Rhodes readies for water outages

Report by Dumisa Lengwati & Taryn Isaac, School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University

The perpetual threat of water shortages sees Grahamstown residents seeking alternatives for their water supply. Rhodes University has purchased a water tanker to help alleviate the effects of these dry spells.

The purchase of a R1,1 million water tanker will provide a necessary back-up supply. Last year’s shortages cost an estimated R115 000 a day due to the costs of plastic utensils in dining halls and bottled water for students and staff. According to Dr Iain L’Ange, Rhodes Infrastructure, Operations and Finance Division Head, the tanker will help the university to respond to emergency situations and be able to service all students living in residence. This move has been approved and applauded by the Makana Municipality, which struggles to cope with the ongoing crisis.

Metal thefts hit Grahamstown schools

Report by Lillian Magari & Noxolo Mafu,

The illegal trade of stolen metal parts has hit Grahamstown local township schoolsand seen their premises severely vandalised. Thieves target metal urinals, water pipes, electricity cables and plugs. This epidemic has seen schools such as NV Cewu and Samuel Ntlebi without any electricity or adequate plumbing. As a result, educators and learners are unable to use the toilet facilities.
The need for tighter security sees these school squeezing out R20 000 to install Hi-Tec sensitive security beams. The expensive beams are a wise investment but also prove to be a hard purchase for the schools and even private homes.
As the most expensive product offered by Hi-Tec, it is difficult for the company to offer the beam to schools on a lay-bye basis. This becomes even more difficult as many of the targeted schools have poor infrastructure which makes the beams less effective.
Samuel Ntlebi specifically, has faced R100 000 in damages, with little or no money in the maintenance budget to do repairs.
Leonard Vodell, Manager of licensed scrapyard: Metal Masters, confirms a profit of R20 per kilo for metals brought in. These metals are often traded as broken or burnt pieces in order to make the identification process harder.
All the while, learners and educators are suffering as they are denied adequate sanitation and electricity.

Human Chain crosses Grahamstown

Report by Lillian Magari & Noxolo Mafu,

The Grahamstown Human Chain started at Ncame street and carried through to Somerset street form township to town. The event was held on a rainy 21 February to spotlight the legacy of Tata Nelson Mandela.
The Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Dr Thabo Makgoba contacted universities across the country to encourage them to participate in this initiative. The event brought to light the importance of reflection on both our young democracy and social integration in all communities. However, such an event also probes further questions, regarding the effectiveness of a human chain in unpacking complex relations in a town such as Grahamstown.

Unearthing Grahamstown

Report by Natalie Austin & Jason Randall

Dr Rob Gess caused a stir with his discovery of Gondwana’s oldest known land animal, Gondwanascorpio emzantsiensis, in 2013. He continues to make internationally important discoveries which have opened Africa’s most important window into the 360 million year old Late Devonian world. Most of these he found in the estuarine derived rocks from Waterloo Farm on the outskirts of Grahamstown. Formerly employed by the Institute for Evolutionary Studies at Wits he has recently taken up a Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship at his original alma mater, the Rhodes Geology Department.

The scorpion fossil remains are the oldest terrestrial animal remains from Gondwana, one of two supercontinents that existed from 510 to 180 million years ago, before fragmenting into the land masses now known as Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, India and Madagascar. He talks here of his work with Dr Cyrille Prestiani of the Royal Museum of Natural History in Belgium, and an expert in Late Devonian palaeobotany.

Grocott’s Mail moves to the Africa Media Matrix

Production by Natalie Austin & Jason Randall

Since 1869, Grocott’s Mail has acted the voice of Grahamstown’s community. It is the oldest independent newspaper in South Africa and has run from an iconic building in the town’s Church Square. This has been sold and the Mail’s editorial is now based at the Rhodes University’s School of Journalism in the African Media Matrix.

The old Grocott’s newsroom is of historical significance and new owners, Supello Investments, plan to refurbish and maintain the historical aspects. We explore what the move means for the community newspaper and its future.

Richard Grant – getting science to the classrooms

Report by Natalie Austin & Jason Randall

Many schools in South Africa do not have access to biology or science laboratories or the required resources for practical demonstrations in the classroom. In a Scifest Africa 2014 workshop Toys from Trash, Richard Grant teaches learners how to make science education resources from cheap and accessible household items. Richard a retired Rhodes University lecturer. Working with Dr. Ken Ngcoza from the Rhodes Department of Education they hope to integrate these experiments in all schools in order to make students more excited about the subject of science.