A walk up on the old golf course (aka The Goat Track). 1820 Settlers National Monument in the background. Eucalyptus (aka blue gum, invasive species from Australia) in the middle-ground. Nguni Cattle in the foreground. Plans afoot to rename the Monument. The Monument to All Ancestors.
Sunday stroll on the beach at Kenton. Do NOT tell anyone about this gem. For me, ok I’m biased, a “Top-Ten” stretch of beach between Kariega and Bushmans. Jagged calciferous rock features. Bays, beaches, coves and gullies. Hundreds of millions of years of work. Giant dunes and nature reserve buffering humans from the ocean. Kenton Awesomeness
Shelley Beach. Painting by Alastair Campbell of drone photo by Craig Leppan https://www.facebook.com/251307331938900/posts/940278689708424/?d=n
Skylit roof inside an historic building. Nothing to do with The Grahamstown Project Ghost Tour hosted by Brian Jackson but a free ticket for next Thursday’s Ghost Tour to the first person who correctly identifies the building.
Donkeys of Grahamstown 1. Mixed views on these beasts. Iconic Grahamstown. Little White Belly poses a question and provides answer. “If neither the silks of St George’s Chambers nor the Municipality are going to cut this grass then I’m just going to jolly well get on with the job myself.”
Donkeys of Grahamstown 2. White Face says to pal. “Do these humans think we enjoy eating plastic bottles? They should rather be making EcoBricks and building houses.” TGP photographic competition for March. Subject. Donkeys of Grahamstown. Submit entries to http://rorbaxprojects.co.za/TheGrahamstownProject/submit-your-photo/ .First prize, R300 Pothole and Donkey voucher. Best 10 will be displayed at Pothole & Donkey.
Community Works Programme (CWP) 1. 1200 people are paid a total of R1.2m per month to do “Useful” community work in Grahamstown. A poverty alleviation scheme. As Chair of the Circle of Unity LED Cluster I’m interested in the Municipality’s ability to harness this team to CLEAN Grahamstown and make it more attractive to investors, residents, students, visitors etc.
CWP2. Sunday morning sweeping High Street. Amen to that Sister. The LED Cluster Plan is multi-faceted and a model of Reciprocity. A social compact where the municipality perform their role (for which they are paid) and individuals, business, and civic society play an integrated / supportive role through self-regulation, compliance with by-laws etc and voluntary contributions of good deeds etc. The model requires increased levels of trust and impactful action from the Municipality.
Makana Revive (using R2 donations collected from Pick n Pay Grahamstown customers) repairing potholes in Allen Street. Nice one Andrew Kirk. Well done all. A meaningful contribution to making Grahamstown more attractive.
Cleaning Up Grahamstown. Illegal signage. Tatty signage. Test of the Social Compact / Reciprocity Model. Illegal signage MUST go. Hospital sign needs to be properly affixed to pole. Currently directing citizens to St George’s in PE rather than Settlers Hospital. Hats-off to whoever cut that grass. St Andrew’s College or Makana Municipality? Makana Tourism Makana Local Municipality Communication
Rhodes University 3rd Year journalism students interviewing Nombulelo Kewuti (wife of Sivuyile) proud EcoBrick home-owner. EcoBricks urgently required for EcoBrick Home 2. Pls deliver to Dr Trevor Davies Optometrist. Ask for Wayne.
That’s it folks. Yes, it is Tuesday. A little late for “Monday in Grahamstown” but sometimes the wheel turns a little slooowly here in GVegas.
Final piece of info. Big action in the Court at Bhisho today. Municipality’s Appeal of the Dissolution case being argued. Will Mayor Mpahlwa still have a job come Friday?
GRAEME HOLMES
Before moving back to Grahamstown in Oct 2017, Graeme was a bank executive based in the big smoke and craziness of Joburg. He has 20 years’ experience in the Payments Industry. He is a Chartered Accountant, has a Masters in Management by Research (MMR) from Wits Business School, and attended an Advanced Management Programme (AMP) offered by INSEAD (The Business School for the World!) in France.
Graeme is the founder of The Grahamstown Project. It’s simple. He says, “Grahamstown is a microcosm of South Africa. If we can’t get this place to function properly then the whole country is stuffed. Many of the troubles we experience as a country today have their roots here in Grahamstown. it is here where black and white people first engaged in conflict on the African continent. It is here where 9 wars of dispossession over 100 years took place and virtually destroyed the amaXhosa nation. But we are where we are. I don’t have a British passport and the boat-trip back to where my ancestors came from is exorbitantly expensive. Furthermore, this is my home. I am a son of Africa. We must work together to redress the injustices of the past and move as one into a brighter future.”
Graeme is an avid historian, writer, vlogger and public speaker. Like and follow the Facebook page. Join him on a tour. Contact him. He would love that.