pay for water, there would not be a need for constant tariff increase, Molewa said, but tariffs do increase from time to time. In Molewas statement she also announced the publication of the second draft National Water Resources Strategy (NWRS- 2) policy document that focuses on priorities and objectives for the department from 2013-2017. These include providing a framework for the protection, use, development and control of water resources. Socio-economic growth and mat-

ters of sustainability have been highlighted as priority issues that depend on effective management. The publication of the document this week will be followed by a 90day period during which members of the public can review and engage with the departments policies by submitting comments, suggestions and complaints. The NWRS-2 document is available on the Water Affairs website, which can be accessed at www.dwaf. gov.za

Weather Saturday

Allen Street flood in pictures

27C

14C

High Tide: 10.16 ; 23.34 Low Tide: 3.48 ; 16.32

Sunday

23C

14C
A mini-bus drives through the water on Allen Street. Photo: Joshua Oats Onlookers watch flood water drain out away. Photo: Desiree Schirlinger

High Tide: 12.09 ; 00.00 Low Tide: 6.00 ; 18.23

Monday

Fishaways heist accused seek bail

Thembeni Plaatjie
t.plaatjie@grocotts.co.za

22C

13C

High Tide: 12.51 ; 13.13 Low Tide: 7.06 ; 19.21

Tuesday

23C

13C

High Tide: 1.38 ; 13.6 Low Tide: 7.48 ; 20.00

Visit www.ghtnow.co.za for the latest weather updates

hree men facing charges of armed robbery with aggravating circumstances appeared before for a formal bail application in the Grahamstown Magistrates Court on Wednesday. The charges stem from an armed robbery at Fishaways take-away in High Street four weeks ago. Sipho Biko, from Fort Beaufort, Mncedisi Khala Dibe, from Port Elizabeth, both 39, and Grahamstown resident Lithemba Seyisi, 29, allegedly entered the shop and ordered the staff to lie down before making off with R7 000 and several cellphones. It was also alleged that they shot at a police vehicle that was passing by as they fled the scene. On Wednesday, Biko took to the stand to plead his case before magistrate Ronny Lesele. He admitted that he had been in Grahamstown on the night of the incident and had gone to a shop near Checkers, but

that he had not looked at the name of the shop. The court heard that Biko had multiple previous convictions, including housebreaking, attempted murder and escaping from police custody. He committed these offences between 1983 and 2000. Biko also has two pending cases of armed robbery. He told the court that he had a wife and children to support. The second accused, Dibe, also claimed he had two children to support and denied that he had previous convictions or pending cases. However state prosecutor, Lungile Msutu put it to him that he had previous convictions for housebreaking and armed robbery in Port Elizabeth between 1995 and 2002. He also has a murder case pending, in connection with the death of his girlfriend last year. A warrant of arrest was authorised against him for this case. Dibe denied any previous convictions, claiming that the offences had been committed by his late twin brother, who had used his name. Msutu put it to him that the fin-

gerprints in the cases for which he had been convicted were his, not those of his twin. Dibe also admitted that he had gone to Fishaways on the night in question, but claimed he had been looking at the menu when two men entered the shop and ordered the staff to lie down while he was asked to stand aside. He said he did not know the men and had never seen them before. The last accused, Seyisi, also denied that he had been at or near Fishaways on the night in question. He claimed that he was with friends buying liquor at Tops and they had not gone to Fishaways. Seyisi also claimed that he was tortured and partly suffocated with a plastic bag by police when he was arrested, and as a result he had developed hearing difficulties in his left ear. Their hearing had been postponed to today, when the investigating officer is expected to give his evidence before the magistrate decides on the bail application.

Officials undecided over Makana interim-CFO

Thembeni Plaatjie

t.plaatjie@grocotts.com nternal squabbling seems to be the latest stumbling block in the way of the municipalitys finding a new acting Chief Financial Officer. Makana has been without a CFO since Jackson Ngcelwane was suspended a year ago. Municipal Manager Ntombi Baart refuses to advise Council on who should succeed the latest acting CFO Marius Crous, whose contract expired on Wednesday. According to the Municipal Structures Act, the municipal manager is required to advise the council regarding the appointment of a person to act as CFO. Baarts reason for withholding her opinion, she claimed, was that she had already advised the council on this matter, but her suggestion had been ignored. When Grocotts Mail attempted

to find out why Baarts original advice had not been accepted by the council, we were referred to the Mayor by the municipal spokesperson. The Mayor was unavailable for comment at the time of going to print. In a special council meeting on Wednesday, DA councillor Les Reynolds said he had warned the council last year that the empty CFO position would become a problem, but the Mayor had responded by saying that everything would be sorted out by January. We are now going into May and its not fine, Reynolds said. DA councillor Brian Fargher proposed that Crous should continue as the acting CFO, and the proposal was seconded by Reynolds. A decision was taken at the meeting to come up with a list of names of people who could fill the position of the acting CFO. The municipality has relied on acting CFOs since Ngcelwanes suspension last May.

Features
School withdraws contempt charges against DoE MEC
Anele Mjekula
a.mjekula@grocotts.co.za Yesterday a local school withdrew its contempt of court charges against two provincial education department officials. According to the acting principal, an out-of-court settlement is being discussed. This comes after Good Shepherd Primarys two-year battle with the department to have a maths teacher appointed. The school has been locked in a contempt of court case with the department since last year. In desperation, the school had launched a High Court application to have Eastern Cape Education MEC Mandla Makupula and his acting superintendent general Mthunywa Ngonzo put in jail for contempt of court. The application was launched because the department failed to appoint a maths teacher for the school following a high court order in July 2011. In that order Judge Judith Margaret Roberson instructed the MEC and the then-superintendent general of the department Modidima Mannya to fill the post within 10 days. Last week Thursday Makupula and Ngonzo sought to postpone their case after they failed to submit court documents on time. Judge Jeremy Pickering said he could not send the education department officials to prison until they had filled the outstanding papers and had a chance to be heard. The case was due to be heard by Judge John Smith yesterday, but according to Good Shepherd acting principal Cecile Mager they were in the process of negotiating an out-ofcourt settlement with the department. Court papers in confirmed that the contempt of court charges had been dropped. They also revealed that both the school and the department would be responsible for their own legal costs incurred during the court case. At the time of going to print the school could not reveal the terms of the out-of-court settlement.

13 April 2012

TB outbreak threatens Gtown

Avuyile Mngxitama-Diko

a.mngxitama.diko@grocotts.co.za new early discharge policy at Temba TB hospital puts Grahamstown on the brink of a health disaster. This warning came from the hospital boards chairperson this week, as the provincial health department confirmed that patients are now routinely being sent home before their treatment has been completed. A handful of staff is struggling to care for a fast-growing population of TB patients in the Grahamstown area, as the health department drags its feet over filling essential posts at the 60-bed facility in Fingo Village. Staff shortages range from professional nurses to porters and the hospital will be without a full-time doctor next month. After a meeting of the hospitals board on Wednesday, its chairperson Xolani Simakuhle confirmed that the hospital had resorted to limiting beds to numbers that the current staff can cope with. This could result in Makana having a TB crisis, Simakuhle warned. The bed limitation will impact very badly on the community, because

TB could spread to the people of Makana. Non-compliance with the rigorous treatment regimen for TB has in the past been identified as a factor in its rapid spread in communities and a low cure-rate. Hospitalisation has been identified as a way of ensuring that patients comply with treatment. According to a statement from the Western Cape Ministry of Health on World TB Day on 24 March this year, the national incidence of TB is 823 per 100 000 population. TB incidence in the Eastern Cape is 960 per 100 000. Simakuhle said they were not asking the department for money but to give them the nod to absorb nurses who are on contract. Dr Santhia, from Settlers Hospital, has agreed to assist while the department is in a process of appointing a new doctor. But we will still need a hospital manager, he said. According to Simakuhle the hospital had already started discharging patients. Those patients can take treatment from their nearest clinics but not every patient will be responsible enough. Some could default in the treatment because no one is supervising

them. This could impact badly on the community, because cases of MDR TB could happen, Simakuhle said. Multi-drug-resistant (MDR) TB often develops as a result of patients not completing their treatment and the pathogen becoming resistant to the front-line treatment options. Simakuhle said the hospitals shortage meant the patient load would shift to local clinics. Temba has three professional nurses, who work on a week-long roster, around the clock. They are under severe stress, he said. Only [severely ill] patients who need injections every day will be left in the hospital as in-patients. A staffing task team has been set up. We have sent these requests to the MEC and we will send them to the premier and all the department of health officials, Simakuhle said. Our priority as the board is to serve the interests of the community. He said the task team was also considering recruiting primary healthcare workers. But they cant do that for free. They will need an incentive, he said. Temba hospitals staffing crisis has become worse this year. Earlier

wthis month the health department said staff shortages were a problem all over the Eastern Cape and that they were addressing these. Spokesperson for the Eastern Capes Department of Health Sizwe Kupelo confirmed yesterday that patients had been discharged early from Temba. The department is aware of the situation. TB patients who are not very ill do not need admission and they continue collecting from the nearest facilities whilst in the communities and that includes MDRTB, said Kupelo in an emailed response to questions from Grocotts Mail. He said this was in line with the newly introduced community based care approach. He denied that it was risky to send patients home as they were given health education during their stay in the hospital and on discharge educated on treatment adherence. The patients are referred to local health facilities for continuity of care. Patients, their families and communities are given health talks on... infection control... Kupelo wrote. Kupelo said the department was in the process of appointing an additional doctor and nurses.

No jail for education councillors

Anele Mjekula & Abongile Sipondo

R8m home must be demolished

Pierre Potgieter

p.potgieter@grocotts.co.za

VG pupil hit by taxi

Thembani Onceya
t.onceya@grocotts.co.za a victoria girls High School pupil hit by a taxi in High Street this week is back in class, according to an employee at the school. A taxi knocked down a Victoria Girls High School pupil at the High Street pedestrian crossing in front of the City Hall on Wednesday afternoon. According to an eyewitness who did not want to be named, the girl was walking on the pedestrian crossing when the driver of a white Toyota Venture failed to stop and struck her. She fell on the ground very badly and the taxi stopped approximately 10 to 15 metres away from incident, the witness said. He said she was knocked to the ground, but managed to get on to her feet again. He said the taxis point of impact with the girl had been the rucksack she was carrying on her back. He said the taxi driver had stopped only after onlookers shouted at him. When traffic officers asked the driver for his licence, the witness said, it was found to have expired in 2005. The girl was taken to Settlers Hospital for shock and for a further check-up.

hodes professor Matthew Lester was yesterday ordered to demolish his R8 million Kentonon-Sea property in a Grahamstown high court judgment yesterday by Judge Sytze Alkema, on the basis that the house contravened Section 21 of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act 103 of 1977. The nineyear-long case entails neighbour-, public- and administrative law. Ndlambe Municipality and High Dune House (Pty) Ltd, owners of a neighbouring property, applied for a demolishing order on Lesters property, arguing it obstructed the view and affected privacy. Lester, a professor of tax law, proposed the house instead be altered according to submitted plans. The case ended in the order for Lester to demolish his R8m property at his own expense and within 180 days. It did, however, grant him leave to apply for an extension on this deadline.

D-DAY: The High Court in Grahamstown has ordered that this R8m house in Kenton-on-Sea, belonging to Rhodes Professor Matthew Lester, has to be demolished within 180 days. Photo: file

Eastern Cape Basic Education MEC, Mandla Makupula, and his acting Superintendent General, Mthunywa Ngonzo, cannot be sent to jail until they have been offered a proper opportunity to state their case in contempt of court proceedings. Good Shepherd Primary School had desperately resorted to the High Court after waiting in vain for more than a year for the department to heed a July 2011 court order to fill a vital vacant mathematics teacher post at the school. According to court papers, the school has had no maths teacher since the end of 2010. Just over a year ago, the school won its case when the high court in Grahamstown ordered the MEC and Modidima Mannya, his head of department at the time, to fill the post. Yesterday, Makupula and Ngonzo sought to postpone the case after they failed to submit affidavits on time. Judge Jeremy Pickering expressed his unhappiness with the lack of urgency from the respondents throughout the case. The judge outlined how they had taken their time to comply with all the formalities since being alerted of the intention to litigate in June. In a strongly worded statement, the judge accused the respondent of being in contemptuous disregard of these proceedings. Despite his unhappiness, Pickering told the court that he could not make a decision on whether to send the two education department officials to prison until they had filed the outstanding papers. I do not think its their personal fault, Pickering said. The order here is to send the MEC to jail... I cannot make an order to send people to jail if they have not been offered the chance to be heard, he said. The case was postponed until next Thursday. The respondents were instructed to file their papers by 4pm on Monday and the applicants to file the responding affidavits by the end of business day on Tuesday. Good Shepherd teacher Mathari Veliti spoke to Grocotts Mail about the strain the absence of a mathematics teacher had put on other teachers at the school. Veliti said the matter was frustrating for the teachers and that it was hampering the childrens progress.

Workers complaints close Makana offices

Avuyile Mngxitama-Diko
a.mngxitama.diko@grocotts.co.za The municipal offices were closed on Monday morning as workers gathered outside to back representatives tackling the Mayor on Makanas labour practices. The meeting was a continuation of discussions which begun three days Earlier. The workers reportedly want Human Resources Manager Phumla Qhezu to be removed from her position and have given the Executive Mayor Zamuxolo Peter 48 hours to respond to their grievances. These reportedly include claims of favouritism and lack of consultation about appointments to key positions. Municipal spokesperson Edward Ganza confirmed that there was an internal staff meeting on Monday, in which workers addressed their concerns to Peter. One of the issues the workers raised was the employment of casual workers from other towns, whereas there are people from Makana who are unemployed, Ganza explained. The sentiments of the workers are not entirely true, as most of the casual workers are from Makana and when appointing we give preference to people from here. Municipal driver George Manyashi said Mondays meeting had been successful. We are just waiting for them to respond. They promised that they would look at our concerns, he said. Remarking on Mondays meeting with workers during a special council meeting yesterday, the Mayor said the municipality did not owe the media any explanation about it.

All Departments! 12 April

Begins Thursday

4 Features

13 April 2012

Incomplete Transit Camp RDP houses worse than shacks

Thembani Onceya

t.onceya@grocotts.com wo years after construction started, the residents of Transit Camp are still waiting for their new RDP houses to be finally completed. Grocotts Mail visited the area on Wednesday to check on the projects progress. Resident Funiwe Stamper said her house, started in 2010, was still unfinished. It has no window-glass, doors, taps or ceiling. The only thing it has is thousands of cracks, said Stamper. She said the shack she used to live in was bigger than the half-completed structure she lived in now. They told me to destroy my shack so that they can build me a new RDP house. They built it but they never completed it, said Stamper. I used to have a six-room shack with a ceiling that didnt leak, and windows with unbroken panes. My family fitted inside it not like in this house where I cannot take a bath while my children are still around, said Stamper. Stamper said her house was the first one in the area to be started and that it was now the last one to be completed. Community Liaison Officer, Mis-

Transit Camp resident, Funiwe Stamper, stands at a window without a window-pane. She said her RDP house was the first one to be started, but it remains uncompleted. Photo: Thembani Onceya

ile Mentyisi, put the blame on government officials. They dont give are solid reasons for the project to be not completed at this point of time, said Mentyisi. He said the contractors were beginning a house and going on to another one without even completing the first one. Theres no 100% house here in Transit and that may be the fault of the department and his inspectors, said Mentyisi. He also claimed that the department employed people on the street who had never been trained to build a house. The project steering committee chairperson, Andile Simemo, said that the project was supposed to be completed in one-year project, but had instead been dragged out over several. The foundation in my house is not yet been approved and it looks like it never will be, said Simemo. He said the project should have been completed on 28 March, but it seemed there was a lot still to be done it. At the time of print, the Department of Human Settlements Communication Officer, Lwandile Sicwetsha, told Grocotts Mail that he would answer questions when he was ready.

Convict to choirmaster, rapist to singer

PUBLIC NOTICE
The Municipality recently experienced technical and electrical problems with the pumps and motors at James Kleinhans Water Treatment plant. Due to bad weather conditions (thunder and lightning) on 25 March 2012, Municipal water supply was interrupted because of burnt electrical cables. This resulted in Bothas Hill reservoir, which supplies Grahamstown East, experiencing very low water levels thus disrupting the supply of water to most areas. Electricity was restored on 26 March 2012 and the operation was resumed. Water supply started returning to normal thereafter, with high lying areas receiving water at a later stage. The challenge that delays water availability after the problem has been corrected is that it takes a while for the reservoir to reach a level where there is sufficient pressure for water to travel to high lying areas. For all areas to have water restored, the water level in the reservoir should be at approximately 60%. We have also found out that there was dereliction of duty on the part of one of the operators which resulted in water outages on 3-4 April 2012. The matter has received serious attention and disciplinary processes are underway to deal with any unprofessional conduct. We have also experienced interruptions in the supply of water to the Grahamstown West areas which rely mostly on the Waainek Water Treatment Works plant. After finding no fault at the plant we undertook a physical inspection of the valves, it emerged that some of the valves had been tampered with. The matter is currently under investigation. In trying to curb similar occurrences in the future, the Municipality is going to intensify supervision of staff and closely monitor the plants. Dereliction of duty or negligence will not be tolerated and strict action will be taken against culprits. We have also resuscitated the telemetry system which will assist us to detect problems early so as to take appropriate action swiftly. Lastly the Municipality will load all the water connections and valves on the Geographic Information System which will lead to the exact cause of any water interruptions. During the water outages we tried to cart water to all the affected areas and filled the water tanks strategically positioned for public consumption. We advise residents to report any water related problems to the 24-hour number 046 603 6000. On behalf the Municipality, I wish to extend sincere apologies to the residents of Makana for the inconvenience caused and thank them for their patience and understanding. Ms. N.L. Baart Municipal Manager
Norman Plaatjie shows off the ink down his arms, although he insists the tattoos from his gang days are no longer meaningful to him. Photo: Jonathan Jones

Chelsea Geach

c.geach@grocotts.co.za

ts not every day that someone turns their life around for the better. In fact, redemption stories have, thanks to Hollywood, become clichd and unbelievable. But in Xolani, just a few minutes outside of central Grahamstown, one ex-convict has really tuned out his transgressions and crooned his way beyond a life of crime. Meet Norman Plaatjie: a father, a singer, a convicted rapist. He spent seven years in prison, from 1999 to May 2006, and emerged from his cell the leader of a gospel choir now bringing music and worship to the streets of Grahamstown. He was born here, in the same Xolani house he still frequents to visit his mother and 16-year-old daughter. In 1985, when riots and vandalism made schooling here impossible, Norman left to complete Grade 7 in the Ciskei, then returned for Grade 8 at Nombulelo. This was as far as his school career went. I left because of peer pressure at the time, he says. The guys were drinking, smoking, eve-

rything theres no time for school. Norman isnt shy about claiming his title as a gangster, both inside and out the penitentiary walls. But there is one thing he wishes he had learnt back in school: the consequences of a life of crime. If I had met someone before who had been to prison and told me what it was like, I would not have gone to prison, he says. This is the reason for Normans dedication to telling young people that prison is not right. While he was still serving time, he went in prison overalls to speak at drug and crime awareness campaigns at schools around Grahamstown. Now that he is free, he continues spreading the word with his choir group. Although according to this excon, prison isnt always as bad as its cracked up to be. Prison now is a place of safety, it is not the prison of the past ages, says. Today in prison you can learn, go to school, do Bible studies. Those who are there, they can rehabilitate themselves. It was at the prison Bible studies groups that Norman began to feel the change. When I was outside, I didnt even attend churches, he

says, telling the story of how he first became part of the Salvation Army ministry. But when I was in prison I sat down and thought, let me go there, let me join these guys. Norman knew that preaching was not for him, and was drawn instead into the music of ministry. He had always enjoyed singing at funerals and community events, and had performed as a spoken-word poet before, but began taking singing seriously in his second year of prison time. When Im singing I can feel it in my heart, he says, with his hand and gold-bangled wrist beating his chest. This is not the same man. And so was born Amagugu Amatsha, an ensemble of men, some ex-convicts and some completely without police records, all dedicated to gospel music and keeping young people out of prison. Norman describes the sound of the choir as being just like Ladysmith Black Mambazo. They are even recording artists in 2008, the group went to Johannesburg to record their first album. It sold every copy that was produced. The choir began with four men, all friends of Normans from prison.

They wanted to use skills they had learnt inside jail to kickstart their lives outside, and also to show people what they had achieved while locked away from society. Of the original quartet, three are still singing. The other one grew frustrated with life on the quiet side of the law, and is now back in prison. Its quite a change of pace, Norman explains, going from the life of a gangster to a choir singer. The men are attracted to the risk and the money and the reputation that can come with a life in the gangs. This is the reason for the tattoos that adorn his arms. When you got a tattoo like this, you are the brave, he says, recalling the pain and street cred that came with his many inkings. He insists, however, that his gang and tattoo days are behind him, and that the images on his skin are marks of his past that bear no importance for his future. These stories will always be there though the stories behind the words on his forearm that say Sorry Mom. I was there, and nothing can change that, Norman finished. You cannot change the past but you can help change the future.

Features 5 Rolling out meals for the needy Letter to an RU graduate Convict to I choirmaster
Grocotts Mail Friday, 13 April 2012

13 April 2012

GRADUATION

17

munity service has now shifted its a subsidy from social development, focus to include other vulnerable allowing them to sell meals to m.vanzyl@grocotts.co.za people. pensioners for R10-R12 each. At Making it all happen is Gaelyn a cost of R27 each to make, Meals t may not all be champagne and on Wheels can supply 30-40 meals caviar dreams, but the Graham- Grigg, who has been managing the stown Meals on Wheels Com- branch for almost a year. Nomkhi- every twice weekly. All staff receive tha Xamyimpi and Nancy Kate have a small salary. munity Services branch has made Besides their bi-weekly food deand delivered cooked meals to vul- run the kitchen duties since 2002 and 1998 respectively. liveries, this community service is nerable citizens twice a week since The organisation occupies the currently involved in the recently 1992. premises at the Hayton Complex developed Sandwich Project that In July, Pick n Pay collected a full ministry. But when I was in prison I sat down C HELSEA EACH Senior Citizens Centre in Hill Street. delivers sandwiches to needy school trolley ofGnonperishable groceries Their menu offers and favourites likelet me children. thought, go there, let me join these for the organisation, including a beef stew their with spinach and potato Around 27 sandwiches are delivstaggering 52.6kg ofday dry that foodstuffs guys. ts not every someone turns and battered fish with mash. Meals ered to preaching the Seventh-day suchlife as samp, pap, beans rice.In fact, Norman knew that was Adventist not for around for the and better. redempare complemented with simple des- Combined School in Joza, where this This has improved the organisations him, and was drawn instead into the music tion stories have, thanks to Hollywood, serts like banana bread and peaches group of children has been identified stocks for the moment and keeps always needy. enjoyed singing at become clichd and unbelievable. But in of ministry. He had with custard. as especially quality meals rolling out. funerals Xolani, just a few minutesthe outsideOnce of central the meals are packed,and Katecommunity events, and had perEvery Tuesday and Thursday and Xamyimpi turns delivering as a spoken-word poet before, but bekitchen crew gather before 8am to has Grahamstown, one ex-convict really tunedtake formed meals drivers gan Willie Erasmus To contact Griggs about funding fire up the stove and put together a taking singing seriously in his second year out his transgressions and crooned his with way beand Bettie Smailes. of prison time. When or donations call 046I 622 healthy Once known as Meals Im singing can9530 feel or it yond a meal. life of crime. The Grahamstown branch gets 072 686 0524. on Wheels for the Aged, the com-

Melanie Van Zyl

Donkeys lose in cart rivalries

Meet Norman Plaatjie: a father, a singer, in my heart, he says, with his hand and golda convicted rapist. He spent seven years in bangled wrist beating his chest. This is not prison, from 1999 to May 2006, and emerged the same man. Left: Nancy Kate, Nomkhitha Xamyimpi and Bettie Smailes And so was born Amagugu Amatsha, an from his cell the leader of a gospel choir now dish up a chicken dinner ensemble of men, some ex-convicts and some bringing music and worship to the streets of complete with butternut and completely without police records, Grahamstown. mushroom sauce. all dedicatand keeping people He was born here, in the same Xolani ed to gospel music Right: Pick n Payyoung branch manhouse he still frequents to visit his mother and out of prison. ager Werner Pienaar helps the Norman describes the sound team of the choir 16-year-old daughter. Along with three brothMeals on Wheels offload the trolley full of donations Ladysmith Black Mambazo. ers and one sister, he grew up and attended as being just like by the store into the recording artists in 2008, school in Tantyi Lower. In 1985, when riots and They are even collected 17 year old bakto Johannesburg to record vandalism made schooling here impossible, the group went organisations kie the every Peppergrove center. It in sold copy that was Norman left to complete Grade 7 in the Ciskei, their first album. Photos: Melanie Van Zyl produced. then returned for Grade 8 at Nombulelo. The choir began with four men, all friends This was as far as his school career went. I left because of peer pressure at the time, he of Normans from prison. They wanted to use says. The guys were drinking, smoking, eve- the skills they had learnt inside jail to kickstart rything theres no time for school. Norman their lives outside, and also to show people isnt shy about claiming his title as a gangster, what they had achieved while locked away from society. Of the original quartet, three are both inside and out the penitentiary walls. But there is one thing he wishes he had still singing. The other one grew frustrated learnt back in school: the consequences of a with life on the quiet side of the law, and is now life of crime. If I had met someone before who back in prison. Its quite a change of pace, Norman exhad been to prison and told me what it was like, plains, going from the life of a gangster to a I would not have gone to prison, he says. This is the reason for Normans dedica- choir singer. The men are attracted to the risk tion to telling young people that prison is not and the money and the reputation that can right. While he was still serving time, he went come with a life in the gangs. This is the reain prison overalls to speak at drug and crime son for the tattoos that adorn his arms. When awareness campaigns at schools around Gra- you got a tattoo like this, you are the brave, he hamstown. Now that he is free, he continues says, recalling the pain and street cred that came with his many inkings. spreading the word with his choir group. He insists, however, that his gang and tatAlthough according to this exand neglect. Unfortunately, Tiye believes there Felix Bodenstein con, prison isnt always as too days are behind him, and that the images She suspects that this abuse may is little that can be done to prevent f.bodenstein@grocotts.co.za on his skin are of hisof past bear bad as its cracked up be marks symptomatic the that widespread these crimes. When they cant find no importance for his future. The stoto be. Prison now is a donkey, they just take any donkey, theft that the donkeys are subjected Early every morning, Patrick Tiye ries will to, always there though the a place of safety, it ishimself for he said. Another cart owner named sayingbe cart owners dont respect gets up and prepares donkeys they dont own.permaPeople stories behind a handgun not the prison of the work. Hes an entrepreneur, a busi- Siya, who declined to give his surtakepainted donkeys, on then they abuse them name, said donkeys are stolen withnently nessman, and the first thing he his right shoulpast ages, says. such regularity that they are practi- and whip them, she said. must always do is make sure that der, or the words on his forearm Today in prison The donkeys caught in resideneverything he needs for his enter- cally in public circulation. say Sorry Mom. impounded you can learn, go tial areas are routinely One of the reasons for the wide-that prise is in working order. But some to school, do Bible I was there, and nothing can by the municipality and taken to spread theft, according to Siya, is of his business assets have a mind studies. Those who change that, They he says. canthe SPCA. took You my donkeys because donkey owners dont have of their own. yesterday, so I must pay a fine get proper facilities to keep and look Tiye is one of about 70 donkey are there, they can renot change the past but youto can them back, Siya said. after the animals. Instead, they are cart ownersthemselves. in Grahamstown who habilitate help change He showed this reporter a ticket isface It obstacles like keeping his don- allowed to roam the streets, often was at the prison the fusued by the SPCA indicating a R300 keys from wandering off in the night, wandering off into the suburbs and Bible studies groups that ture. fine for the impounding of two donposing a danger to motorists and or being stolen by competitors. began tohefeel Norman keys. Its a problem, he said. When endangering themselves. Like many others, uses the his change. When I was firewood outside, I According to municipal laws, the SPCA takes them, people will cart to collect and deliver donkeys cannot be branded, mak- steal another donkey for their cart. and timber for attend the construction of didnt even churches, The carts typically charge between ing it difficult to manage their ownfences and telling houses in Grahamstown he says, the story of R30 and R60 for a delivery of wood ership. East. of the biggest challenges how One he first became part Grahamstown Sheriff and chair- and only manage to make one delivhe faces is the consistent theft of his of the Salvation Army ery in a day. Siya said he cant afford person of the Makana and Ndlambe donkeys. Every week they steal my
donkeys, he told Grocotts Mail. Rival donkey owners, personal enemies, pranksters and even organised donkey cart gangs have been accused of orchestrating the pervasive donkey theft. Donkey Equine Livestock Association (MaNDELA) Annerie Wolmarans has fought for the protection of donkeys for many years. She said most of Grahamstowns donkeys are routinely abused, suffering beatings

DEAR Graduate, Today is a wonderful day, no? Its not too long ago when you were a wide-eyed teenager with braces, tagging behind your parents as you were guided around the Rhodes campus during O-Week. You clung to your parents as they prepared to drive away and leave you on your own for the rst time in your life. Remember how welldressed you were in the rst few weeks of Term 1 in rst year? You were not alone, as every rst years Sunday best is often what you wore to class. That is until you all discovered that you could wear pyjamas to class, and to Pick n Pay. You cared what people said about you. If you had a dawnie for the uninitiated, its a lecture that starts around 7am the PJs were not coming off. Remember the rst night without your parents around? When you could not believe you could go out and stay out? True, the Wardens warned you that drinking wasnt too good. But what did the middle-aged you-know-who know about life? They all had a great future behind them. Plus you had a date at the Rat & Parrot and its New Street cousins. There was SWOT week, when you did most of your studying; there was DC++ where you got your favourite series for free; there was some sports never mind which, since you were never good at any. There

Sim Kyazze

was that boyfriend (or girlfriend) whom you could not wait to ditch as soon as youd found your feet; and the dodgy hookup that gave you crabs after a drunken night out. There was that digsmate in third year who just never showered! That was your life at Rhodes. One year turned into two years; which turned into three years; and four years; and now. You survived it all, and today is the crowning. The good news is that school is over. But thats also the bad news. Ideally, you should not be getting any more credit from the Bank of Mom and Dad, and should instead compete with the rest of us for the attention of Standard Bank Co. You will soon learn to keep an eye on the Reserve Bank and its prime lending rate. You should be trying to get a job too. Or if youre lucky (or connected), you will be jetting off to one of two places: South Korea (to teach English), or Europe (to wash dishes). The Korea story is good nancially and Id encourage it since you can apparently pay off all your student loans from a single year in Seoul. I know

you might much prefer to do dishes, wait tables, or look after little children in Berlin or Madrid. Trouble is that every young person in the EU has already thought of the same thing. Oh, and those guys are local which puts you at a distinct disadvantage. For once, everyone will know that you are from Africa! But go on; there is no harm in trying. My own unsolicited view is that I would not wash dishes, or look after a snivelling two-year old just so I can save airfare to Thailand. But thats just me. Of course you can always stay in SA and get the kind of job for which youve just qualied. I am aware of the complications related to that these days. It helps to be black; a woman; or disabled. In fact, the perfect job-seeker today appears to be a one-legged African woman with a degree in Computer Science. You might not be any of those things, but there are million other jobs. In fact, SAs biggest problem with its young people is how little they are interested in actual work. Put it a different way: your parents should be disappointed in you if you are happier ipping burgers in Piccadilly Circus, than working for Eskom. If they are proud of you for this, tell your parents I am disappointed in them. * Sim is not concernd that he never contributed a cent to your education.

Recognising that diversity is important in achieving excellence, Rhodes University especially encourages South African members of designated groups to apply

SUPPORT
Caterer: Residential Operations
Purpose: The successful candidate will be responsible for the day to day running of a kitchen particularly with regards to the supervision of staff and the implementation of catering procedures and standards to ensure high quality service delivery. Requirements: Relevant diploma (1 year) with four years relevant experience OR Matric with five years relevant experience, Maths/Maths literacy at Matric level and two years supervisory experience.

to free his donkeys. Wolmarans organises a monthly Donkey Clinic that offers free medical services for the animals. Services include treatment of wounds, hoof care and de-worming medicine. Donkey carts are a common feature of Grahamstowns streets. One owner says he cant afford to free his donkeys, but the animals are stolen with such regularity that they are practically in public circulation. Photo: Felix Bodenstein

Secretary (part time): English and Linguistics

Purpose: To provide an administrative and secretarial service for the department and specifically the Professional Communication course. This includes support to the staff of the department, the students of the department and other individuals/groups requiring the services/products of the department and the course in particular. Requirements: Grade 12 with a secretarial/administrative diploma or certificate with 1 years relevant work experience OR Grade 12 with 2 years relevant work experience.

Workshop Assistant (2 Year Contract): Fine Art

Purpose: To support the Principal Technical Officer by overseeing the use of maintenance and control of the departmental mechanical and woodworking workshop. To control specialised tools and mechanical equipment and assist students with technical processes and procedures within the facility, showing students how to work with machines and how to conduct themselves in the workshop. Regulate, check and supervise Health, Safety and Security imperatives in the facility. Support departmental PTO when necessary in complex fabrication and exhibition installation. Requirements: Grade 12 with 3 years relevant experience OR Grade 10 with 5 years relevant experience.

BRANDED FOR LIFE?... Norman Plaatjie shows off the ink down his arms, although he insists the tattoos from his gang days are no longer meaningful to him. Photo: Jonathan Jones

Closing date: 12:00 on Monday 23 April 2012. For application forms and full requirements, go to:

www.ru.ac.za/jobs
www.humanjobs.co.za Human Communications (Cape)94331E

www.grocotts.co.za

6 Opinion & Letters

Living with crime
A regular reader of Grocotts Mail phoned in yesterday morning to complain that he had been mugged twice within a space of twenty yards. He said this was not terribly unusual, because he got mugged almost every time he went out on to the streets. As an elderly gentleman, he is clearly an easy target and the muggers wait for him, just as hyenas in the bush wait for their prey to go to the river. We should be shocked that a resident of this town has lost count of the number times he has been mugged on our streets. In a normal society, if a person is mugged once, the police would rally around him, arrest the criminals and make sure that it didnt happen a second time. The police chief should personally ensure the safety of our senior citizens. Apparently the several hundred policemen in this town do not see crime-prevention as part of their duties. If you doubt this statement, then walk down High Street at the end of the month it becomes a muggers paradise. You will see long queues of people lining up outside banks to receive their pensions. Bands of muggers happily walk up and down the lines, choosing who they are going to rob next, because this is when they collect their monthly income and when police avoid the area like the plague. It is shocking that the gentleman in question feels he has to phone the local newspaper to talk about being victimised. Why can he not talk to the police about the perpetual crime in Grahamstown? We are also acutely aware of the absurdly high number of burglaries and attacks that occur every day in private residences. Windows and doors are bashed in, hands come through the windows and people are beaten in their own houses. Criminals routinely attack students to steal their phones and other electronic gadgets. Crime is rampant in Grahamstown. This week another reader suggested that because Grocotts Mail does not publish the extent of the crime wave that is dragging this town down, this newspaper is somehow complicit in the general lawlessness. The fact is we get pitifully little information from the police force and when we do manage to track down our own sources, the police bully victims into withholding information. The comments above are a serious indictment on the local police force. If, however any of the facts above are untrue, Grocotts Mail will be happy to publish the police chief s rebuttal.

Letters

Beyond call of duty in water crisis

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Eddie Norton and Luthando for their excellent service and assistance in our recent water crisis in the Oatlands North area. They personally came to check if the water supply had returned after five days of no water. The initially poor response of the water department to our enquiries was very frustrating, and it was a relief to have people like this coming on board to solve this problem, even if Eddie is retired. Just a pity the Makana Municipality cant replace the retired staff with competent staff so that these ongoing water problems come to an end. We, after all, pay high rates for this bad service, which is unacceptable. We called on many occasions to find out progress in the repairs with hardly any answers as to the cause or when the water supply would be restored. Once this was fixed, they personally came to make sure we were indeed getting the supply of water and at the required pressure. This was really going beyond the call of duty and we are most grateful for their assistance. Thanks, guys. Oatlands North resident

Bedouin article reflect both sides of the story

I find myself wondering what Mr Wesselss real agenda is? To give a fair comment would involve putting across both sides of the story, not merely extract snippets from a report that support your argument. Why did he not include The plan would involve transplanting about 40 percent of the 71 000 Bedouin residents in the unrecognized locales. The relocated Bedouin would receive both monetary compensation and alternate land. And perhaps About 191 000 Bedouin currently live in the Negev, including about 120 000 in recognized communities, the largest of which is Rahat. Another 71 000 live in unrecognized locales. Data from the Prime Ministers Office shows that Bedouin claim ownership of 640 000 dunams of land. (A dunam is about a quarter acre ). Unrecognized Bedouin settlements constitute 2.7 percent of the area of the Negev. These quotes are direct from the website copy of the newspaper http:// www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/netanyahu-s-officepromoting-plan-to-relocate-30-000-bedouin-1.365409) In terms of Mr Wesselss reasoning, it could be said that our present government is guilty of gross racial discrimination when it insists on moving squatters from unsafe or unserviced locales to areas where the residents can be better cared for. I am still trying find anywhere in the quoted report that states or even hints at systematic cleansing of Bedouins. I am not the one hiding behind distortions, and only use a pseudonym because I have previously been subject to a disciplinary hearing by my employers for a letter written to Grocotts that they felt had a detrimental effect on their business. Still not so blonde

No action over water

For some time, about two weeks before Easter already, the water meter outside my house at 13 Hilda Mentoor Close, in Vergenoeg, has been leaking water on to the street. There is a huge amount of water going to waste, running down the road going nowhere. I have complained to the municipality over 13 times now. Every time I come into town I lodge a formal complaint. A few municipal employees have come and fiddled at the meter, but have done nothing. They preach to us about preserving water and yet they allow this to happen. Gary van Heerden

Good job Bafo

Terrence Bafo, thanks for your help three weeks ago and also for your visibility, as you are the most (often-)seen traffic officer around town. Some people say you are a pain in the butt, but I think they are wrong. Keep up the good work. I hope the others can do the same. Keith

Open your eyes to other Middle East Abuses

What is it about the State of Israel that sends humanitarians such as Paul Wessels through the roof and blinds them to the real humanitarian oppression that afflicts the whole Middle East? (Not-so blond really? Grocotts Mail 5 April 2012) The Syrian army is indiscriminately bombarding the residents of Homs killing thousands, if not tens of thousands of people and that does not bother Mr Wessels and his fellow anti Israelis at all. The most oppressed people in the region are the Kurds and their plight gets nary a mention from those who lambaste Israel on humanitarian grounds. Since the fall of the Mubarak regime in Egypt the Coptic Christian minority in that country has come under sustained and violent attack and there is no mention of them. So, too, the people of the Darfur region of Sudan received no succour from those who complain of the Ethnic Cleansing of the Bedouins from the Negev while they were being ethnically cleansed. Recently Al Jazeera screened a programme of refugees crossing the Sinai in an attempt to flee to Israel, and being kidnapped and murdered by Bedouin gangs for their body parts. If Israel is so bad, why are poor, desperate people

Contact us: Email: letters@grocotts.co.za or: editor@grocotts.co.za Sms: 082 049 2146 Fax: 046 622 7282 Snail-mail: The Editor, PO Box 103, Grahamstown 6140

trying to flee to the country, and why are Israels critics so silent about their plight? While people protest against the apartheid wall in Israel they remain silent on the nearby wall that straddles Cyprus. They are very quick to accuse Israel of being racist and yet they remained silent when the head of Hezbollah publicly stated, What a pity that not all Jews live in Israel. That way we could kill them in one blow instead of going after them one by one. Where have the Jews heard that kind of language before? Perhaps that is why they built that wall. It is good that Mr Wessels quotes Haaretz. Can he name another country in the area which has a newspaper that has been a legal and above-board critic of the policies of its government for so long? Of course he cant, for despite its faults, the entity he hates so much happens to be the oldest democracy in the Middle East. For decades it was the only country in the region where Muslim women had the right to vote. Israels critics remain silent on that point as well. The anti-Israel crowd can protest against the policies of the Israeli government all they like, but until they are equally vociferous about the other, greater, incidents of human rights abuses in the Middle East, their complaints will ring hollow in this gentiles ears. However I suspect that it is not Israels policies, but its existence, that causes them so much anguish. Seriola Lalandi

Bakery support
On Wednesday 4 April 2012 I was in a hot cross bun (blind-tasting test) with Grocotts and I am sorry I did not vote for Oatlands Bakerys hot cross buns. My sincere apologies to Oatlands Bakery. Mr Stevens means such a great deal, because of his ongoing generous donations received from him whenever I need some, like for the Red Cross and Donkey Carnival Events. I also want to thank the Makana Municipality Parks Department, Mr Kevin Bates, for letting the egrets stay longer in the trees in High Street, for them to be able to grow in full and stretch their wings and fly away in peace. Annerie Wolmarans

Text-speak: Send your sms to 082 049 2146

Established 1870 South Africas Oldest Independent Newspaper Incorporating The Grahamstown Journal (1831 1920) Vol. 143 No. 29 Published by the David Rabkin Project for Experiential Journalism (Pty) Ltd, 40 High Street, Grahamstown, 6139 Telephone: 046 622 7222 Fax: 046 622 7282/3 Website: www.grocotts.co.za Printed by Paarlcoldset

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Grocotts Mail is published by the David Rabkin Project for Experiential Journalism, a company wholly owned by Rhodes University. The contents of this newspaper do not necessarily represent the views of either body.

It is my privileged duty to thank Mr Eddy Norton and Mr Luthando for the exceptional service they offered me during the week-long water outage I had... they explained to me in full what the problem was... Luthando, you and Eddie Norton are my heroes. >>>>> Before they suspend Ms Baart, the council must tell us who were the ghosts paid in the finance department. At finance they chased away Ms Dlulane because they were afraid that she is going 2 come up with something. Ms Baart do not go out alone - check for all the info. They will see what are politics. >>>>> Where are the staff members at FNB in High street? I see only one

teller every day (Ayanda). Shes their hard worker. Keep it up, Ayanda, you work hard sisi, every time I come to FNB I see you helping lots of people at this bank. >>>>> Its just water problems and potholes around town and the problem is getting worse every day - but the money we have to pay for these services is on the increase. My whole holiday was disrupted by water outages, my cars wheels get so many knocks from potholes and the muni just seems to feel nothing. Something needs to be done. >>>>>> Is it not ironical that a party such as the DA who professes the fit for purpose philosophy, now is quite happy with the incompetence of

Baart and her producing three consecutive audit disclaimers, numerous legal actions against the municipality and a dysfunctional administration. Has cllr reynolds lost the plot? Is the DA now satisfied with mediocrity and maladministration, mismanagement and nepotism of the worst order? >>>>>> Another sports shop! For goodness sake there are already 2 in town (ALBANY & BIRCHS). >>>>> Two vacant premises in High Street (CNA & Dunns). maybe we will get another Pep Stores and pizza place? >>>>> I would like to commend the Makana Municipality on their incompetence.

Can they not become more useless? Maybe the solution lies in employing competent people and not all your useless friends. I am 7 days without water going on 8, and the muni does not answer their phones! Keep up the incompetence! >>>>> Police service stinks in this town. When a break-in happened over the weekend, phoning the police and finding emergency call operators laughing at you over the phone is enough to make your blood boil. And then to get the phone banged down in your ear. Mr Govender you must start acting against these members cause not even the major in charge could discipline the member. She refused to come out of the radio room. Who can the public turn to if the police have attitudes like these?

Code of Conduct

Grocotts Mail subscribes to the Press Councils Code of Conduct, which obliges us to report the news truthfully, accurately and fairly (www.presscouncil.org.za). If you think we are not living up to this, your first step is to contact the Editor. If you are still dissatisfied, we encourage you to contact the Press Ombudsman at 011 484 3612/8 or pressombudsman@ombudsman.org.za

Environment
Stephen Penney
s.penny@grocotts.co.za The bi-annual Sasol Solar Challenge which runs from 18 to 29 September will pass through Port Alfred on Monday 24 September. The two-week-long solar challenge starts in Pretoria on 18 September and, spanning 5 400km, crosses to Cape Town, Oudtshoorn and East London (via Port Alfred) before finally heading back north to Pretoria. The Challenge will see four contestants participating, namely, Tokai University, Shinozuka, University of Kwazulu Natal and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. In the longest single stretch, the vehicles leave Oudtshoorn on 24 September for a sleepover in East London, with a 30-minute stop in Port Elizabeth. According to race organiser, Winstone Jordaan, the first vehicle is expected to pass through Port Alfred around 1pm and the last around 4pm. Held under the auspices of Federation Internationale de Iautomobile (FIA), teams design and build their own vehicles in an exercise aimed at educating people in the arena of science, environmental consciousness, innovation, teamwork and business principles. The Eastern Cape wishes the Nelson Mandela Metroploitan University the best of luck.

Grocotts Mail Friday, 13 April 2012

13 April 2012

Money behind the m

THOBANI MESANI

Port Alfred race checkpoint in Sasol Solar Challenge

Team NMMU, alongside their solar powered car, is set to participate in the Solar Challenge later this month. Photo: Supplied

Bringing home the message of recycling Greenthumb Umthathi

Adriana de Kock and Maricelle Gouws
Pressure is being put on local authorities to act fast with regards to problems associated with landfill sites. Mark Price, of Integrated Waste and Recycling Services (IWARS) in Grahamstown, discusses the importance of proper recycling and landfill management. IWARS is a Grahamstown- based specialist waste company, established in 2008, which aims to create environmental solutions for the sustainable future of South Africa. Its programmes incorporate education, awareness programmes, skills development and correct implementation of collection and separation methods. Price explains the two-bag system of recycling used in Grahamstown. It is so important to separate your waste for improved safety and efficient recyclability, Price said. According to this system, residents place recyclable waste in orange or clear bags and the rest of their waste in black refuse bags. Recyclable materials include paper, grey paper, cardboard, contaminated plastic, bottles, carrier bags, cans, metal and tins. It is important to empty any containers and check that materials are dry before placing them into an orange bag. IWARS, however, does not currently recycle glass. We do not take glass. We need to know that when a worker opens up an orange bag, they are not going to cut themselves, Price said. Price says that plastic is a valuable recyclable because it can produce polytimber, an innovative multipurpose recycled plastic product used to make benches, chairs and decking. After Prices recent talk about the importance of recycling, a demonstration was held at the local landfill, showing how polytimber is produced. He said it takes 1 800 plastic two-litre water bottles to construct a standard bench. By using the two-bag system, workers can identify the recyclables easily and efficiently. Addressing a commonly expressed concern, Price said residents should not fear when different coloured bags were thrown together on to the municipal rubbish truck. When the workers see an orange bag on the landfill they can quickly remove it and start sorting it. It really helps, he said. However, if Grahamstown residents are concerned about where their waste goes, they can drop their orange bags at various spots on Wednesdays on the Rhodes University campus. These spots are indicated by maps available at several points on campus. Price could not stress enough the positive effects of proper recycling on towns. He said his companys operations had had a great impact on Kenton-on-Seas Blue-Flag status and on Port Alfred being named the cleanest town of the year. Price aims to get Grahamstown up to the same standards, while creating jobs and helping create a sustainable environment.

project garden success

Cheap bricks prompt beach theft

Three men shovel beach sand into a lorry bound for a brick factory. Photo: Sam Schramski

applications from community Week, Pam Golding Properties in groups for plots to grow vegetables Grahamstown planted a wild olive tree in the Umthathi Training Pro- at Linomtha. Dyira is hopeful that within the next six months the enjects Linomtha community garden. tire area will be under cultivation. Recognising the importance of The produce from these gardens Umthathis many efforts to improve will help to improve the food sethe lives of local communities, the tree is an addition to one of the pro- curity of local communities, Dyira said, and in the process enables the jects many gardens. gardeners to generate some income. Custodian of Umthathi, Lawrence Sisitka said they intend to hold Sisitka explained that the commuregular markets where Umthathi nity garden is on land leased from Makana as part of the municipal- and the community gardeners will have the opportunity to sell their itys drive to improve conditions for produce to local consumers. local communities, and has been Another upcoming event that many years in the making. township gardeners can look forward Sisitka said the project has features including an area devoted to dem- to is this years flower festival in early onstration gardens in which vegeta- October. Entries for the Township Gardens section of the festivals Garbles are cultivated by the Umthathi dens of Grahamstown competition staff, and a larger area dedicated as an indigenous plant centre where lo- are open until Friday 21 September. Entry forms for this category are cal indigenous plants are propagated, available from Umthathi Training grown and sold. Project at 23 Xhora Street in ExtenThe largest area is devoted to the cultivation of vegetables for self- sion 7. sufficiency and sale by local community groups and individuals, he For questions about the Gardens explained. These community of Grahamstown competition and ARTS CHAMPIONS... Tony garLankester, National Arts Festival CEO, says wit deners are trained and supported in the Linomtha gardening project the festival would not survive. Photo: Carla Fuller sustainable vegetable production by contact Dyira at 046 637 0012.

neration they receive is th come for the whole year. Lankester says the THE National Arts Festival going for its 38th year this winter has proved its sustainability ment with artists who a and has grown to be one of the leading arts fes- gramme as to how muc so they have a guaran tivals in southern Africa. The festivals stated objectives are to deliv- fected by their produc er excellence, encourage innovation and devel- Artists on the Fringe do n opment in the arts by providing a platform for receive a stipend and 80% both established and emerging South African Ten percent goes to the artists; to create opportunities for collabora- overhead fee and the rest tion with international artists and build new as commission on ticket s Lankester stresses th audiences. Tony Lankester, National Arts Festival sors the Festival isnt sust And thats not uniq CEO, says all of this would not be possible if it werent for sponsors, who play a crucial Every festival in the worl role when it comes to funding the event. The Lankester said. He said a festivals total revenue is around R27 million, ranged from R60 to R180 Lankester says, and about two-thirds of this sponsorships, tickets wou This means all tickets a comes from sponsors. The majority of the funding from sponsors money received from fund Lankester said about is used for productions and to pay artists on the festivals main programme. The technical funding for this year wa budget is about R4 million this is for techni- were some organisations cians, venue hire, seating arrangements and replied to the festival offic posals. He said this year equipment. The festival office has a policy of trying to finalised on time, unlike la I mean last year we spend as much money as it can in the Eastern Cape, rather than using it on businesses from tion like just before the f outside the province, so the bulk of the equip- was very tricky, said Lan There are various ki ment hired is from Port Elizabeth. The funding generated from sponsors also sors they do not all give Some organisations p helps provide employment opportunities to vice to the festival office Grahamstown residents. The festival office the Umthathi trainers, Sisitka added. Staff Reporter Umthathis community garden media sponsors which g hires about 400 temporary staff during this co-ordinator Siceloadvertising. Dyira invites Doingand their bit70% for National Arbor time for of the hired people the remu-

V
Sam Schramski
s.shramski@grocotts.co.za The men arent searching for gold or diamonds, and this isnt Kimberley or the Witwatersrand. These miners want sand, from the beaches of the Wild Coast. All along this stretch of strand, informal sand miners, acting illegally, work to support a booming artisanal brick making and plaster industry. The practice often pits environmentalists and the hospitality industry against rural communities who view it as a basic building material. Miners like Victor Nkushubane, who live in the Willowvale District of the former Transkei, defy the law twice a week sometimes in their efforts to serve their growing customer base of brickmakers and homeowners. In repeated visits to one stretch of beach known for its accessibility, this reporter encountered several teams shovelling five, seven, and eight-ton trucks full of beach sand. Like many problems of sustainable development in South Africa, the concerns of the poor and unemployed are often pitted against the integrity of the countrys eco- systems. Illegal beach sand is an informal activity that employs a handful for a few days work. But while a truckload only yields R 500 in profit now, larger amounts of sand could be extracted as the demand for construction material increases. According to South African law, any person who mines any mineral (including sand) without a permit is liable to pay a R100 000 fine or face imprisonment for up to two years. In practice, along much of the Wild Coast this has meant that miners may pay a penalty of up to R2500. This sum is often two-and-ahalf times the monthly house- hold income. We only have one legal mine in the Eastern Cape where dune sand is being mined. This is done from a back dune and cannot be classified as beach sand, says Department of Mineral Re sources (DMR) spokesperson Zingaphi Jakuja. All other forms are illegal. On almost every homestead in rural Mbashe, a Wild Coast local municipality, there is a structure that is either being built or modified. The ubiquitous rondavel, the six-side and long house all require bricks and plaster much of them made from beach sand. Mbashe residents like Xolisa Ncobo have been buying beach sand from illicit miners and building their homesteads with it for decades. We need the sand to do anything here everyone uses it, says Ncobo. We are poor here and we cannot buy those fancy red bricks that you have. Indeed, at R1 200 for 10 tons of beach sand, or R750 for eight tons, the most commonly cited prices in discussions with sellers, one can build a moderately sized rondavel. Bernard Mini, a local brickmaker who uses illegal beach sand, notes that factory bricks are much more expensive. People will have to pay two times as much for the red ones, he says, referring to the bricks by their distinctive clay content, but who will do [this]? Only the big men, the rich men. A review of the available options at Transkei establishments confirms this. At Buildrite bricks range between R10.95 and R9.35 in price, whereas artisanal brickmakers charge R5 a brick. A typical rondavel requires 2 500 bricks, most for walls. Many hoteliers remain unconvinced by a pure supply-and-demand economic argument. A businessperson from along the coast, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution from miners, says that mining is out of control. She says the government is the culprit. What the government needs to do, [Department of] Mining, is to control this. Its completely out of hand, she says, citing countless occasions when shes informed authorities about miners, only to be falsely reassured that enforcement was being carried out. Some environmental activists concerned with the Wild Coast go one step further in saying that the beaches are being destroyed for little more than greed, such as environmental activist and long-time Port St Johns resident John Costello. This isnt about development or poverty; these are fallacies perpetrated to allow the continued destruction of our environment. Times have changed: There is no real poverty in the Transkei, he insists. Sand [for construction] could be fairly and legally obtained if people here were more patient and thought about the future, instead of just fetching as much of it as they possibly can. It is that last point that remains.
ONLY RENTALS specialises in rental properties and is looking for a dynamic individual to join their team as MARKETING AND RENTAL MANAGER This is an ideal opportunity for a motivated individual to join this growing business and develop with it. ONLY RENTALS is looking for a self-motivated person with well-developed communication skills (fluent in English). The position involves all aspects of sales, marketing and customer care. Applicants should have excellent interpersonal, organisational and time-management skills and a background in marketing or sales would be advantageous. Working as an integral part of this small team, applicants will be required to be proactive and have an ability to deal with people at all levels. Candidates must be fully conversant with Microsoft Office. An Estate Agents NQF4 qualification would be an advantage. This position is based in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape. A competitive salary and commission structure will be offered to the successful applicant. Please send a covering letter and CV with contact details and at least two contactable referees to helen@onlyrentals.co.za or Only Rentals, P O Box 492, Ght, 6140 Closing date: Monday 23rd April 2012. Telephone 083 294 7709 for queries.
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Grocotts Mail Friday, 13 April

13 April 2012

Theatre at of 2012 festiv Theatre atthe theheart Body Parts We are putting heart of Fest a spotlight on theatre
JOSHUA OATES

APRIL 13 TO APRIL 19
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Joshua Oates
j.oates@grocotts.co.za

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Ismail Mahomed, the National Arts Festival Director, said a number of interesting developments would be taking place at this years Festival. We are putting a spotlight on theatre this year, especially the solo acts, Mahomed told Grocotts Mail in an interview this week, as the Festival launches its 2012 programme. One of these solo acts will be worldrenowned actor and author, PieterDirk Uys. Also in the line-up is is driven by my core research into Contemporary Performance Studies lookout. Steven Cohen, a South African perand Dance History. Mahomed plans the daily pro- sexuality and violence, said Snyman. formance artist who stages intervenIn 2006, Snyman co-founded the gramme, which gets assessed every He said he wanted to create a visually tions in public spaces. Matchbox Theatre Collective with provocative, yet poetic dance work, This year, the Festival will also be morning. Rhodes alumnus Nicola Haskins. I only get to see most of the per- which he hoped would challenge showcasing eight acts from France, The company aims to promote secformances after the Festival, because the dominant ideologies and percepin a collaborative effort. ondary and tertiary theatre educaI get locked in the office, he said, tions that society holds in the 21st Mahomed advises Festivaltion. century. adding: a general rule, I do make are goers to watch Athol Fugards Grocotts Mail and As Van Schaik bookstore having their monthly competition. Snyman and Haskins won a Snyman, 33, said that winning the world premiere of The Blue Iris, as it a point to see as much as possible. To win one of two books offered as prizes, all you need to do is answer this easy question: Standard Bank Gold Ovation Award award meant a lot to him and had Who became President of Southbeen Africa after Thabo Mbeki? at the National Arts Festival last a personal goal for many years. year, for their work, The Anatomy I believe that it provides a great of Weather. These awards recognise opportunity for me to develop and This months prizes are: Eight Days in September by Frank Chikane or The Last Rhinos and celebrate innovation and excelto expose my work to a greater audiby Lawrence Anthony. All correct answers will be put in ence, a hat and the two prizewinners will be drawn from dilence by highlighting original, he said. verse at and cutting edge productions Standard Bank Young the pool. Entries can be emailed to editor@grocotts.co.zaThe or dropped off in an Artenvelope 40 High Street. ist Awards are given every year to from the National Arts Festival each All entries must have a phone number or other daytime contact year. young South African artists on the details. Snyman is also currently working brink of national, and international on a number of projects including acclaim. a proposal for his PhD, which inThe winners of the Standard Bank vestigates the impact of HIV/Aids, Young Artist Awards are given opcrime and the performed body and portunities to represent South Africa on international stages, as well choreographic process.

A change this yea of the Thomas Pring 1820 Settlers Nation ISMAIL Mahomed, the National Arts Fesas develop and present new works Joshua Oates exhibition room tival Director, said a number of interestto audiences from around an the globe. j.oates@grocotts.co.za venue for contempora ing developments would be taking place They are given financial support and a slot in the National Arts Festival Rhodes graduate Bailey Snyman well as at the Standard Bank Young some of the French pe this years Festival. programme, which they can use as a will be a nu groundbreaking dance piece Artist Award winners shows, as brings There We are putting a spotlight on atheaplatform for experimentation. to this years Festival, exploring these form the core of this years formances springing tre this year, especially the solo acts, This award is the reflecsexuality and violence. One of the programme. said Mahomed. These Mahomed told Grocotts Mail in an interA change this year is the conver- five Standard Bank Young Artist tion of many years I have spent expected this week, as Gallery the Festival launches refining my craft as a dancer and and exciting Award winners, Snymans work will sion of view the Thomas Pringle should keep a lookout year, the will also its 2012 programme. One offeature these on solo choreographer. It be is a validation the main This programme of Festival at the 1820 Settlers National Monuthat hard work does and the National Festival from 28 acts ment from room to actor plans showcasing eight from France, in a pay offMahomed acts an willexhibition be world-renowned and au- Arts in South which gets June to 8 July. a performance venue for contemthor, Pieter-Dirk Uys. Also in the line-up is collaborative effort. that the arts community gramme, Africa recognises excellence, Snyon the novelMahomed Moffie by Anporary Steven dance acts and some of the advises Festival-goers to morning. Cohen, a South African Based performman said. dre Carl van der Merwe, the work French performance acts. only get to see m watch Athol Fugards world premiere of RhodesI ance artist who stages interventions in He graduated from Uniaims to challenge perceptions. SnyThere will be a number of street ances after the Festi The Blue Iris , as well as the public springing spaces. up, guerril- man will also showcase versity withStandard a Degree in Drama, a new dance performances locked in the ofce, h Bank Young Artist Award winners shows, Philosophy and Organisational Psywork, Carrying the Fire in September. la-style, said Mahomed. These are then went on to achieve rule, I do ma Audiences at as the these 2012 National likely to be unexpected and excitIsmail Mahomed. a general form the chology. core ofHe this years a Masters Degree in Choreography, expect a work that ing, so Photo: Festival-goers should keep a Arts Festival can programme. Desiree Schirlinger as much as possible.

this year, especially the solo acts,

Riveting reads in Van Schaik book

Eight Days in September Author: Frank Chikane ISBN: 9781770102217

A riveting, behind-the-scenes account of the removal of Thabo Mbeki as President of South Africa, which examines the build-up to events, describes the details of those seven days in September 2008 and explores Mbeki's legacy. Eight days in September refers to the period in September 2008 when Thabo Mbeki was removed from ofce as the President of South Africa. At the time, Frank Chikane was the Secretary of Cabinet and Head (Director-General) of the Presidency and in that capacity he was responsible for managing the transition from Mbeki to Kgalema Motlanthe and then on to Jacob Zuma. He thus had a front row seat to the unfolding drama and was one of very few insiders to be privy to the transition in such a unique way. In July 2010

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The man behind the magic, Tony Lankester, CEO of the National Arts Festival confident about this years sponsors. Photo : Carla Fuller

Sponsorship makes it all possible, Arts Fest CEO

Thobani Mesanit
t.mesanit@grocotts.co.za The National Arts Festival is going for its 38th year this winter. It has proved its sustainability and has grown to be one of the leading arts festivals in southern Africa. The festivals stated objectives are to deliver excellence, encourage innovation and development in the arts by providing a platform for both established and emerging South African artists, it creates opportunities for collaboration with international artists and builds new audiences. Tony Lankester, National Arts Festival CEO, says all of this would not be possible if it werent for sponsors, who play a crucial role when it comes to funding the event. The festivals total revenue is around R27 million, says Lankester , and about two-thirds of this comes from sponsors. 16 Fiendish Book 2 Puzzle The majority of the funding from The solution will be published on sponsors is used for productions Tuesday, 17 April 2012. and to pay artists on the festivals main programme. The technical HOW TO PLAY: in this is budget is about R4 Fill million for grid technicians, venue hire, seating the so that every arrangements and equipment. row, every column and The 3x3 festival office has a policy of every box contains trying to spend as much money as the digits 1 through 9. No it can in the Eastern Cape, rather number can repeatedfrom than using it be on businesses in any row, column outside the province, so or the bulk of the equipment hired is from Port Elizabeth. The funding generated from sponsors also helps provide employment opportunities to Grahamstown residents. The festival office hires about 400 temporary staff during this time and for 70% of the hired people the remuneration they receive is their only source of income for the whole year. Lankester says they have an agreement with artists who are in the main programme as to how much their fees will be, so they have a guaranteed amount, unaffected by their productions ticket sales. Artists on the Fringe do not have set fees, but receive a stipend and 80% of the ticket sales. Ten percent goes to the festival office as an overhead fee and the rest goes to Computicket, as commission on ticket sales. Lankester stresses that without the sponsors the Festival isnt sustainable. And thats not unique to this festival. Every festival in the world operates like that, Lankester said. He said a normal festival ticket ranged from R60 to R180, but if there were no sponsorships, tickets would cost R300 to R600. This means all tickets are subsidised by the money received from funders. Lankester said about 90% of the festivals funding for this year was in
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Chikane published a series of articles with Independent Newspapers that came to be known as the Chikane Files. These form the basis of some of the content of this book (about a quarter of the books total contents), which Chikane says he feels compelled to tell from his perspective in an effort to provide an insiders account of this key historical period.

The Last Rhinos Author: Lawrence Anthony ISBN: 9870283071621

Life on Lawrence Anthonys game reserve, Thula Thula, is rarely dull, what with spitting cobras endangering his rangers and the unpredictable behaviour of his herd of elephants. But at least his orphaned rhino Heidi is calm around people, and a favourite of staff and guests alike. Until she is brutally slaughtered for her horn. Furious and heartsick, Lawrence heads off to track down the poachers, but also embarks on a bid to save the Congos last few northern white rhino from extinction.

The Magic Author: Rh

Peopled with unforgettable characters, from the local witch doctor to eccentric conservationist Brendan and the elephants who have such an extraordinary bond with Lawrence, The Last Rhinos is a sometimes funny, sometimes moving, always gripping read.

Diplomatic efforts are failing, so he takes action himself, ying into a war zone to negotiate with rebels. Will he survive his most dangerous adventure yet, and will Thula Thula survive the drought that threatens the region?

Cry Havoc Author: Si

Hunger G Author: Su

Steve Job Author: W

SABC 1
FRIDAY, 13 APRIL 2012 7am YO.TV Paws & Claws, 12.15pm Imani, 1pm Imizwilili, 2pm Soccer 411, 3pm Laduma - Build Up, 5.30pm Gospel Gold, 6pm Roots, 6.30pm Asikhulume place, but there were some organisa- The Debate Show, tions which had not yet7.30pm replied to News, 8pm ATL, 10pm the festival offices sponsorship proFunky Monkey. posals. He said this years funding

SABC 2

SABC 3

e - TV

M-Net
SUNDAY, 15 APRIL 2012

6am Morning Live, 8am Infomercials, 9.50am Magic Cellar, 10.50am Desperate Housewives, 5pm WWE Smackdown!, 2.30pm 11.00am Isidingo, 1pm Ratanang, 11.50am Nanny Blue Bloods, 6pm Mike & Molly, Silver Wolf, 5.30pm News, 6.30pm The Big Bang 911, 6.30pm 7de Laan, 7.30pm Wipeout, 8.30pm Medical Detectives, 7pm in the world. Theory, 7pm News, 7.30pm 7pm News, 7.30pm Noot Game, 9.30pm eNews, 7.30pm Club 808: The Lying Isidingo: The Need, 8.01pm Vir Noot, 9pm Mmampodi, New York Film Academy Game Ofon Thrones, Make Some Noise, 8.30pm Gossip Girl, 11.10pm Total 9.30pm Powerball, was founded the philosophy of 11.30pm Splice.combined with Ring Fire II:and Blood And learning My friend phoned inOf as me set by doing 10.30pm Athletics Yellow Chelsea Rose Farrelly Dance. up my audition date. had to EFC preSteel, I 10.30pm Africa.the best industry practices. had been finalised on time, unlike Pages SA Senior. c.farrelly@grocotts.co.za

Bailey Snyman 8am and Nicola Haskins Anatomy of Weather 5.10am The Talk, 7pm The eNews Sunrise, 10am rehearse 5am News, 6am Expresso, last years National festival. Wild, 9.30am Hop, 1pm The Mad About Arts You, 11.30am 9.30am Whatfor I Like About Photo: Supplied Talk, 3pm Carte Blanche,4pm 3rd Degree, 1.30pm You, 10.30am Generations,

From DSG to NYC

box.

pare a song and on the way to Plett I have always loved performing, last year. Rage, I flew up to Joburg and peras long as I can remember. From the I mean last year we got some 6am Handy Manny, 7.05am Cool Catz, 6am Ice Castles, 7am YO.TV Crib before Notes, the fes- 5.57am Op Pad, 7am Weekformed in front of a panel of three age of three, my mom used to take confirmation like just Apple soon be welcoming Live, Big 9am Housewill Call, 8.30am Challenge SOS, 8am Thomas & Friends, 8am MasterChef South Africa, 9am which Dance Your Butt Off,tricky, end The judges. me to the ballet. I remember watchtival started was very localWise starUp!, Shaleeni who 10.30am 11am Ranchhod, 10am Victorious, 6pm 9.05amapplicant Sistahood, 12.30pm 10amtheatre, CSI: Miami, 11am Blue 10am Generations, I was the youngest in ing musical enthralled at the said Lankester. leaves for12pm NewMother York tomorrow the group of 600e-Shibobo, people 1.30pm and most It Real, Celebrityto Biographies, The Planet's Bloods, 12pm Theday Celebrity Infomercials, idea that it could one be me up There12.20pm are various kinds of festi- Keeping begin her studies wereThe in their 20s.Funniest Animals, 4pm WWE, there. Apprentice, 1.30pm Professions, 1pm at the New 7pm York News, 7.30pm 1.30pm The Bball val sponsors they do Show, not all give Of All Film Academy. the Of The Traveling..., After performing Michael Bubles, could easily5pm be aTerra reality conmoney. 3pm Laduma: Absa Muvhango, 3pm Late In September, Sisterhood To Dance, Nova, 6pm eNews, 6.05pm Breaking This Got 18-year-old will begin a three-year Feeling Good, she was told Code.., on the that the 10.45pm likes of Steven Some Premiership, organisations provide free Night With Kgomotso, 9.30pm Sport Wrap, 9.35pm 8pm Missing, Mike The Magician's 7pm sidering 7.30pm in Musical Theatre. two others would Philip Seymour legal advice to8pm the Laduma: festival Absa office and 4pmspecialisation License To Wed, The Bang Bangspot Club, that she andeNews, 7.30pm The Showbiz Spielberg, & Molly, 11.35pm LyingHoffman, Game, News, former DSG pupil gushed on be going to New York attend one Glen Close and CSI. Sir Ben Kingsley are there arePremiership, also media sponsors which 7.30pmThe News, 8pm The 11.30pm CSI: Miami. Report,to 8pm Surf's Up, 9.40pm 11.15pm 10.15pm the events thatbrought her this far: of the finest performing arts schools give the festival free advertising. Voice, 11pm Cold Case. The Moment After, 11.30pm among the lecturers. Deliver Us From Eva.
SATURDAY, 14 APRIL 2012 World Combat League.

6.31am 8.30am Y 10am Sp 12pm Da Roots, 2p 3pm Mat 5.30pm G Sunday L 8pm BET 2011, 10

MONDAY, 16 APRIL 2012

6am Kid Affairs, 9 10.30am 1pm Lun 2.30pm 3.20pm The Bold 7.30pm Zone 14,

Art Special

13 April 2012

Mikhael Subotzky: Beaufort West

It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.
Nelson Mandela - For Die Vier Hoeke Pictures by Mikhael Subotzky

(all pics taken from http://www.subotzkystudio.com )

10 Lifestyle

13 April 2012

Strike oil: for the love of olives

Steven Lang
s.lang@grocotts.co.za

Speaking about what his most passionate about,Craig Rippon explains where it all began. Photo:Steven Lang

raig Rippon loves olives. He speaks about them with a passion that lights up his face and inspires visitors to buy armfuls of olive products before they leave his estate near Alicedale. Close to forty people joined the tour of Springvale Olive Estates at precisely 10:30 on Saturday morning at the start of a most enjoyable outing. Rippon led the walking tour of the estate and did not stop talking about the different types of olives and their relative strengths and weaknesses for two hours. First we walked across the main road linking the N2 to Alicedale and then huffed and puffed up the hill to see rows upon rows of neatly aligned olive trees. Rippon has planted just over 7 000 trees of 12 varieties since he started the project in 2000. Most of the time he talked about the Mission olives, and the Manzanillas that this crafty Western Cape farmer surreptitiously slipped in among the Mission

seedlings, but there were also the Kalamatas, the Frantoios and others with exotic names. One of the visitors asked Rippon what was his favourite type of olive a question he was unable to answer because he says he loves whatever is being harvested at the moment. Why olives? After all, the Eastern Cape is not known as an olive producing region. He explained that his family had bought the farm from the Wilmots in 1915 and ever since then his family raised sheep, cattle and even Angora goats. However, he realised that stock farming was becoming more difficult in the area as game farming gained momentum. The game farms allowed for the proliferation of small predators such as jackals that frequently took his lambs. As the predators lived in a conservation area it became increasingly difficult for him to protect his flocks. He said that his grandfather had at one time planted mielies on the farm but baboons helped themselves to his crops too often. Olives, on the other hand, come straight off the trees with an unpalatably bitter taste, so they are hardly stolen by people or animals.

Rippon has six permanent staff members and up to 40 seasonal workers who help him manage and harvest the olives. The groves cover roughly 34 hectares and can produce more than 100 tons of olives in a season. His best year was 2007 when he harvested 115 tons, but the long drought that followed slashed production drastically and he was forced to pump his dams dry just to keep the trees alive. At the end of the tour, visitors were invited to taste the various types of olives produced at the estate, and of course everyone was trying to decide which type to buy and take home. Guests could then have lunch on the patio or a beautiful lawn outside the farmhouse. Lea Davies from a farm in the Adelaide area and Lisa Mickelwright, a teacher at DSG, prepared the platters artistically made up of various types of olives, smoked ham and salami kebabs, cumin seed cheese, olive tapenade and grapes. Clean air, a selection of Mediterranean style treats, a glass of wine and good weather made the outing a massive success for all concerned.

Bathurst book buzz

Mikaila Thurgood
m.thurgood@grocotts.co.za Bathurst was abuzz last Sunday as book-lovers flocked to the small town to enjoy the annual Book-fair. The fair is currently in its 11th year and boasted a seemingly unlimited selection of second-hand books, laid out by a number of Bathurst residents as well as the Lower Albany Historical Society, Sunshine Coast Hospice, a stall in support of St Johns Church Restoration Fund and our local Fables Bookshop. Owner of Fables Bookshop Ian Balchin said he had been here since the fairs beginning and that it was always a worthwhile day out. The fair was held at organiser Peter Mosleys house and attracted a large crowd. It was a fabulous Bookfair, with great weather, lots and lots of books at real bargain prices and super food from Treat of Bathurst, Mosley said. All stalls donated R100 towards the Sunshine Coast Feeding Fund and managed to raise over R2 500 in total both from the Book-fair and a limerick reading at the Bathurst Arms. Mosley organised a limerick competition and had numerous entries. The limericks were judged in two broad categories: under 16 and over 16. The specifications for the limerick were that it should be about Bathurst or Port Alfred and/or relate to people or animals. Rhodes University students Jonathan Stein, Martha Soteriades and Bianca Phillips all thoroughly enjoyed the fair. I think every town should have one of these, Soteriades said. Phillips agreed that it was fantastic and that the variety was diverse. Stein also enjoyed the fair but felt like some books were missing: Its really great. Ive bought seven books already and the prices are very reasonable. Theres lots of popular fiction and great classics but it would be nice to have something in between, he said. Fairgoer Glynis Furniss had a fabulous time: I bought a mixture of books, some of which I have been looking for ,for ages, and I was so surprised to see them here. And the prices are ridiculous! Despite the limerick competition being over, Mosley encourages locals and those from the surrounding areas to keep submitting limericks in order to compile a book of limericks from this years fair. Submission boxes can be found at Bargain Books in Port Alfred, the Pig and Whistle in Bathurst, The Bathurst Arms, the Bathurst library or The Farmers Co-op in Bathurst.

Book-lovers gathered with hopes of finding their favourite books at low costs at the annual book-fair. Photo: Mikaila Thurgood

Chelsea Rose Farrelly

c.farrelly@grocotts.co.za

Exit - Spud

The 2012 Matrics have the great pleasure of graduating at the end of the year with John Spud Milton, South Africas favourite literary schoolboy. The Spud novels were created by South African author, actor, playwright and producer, John van de Ruit. The first instalment debuted in 2005 and was the winner of South Africas Booksellers Choice Award.

The wickedly funny novel by van de Ruit introduces 13-year-old Spud Milton, who is about to start his first year at an elite boys-only boarding school. Armed with only his wits and his diary, Spud takes readers on a rowdy romp full of illegal midnight swims, raging hormones, and catastrophic holidays. Three books later and the final instalment, Spud Exit, Pursued by a Bear finds Spud Milton returning to boarding school for his 1993 Matric year, his last as a schoolboy. Armed with a prefect tie

and a raging libido, Spud soon discovers that being a largish fish in a small pond has its challenges. The final instalment is entertaining and promises fans all the belly laughs and tears That the previous books delivered, only coated with a the bitter-sweetness of knowing that this time when you turn the final page you will bid farewell to all your favourite characters. At the recent launch in Sandton City, Joburg, van de Ruit commented on how he felt about ending the series: It has to end sometime, but as I was writing it and getting to the end I started getting a lump in my throat, saying goodbye not only to Spud but to so many characters... We all dream of having a best-

selling novel that gets a movie made out of it. I put it out there and the people have spoken. They have. In a country where best-sellers rarely pass 10 000 books, he has sold nearly 600 000 copies. The first book of the series was turned into a movie and the second, Spud the madness continues, is currently shooting on location. When asked by Alec Hogg on Money Web about his success, he elaborated, As an artist or a creative person you buy your life back. You are able to operate on your own terms and create on your own terms. This strange, sometimes wildly unbelievable world of boys shakily navigating their way towards manhood, is a must-read.

Sport
Pierre Potgieter
p.potgieter@grocotts.co.za

13 April 2012

Blood, sweat n trane

hen friends tell me theyre working to- wards doing the Two Oceans Marathon (theres al- ways one coming), I feel sorry for them. They tell me about that hour-a-day-on-thetread- mill thing, assuming everyone does crazy things like this.

Wolves left sheepish

Mvuzo Ponono
m.ponono@grocotts.co.za The final week of the Rhodes

11

As if my days are really that empty. I see no point in running if something is not chasing you. The most running I do is between the television and the bathroom in breaks but Ive successfully managed to scale that down, since I no longer have a TV. Perhaps I won in the genepool lottery, as I some- how stay in acceptable form even after weeks-long junk food diets. Whatever the reason, I have no guilt when it comes to people talking about exercising, especially going to the gym. The general consensus among my friends is that gym makes you feel good and gives you that Im ready to rule the world

feeling. Call it endorphins or a symptom of indoctrination. Some say it helps with concentration (how bored do you have to be?), while others describe running on the same spot as exciting (enough said about that). And whats up with rolling in other peoples sweat? When uncles or aunts give me that supposed-to-be guilt-inducing speech about how young people like my- self should be at the peak of their fitness, I never let slide the opportunity to defend my position. After all, look where it brought them nice and round or with aches and pains or, worse, both. Have they no idea how nature works? The golden rule underlying all of science and the natural world: conserve energy! Ask any science teacher, and theyll tell you that electrons dont go for workouts in the next energy orbit unless they have motivation i.e. got fused, or need bonding. The latter being the only legitimate reason to go to a hell-hole like the gym (though I know of many better,

less sweaty places to go to for that purpose). Im convinced that whoever invented planking was faced with the same stupid comment about living an active lifestyle, and in- vented planking as a radical response. Planking is a new sport invented around 2009 and is based on the mimicking of lazy squirrels in a version of extreme lying down. Theres also a sport called extreme ironing as if ironing were not already extreme. But its now considered an extreme sport, making it an addition to my list of sports I can now talk about doing. Both these sports fall into the same category of sports like owling, horsemanning, Batmanning, bed racing, competitive toe wrestling, cheese rolling, cardboard-tube duel- ling, or club swinging for that matter. All of them fit the Google definition of sport as an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against an-

other or others. And all of them have organisations, associations, competitions and even awards and records. And they probably all beat the hell out of time-wasting, soulkilling gym workouts, golfing and fishing. So when my science says no defence fails to deter stupid topics like becoming gym-active, I resort to a if you cant beat them join them approach, in which I baffle them with all the new and extreme sports that they should try two of which Im practising daily (planking and ironing). Mentioning the danger of these sports or that people have died practising it (some have received Darwin Awards after their deaths) should shut them up, or at the very least disturb their train of thought with planking questions. And if they start talking about the meaninglessness of these ridiculous sports, then I ask: How meaningful is running on the same spot or picking up heavy things while sit- ting in someone elses sweat?

University internal rugby league was crammed full of drama. The Wolves entered the last round of matches last Friday in pole position to make the playoffs at number three on the log. By the end of the match played against the Heathens at the Great Field, they were huddled at the centre of the field, concluding a season. The internal league reached its finale with the shock realisation that the team that had played the most exciting rugby last year had tumbled to fifth place. The first misfortune that befell the Wolves was the loss of points due to fielding more than six nonstudent players. This meant the battle for a place in the playoffs became a two-horse race between the Heathens and a resurgent Hill. Having lost most of those players, they found themselves with a tight three that were as fickle as twigs in the wind. Heathens took advantage and immediately put the Wolves under their boots, pinning them back with a good kicking game.

It was a matter of time before the Heathens breached the Wolves line. With the amount of pressure applied early something had to give, and it was a cheeky kick over the defence by the Heathens fly-half that did the trick. Once the first loose thread was exposed, the rest of the Wolves outfit unravelled quickly. The defence were at sixes and sevens and played right into an opposition that was hitting their stride. The Heathens were like a cat toying with their prey. They doubled their points to 14 when the forwards bullied their way over after a solid few phases. Although the Wolves pulled a try back in, it was not enough to match the four tries that were scored against them. They stayed in the game and went toe to toe with the challenger, but took too many shots to the head. By the end of the weekend the Wolves stumbled at the final hurdle while in another game, Hill showed they were championship material by beating the Dream Team. Founders, Dream Team, Hill and Heathens will challenge for honours next term.

NMMU slaughter Gtown Brumbies

Chesley Daniels
Grahamstown Brumbies rugby teams suffered their worst defeats in their 12-year existence against the strong and starstudded Nelson Mandela Metro University (NMMU Madibaz) on Friday afternoon at the University Grounds in Port Elizabeth. In their Grand Challenge Competition, Brumbies 1sts lost 137-5, while the Madibaz 1st Reserves and 2nd XV teams also had record wins over Brumbies, with 84-6 and 85-6 respectively. This weekend Brumbies take on PE Police at the Oval and they will play against former Springbok Sevens legend and former Brumbies teammate, Fabian Juries and his brother Christopher, who represented SA Schools. Juries says hes looking forward to playing in Grahamstown again.

Student Swimmer heads for US waters

Desiree Schirlinger
d.shirlinger@grocotts.co.za Local swimming sensation Calvin Price is ready to dive into his promising sporting career and leaves for the United States on Sunday to start a four-year scholarship and training programme there at a university. His mother Sheena Price, who is also his coach of 14 years, is bursting with pride and said her son has come a long way from the outdoor pool he used to train in, in the Free State town of Ficksburg. She said that they used to try to keep the pool heated with donkey and cow manure and now he has a scholarship to an American university! Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois is where Price is going and the institutions head coach, Scott Teeters, said he has never come across a swimmer so hungry for success. Heavy words from a man who has over 25 years of experience on the pool deck and has coached four-time Olympic medallist Peter Vanderkaay. But he isnt exaggerating Price managed to tackle the usual six month application and admin stint in just four weeks. A Kingswood College matriculant of 2011, Price has been awarded a full sports scholarship to study and swim at Olivet, which is extremely rare. The United States is internationally known for its sporting and academic opportunities. Calvin applied at the perfect time when Teeters was desperately looking for a breaststroker; weve been very lucky, his mother said. But it was much more than luck that brought Price to where he is today. For years he has trained rigorously; during school holidays he trained for four hours every weekday and during term time he logged two and a half hours daily. He also swam for an hour and a half on Saturdays. Being able to get this far is just such a relief, he said. Im overwhelmed with joy. Finally all the sacrifices I've made for swimming,

Price swam for Rhodes University during the Intervarsity tournament. Photo: Desiree Schirlinger help them apply for bursaries. It is possible to contact the universities yourself, but although its cheaper this is a more taxing option. Now Price has signed a four-year contract with Olivet, which stipulates that he is allowed to return home to compete in major galas. Teeters has already confirmed that he would like to accompany Price back to South Africa next year in April to swim in the South African National Aquatics Championships in Port Elizabeth. But Price will also be coming home to see his family, including his sister, Tamlyn. Seeing what's happened to my brother its inspired a lot of us to swim harder, she said. Its going to be sad without him here though!

all the effort and time Ive put in have paid off. Price said at times he had wondered if all his sacrifices and dedication had been worth it. I had thought: Why have we put so much time and effort in all these years? Where has it taken us? Then he met South African swimming champion Penny Heyns who gave a coaching clinic in Grahamstown earlier this year and she made him realise that he could make a career from swimming if he knew the right avenues to take. Price enlisted the help of a US business called American College Connection where agents contact learning institutions for athletes and

R5.00 Friday 13 April 2012

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Ref attacked at match Nyaluza 1sts shake losing

Malibongwe Maxhawulana

Sports
Sports Diary
Today
Archery The South African National Archery Championships is being held at the Rhodes University Great Field. See report above.

A referee came under attack at Fiddlers Green last weekend during the Makana Local Football Associations (LFA) Easter tournament, almost ruining one of the games. Defending Makana LFA league champions, Cameroon, were up against Golden Stars in the second match of the tournament. It was the second half of the match and the score was 5-2, with Cameroon on the losing end. One of the Cameroon defenders was red-carded. When, a few minutes later, a second Cameroon player committed a foul and was also redcarded, the idea of finishing the match with only nine in the line-up was all too much for the frustrated players. They rushed at referee Litha Tyala, who ran away, fearing for his own safety. The Golden Stars players and

coaches then got involved, trying to stop the angry Cameroon players and president of the Makana LFA, Ayanda Kota, then stepped in. It looked like the match would have to be stopped, apart from anything else because the referee was still in shock his mouth was bleeding, apparently after a punch from one of the Cameroon players. The leagues disciplinary committee quickly met and everyone was expecting Cameroon to be expelled from the tournament but, as official Xolani Ncikwe explained later, in the spirit of the game the alleged puncher and the ref shook hands, the match continued and Cameroon played all their other scheduled matches. Malibongwe Maxhawulana is an independent citizen journalist for Grocotts Mail.

streak against Mawas

Chesley Daniels
In a surprising match between Nathaniel Nyaluza Secondary School and Mary Waters High School first rugby teams, Nyaluza clinched the win theyve been waiting years for. The match was a round robin fixture in the Closed Season Competition run by the Department of Eductaion and Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture. Nyaluza faced old arch rivals, Mawas, in cold and windy conditions. In the first half Mawas winger Jermaine Walters scored a try, while Nyaluza flyhalf succeeded to slot in a penalty giving Mawas a narrow 5-3 lead at the break. The Nyaluza side took full advantage of the strong wind behind them and a penalty to give them a 6-5 lead

with 15 minutes left to play. Mawas left winger Llewellyn Featherstone crossed over for his teams second try as Mawas regained the lead 10-6. With 10 minutes to play, Nyaluzas winger upped the pace to bring his side into the lead again, at 11-10. For the remainder of the game, Mawas searched for the winner and launched wave after wave of attacks but solid defence from Nyaluza prevented them from scoring. Mawas also lost focus and made some bad decisions. The final whistle blew and Nyaluza won 11-10. It has been a few years since Nyaluza last managed to beat Mawas. The curtain-raiser between the two schools second teams saw Mawas 2nds beat Nyaluza 19-0. Chesley Daniels is an independent citizen journalist for Grocotts Mail.

Saturday 14 April

Tennis The Bathurst and Districts Lawn Tennis Association league starts this weekend with matches taking place across the district. A league (home side first): Southwell vs Blaaukrantz, Grahamstown vs Seven Fountains, Kenton vs Port Alfred. B league: Coombs vs Seven Fountains, Grahamstown vs Port Alfred, Kenton vs Blaaukrantz, Clumber vs Shaw Park, Southwell vs Sidbury. C league: Kenton vs Salem, Salem vs Port Alfred, Seven Fountains vs Grahamstown, Shaw Park vs Coombs, Clumber vs Southwell. Archery The South African National Archery Championships are being held at the Rhodes University Great Field. See report above. Rugby EPRU Wellman Harmse Lily White vs Old Collegians and Wanderers vs Swallows at Miki Yili. 1 st reserves at 2.10pm and 1sts at 3.30pm. Football Makana LFA league fixtures on Fiddlers Green: 9.30am - Maru vs Young Stars, 12.30pm Mighty Chiefs vs Chelsea, 2pm Shooting Stars vs Linge Stars, 3.30pm - Amavototo vs Pioneers. Rhodes King Field: 11am Pillars vs Golden Stars, 1pm Shinning Stars vs Early Birds, 3pm Black Stars vs Love and Peace.

Sunday 15 April

Football Makana LFA league fixtures on Fiddlers Green: 11am Joza Callies vs Golden Bros, 1pm New Seekers vs Italy.

Maru take Easter tourney gold

Malibongwe Maxhawulana Only one of the 24 teams invited for the Makana Easter soccer tournament missed the opportunity of a guaranteed R 1 500 boost for the team, plus a possible share of the R27 000 prize purse for the top four teams. Last weekends Makana Local Football Association event saw Joza Callies finishing fourth and walking away with R3 000. A lot was expected from City Pirates, who play in the South African Football Association (Safa) Cacadu SAB league, but they finished third, winning R5 000. Pillars were runners-up again, winning R8 000, and tournament favourites Makana Rhini United football club (Maru), who have not tasted defeat this season, won the R12 000 first prize. They beat Pillars in the final 1-0. Maru head coach, Jeff Budaza, said they were looking forward to the play-offs for the Cacadu league, which will happen if they win the Makana league. We have one game in the league. We will win it, then take it from there, Budaza said. Team captain, Siyabonga Dumisa, thanked the supporters and his teammates.

Top archers shoot it out

Lance Ho (Rhodes) takes aim at the National Archery Championship. Photo: R. P. Mills

Stephen Penny

s.penny@grocotts.co.za

ore than 100 archers were in action yesterday at the start of the annual South African National Archery Championships on the Rhodes University Great Field. Top archers from across the country, as well as a team of international archers from Namibia are participating in the event hosted by the Eastern Cape Archery Association. Archers arrived in town earlier this week, with their first official practice held on Wednesday. Yesterday began with a practice session, followed by the opening ceremony,

where Rhodes archers raised the South African flag, as well as archery flags, during the singing of the national anthem. In welcoming participants to the shoot during yesterdays official opening ceremony, president of the South African National Archery Association, Selwyn Moskovitz, said the first days event would determine the countrys archery champions in various categories. The South African National Archery Association (Sanaa) Olympic Commission would also use the champs to identify and nurture talent for the 2016 Rio Olympics, according to Moskovitz. The Fita round (scoring arrows)

and mixed team events took up the rest of the day. The weekends shoot will also be used to determine who will represent South Africa at the University Games in Spain, the archery world cup in the US as well as the Paraarchery champs in Britain, all taking place in the next few months. Rhodes University archers taking part are Lance Ho, Simon Naude, Ettione Ferreira, Catherine Linklater, Kevin Lobb, Stuart Bodman and Leanne Poole. Bodman, Naude and Ho make up the Eastern Cape Provincial team for their division. Dave Martin has been chosen as the director of shoot for the event,

while Mike Wisch, of Rhodes, will be among a few judges who will undergo their practical judging exam to qualify as Continental Judges. Robyn Martin, chairperson of the Rhodes Archery Club, said it was a great honour for Rhodes to have been chosen to host the event. Todays 720 round, eliminations to semifinals, got under way at 8.30am. The team matches start at 11.15am, followed by the mixed team matches at 12.30pm. Todays competition is expected to end around 3pm. The team events and medal matches will be held tomorrow. These will be followed later by the awards dinner in the evening.

Fishaways heist accused seek bail

R5.00 Friday 13 April 2012

RDP house worse than a shack

Editorial: living with crime

Archers take on Grahamstown

Sport

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Grocotts Mail
Zamathiyane Ndaba
z.ndaba@grocotts.co.za Jackson Mthembu, ANC spokesperson, and DA Shadow Minister, Marian Shinn, came to Grahamstown last Thursday to speak about problems facing the South African media today. The talk was chaired by Prof Jane Duncan, who opened by expressing her concerns about the decline of media freedom in South Africa. The diversity of the media is not what it should be, she said. Print media is dominated by four large companies. There are worrying signs of a regression on the horizon, Duncan went on. Freedom House used to rate the South African media as free and just. Recently it just down-graded that rating to partly free. Mthembu criticised the South African media for perhaps being too free to the point where it is irresponsible and expressed concern that journalism in the country is not adequately regulated and monitored. The media also needs to subscribe to values enshrined in South Africa, even the press cannot act outside these values. The press cannot be free outside the Constitution, he said. Mthembu said he was concerned about the way in which the South African media operated outside their own regulations and sometimes disrespected their own regulators. We need an independent regulator that watches that the media adheres to its own codes of conduct. Not a code that comes from the government, but that comes from you, he said, addressing the journalists present at the discussion. This regulator needs to ensure that bad journalists are removed

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Cacadu rename push from district ANCYL

Loyiso Dyongman
l.dyongman@grocotts.co.za The ANC Youth League in Cacadu district is strongly pushing for its renaming and say they mean business. The youth league wants to change Cacadu to the Sarah Baartman district municipality. Mabhuti Matyumza, chairperson of Cacadu district ANCYL and Makana Municipality councillor, said discussions have been on-going for years now and the youth league had decided it was time to revive the move. They said support for the Sarah Baartman name had come from the notion that it truly acknowledged the demographics of the region. It unites the people of Cacadu, as well as acknowledging the role played by the Khoi-San people in the liberation struggle of South Africa said Matyumza. This Cacadu name change is not something that has just come up. We looked at history what role she played and where she came from, Matyumza said. Continued Page 2

Allen Street pipe burst damages businesses

Overburdened infrastructure fails, damages property and restricts traffic

ANC and DA representatives debate on media freedom

from the system, he said. It has never been our wish to see the press being regulated by government. We want the press to able to operate on its own. Mthembu then asked how might it be possible to ensure universal access to the media. And how did we allow the industry to self-regulate to the extent of abusing the South African people? he asked. Mthembu echoed Duncans concerns that South African media is monopolised by four companies, as well as the fact that there is only a 4.4% representation of women in the media. He said technology had a leading role in bringing about more media diversity, which Shinn heartily agreed with. She said that if South Africans are serious about media diversity, we should be using technology to break up the old monopolies of the past and power blocks of media ownership. She said that the government needs to free up the regulatory load however, and put up the basic infrastructures that allow media diversity. Take the opportunity that technology offers and lets use it to break new ground. The opportunity is already there, its just a matter of connecting the dots, said Shinn. According to the head of Rhodes Universitys journalism department, Larry Strelitz, the only serious threat the media faces is the Protection of Information Bill. Even though there are challenges, people in the media have been able to overcome these. The South African Constitution allows journalists to exercise their power, said Strelitz. Radio Grahamstown also dedicated an hour of programming last Thursday to a discussion on media freedom and the climate in which South African media operates.

Rhodes graduate murder, rape suspect arrested

Desiree Schirlinger
d.shirlinger@grocotts.co.za Port Elizabeth detectives have arrested a suspect linked to the murder of Rhodes University Honours graduate Lelona Fufu. On Monday The Herald reported that the Swartkops Murder and Robbery Unit, investigating Fufus case, was alerted by detectives that they held a rape suspect, who is believed to be connected to Fufus murder. The man was arrested in Kamvelihle last week and is currently being held in St Albans Prison. The Motherwell Police Station warrant officer Dumile Gwavu stated that the suspect would appear in the Motherwell court today. He confirmed that in a preliminary hearing... the suspect will be charged with the murder of Lelona Fufu.

Desiree Shirlinger

d.shirlinger@grocotts.co.za

looding on Allen Street on Thursday morning caused havoc for shop owners and commuters. A burst water pipe and blocked storm drain covered a great part of Allen Street and parts of Pepper Grove Mall with municipal water. A security guard reported the problem to one of the affected businesses, Insight Technology, at about 6.30am. The water main to the immediate area was shut off at 7.45am to stop the flow and allow repair work. One of Makana Municipalitys honey-suckers was brought to pump water out of the flooded area. The truck removed water for 12 hours before the level was low enough to allow a steady flow of traffic. Insight technology co-owner, Craig Foord said he could not even imagine how much this disaster will cost them in damages but it will

be thousands of thousands of rands. Their Pepper Grove Mall premises was flooded, destroying computer servers, furniture and records. Dr Oosthuizens offices, next door to Insight Technology, were similarly affected. Thandy Matebese, Makana Municipality spokesperson, said the night flow pressure caused the old asbestos pipe section to burst. Repairs are under way. The infrastructure in Grahamstown is very old, were slowly replacing as much of it as we can, said Matebese, however, the new pipes we are laying are technically far superior to the old ones and are coping much better with the demands. According to Matebese, Makana Municipality has increased the maintenance budget allowance over the past two financial years but at this stage pipes can only be replaces once they have failed. Matebese added that Makana was replacing the damaged pipes with technically superior ones.

A Makana Municipality truck pumps leaked water from a burst pipe on Allen Street on Friday morning. The leak caused extensive damage to shops in Pepper Grove Mall. Photo: Desiree Schirlinger

Water shortages persist over Easter as infrastructure fails

Kawela Mule
k.mule@grocotts.co.za

idespread water shortages were experienced in Grahamstown during the Easter holiday, with Westhill, the army base and parts of Oatlands North (along Kettlewell Street) being the hardest hit. Some areas water trucks were supplied to assist the residents, as municipal officials scrambled to find a long-term solution. Thandy Matebese, Makana Municipality spokesperson, said that the on-going water supply interruptions in Grahamstown are a result of pipe bursts and valves that could no longer handle the pressure. Due to the population growth over the past years the demand on the infrastructure has increased and Grahamstown was not built to accommodate as many people as it does at present, Matebese said. There have been no upgrades to the infrastructure due to lack of

funds and prioritisation, he said, adding that efforts would rather be made to supply water to places that do not have a constant water supply. He mentioned Joza as one of those parts of Grahamstown that receive water for a limited time every day. Matebese said that the municipality has applied for a R30m loan from the Development Bank of South Africa to upgrade the water infrastructure. The municipality plans to build a parallel water line from James Kleynhans Water Treatment plant to the Botha Hill reservoir which supplies... water to Grahamstown East. He explained that without either the James Kleynhans Water Treatment or Waainek Water Treatment Works plants being upgraded, the water pressure in certain sites, especially on hills, would continue to be low or to be interrupted. Matebese said that adding another water line will relieve the pressure being placed on the current water plants and water can be supplied more efficiently to residents.