Front Page.indd - Grocott's Mail

6 Editorial
Liberty and Progress
Established 1870
Sadness and pride
In spite of the obvious success of this year’s Highway
Africa conference, the event was tinged with a mixture
of pride and sadness that had very little to do with the
conference itself. To understand what this means, our readers
should know that in the main foyer of this year’s meeting,
the organisers had taken the trouble to set up a special
exhibition dedicated to the memory of Madikane Jelu.
Madikane, a well-known Grahamstown photojournalist,
tragically passed away in April this year leaving behind
a huge vacuum in the Grocott’s newsroom. We asked
Madikane’s friend and Grocott’s Mail news editor, Luvuyo
Mjekula, to address the Highway Africa delegates and to tell
them about our loss.
In this way, journalists from all over the continent got to
see a small portion of the work Madikane had produced for
this newspaper, and they got to hear from a long time friend
how important he was in the scheme of things. We were sad,
but proud that we had known and worked with Madiks.
The sadness continues because this week Luvuyo will
also be leaving and he too will leave an enormous space that
will be very hard to fill. However, the reason for Luvuyo’s departure
fills us all with pride because he is going to take up a
senior position at the Cape Times.
Just over a year ago, Luvuyo was promoted to the post
of news editor, and since then has served this newspaper
and our community with dedication, goodwill and amazing
insight. His influence on the content of articles printed during
this period cannot be overestimated. He chaired the daily
diary meetings, guided reporters and students on how to approach
their assignments; he took part in all the decisions
that affected the front page and the editorials of this paper.
For these reasons and many more, we will be very sad
to see Luvuyo leave Grocott’s Mail, but at the same time we
are filled with pride that one of our own is about to make the
big time.
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South Africa’s Oldest Independent Newspaper
Incorporating The Grahamstown Journal (1831 – 1920)
Vol. 140 No. 70
Published by the David Rabkin Project for Experiential
Journalism Training (Pty) Ltd, 40 High Street, Grahamstown, 6139.
Printed by Paarlcoldset
Telephone: 046 622 7222 • Fax: 046 622 7282/3
www.grocotts.co.za
EmAIl AddrESSES
News: editor@grocotts.co.za
Website: online@grocotts.co.za
Advertising: adverts@grocotts.co.za or ronel@grocotts.co.za
Sport: sport@grocotts.co.za
letters: letters@grocotts.co.za
General manager: l.vale@grocotts.co.za
EdITOrIAl
Editor: Steven Lang
News Editor: Luvuyo Mjekula
Staff reporters: Kwanele Butana, Maria Sibiya, Asanda
Naketi
Staff Photographer/reporter: Stephen Penney,
New media Editor: Michael Salzwedel
General manager: Louise Vale
Advertising manager: Ronél Bowles
Grocott’s 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 the either body.
I
have made many important decisions in
my lifetime. The two life changing decisions
to bring two wonderful children,
Chulumanco and Bukhobethu, into this
world required long and hard thinking.
But resolving to leave Grahamstown
and therefore Grocott’s Mail is probably
the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to
make.
Leaving behind a loving family like
mine can never be a joyful experience.
Saying goodbye to my mother, brothers and
my children is going to be a painful experience.
Bidding farewell to my other family
at Grocott’s is bound to be just as hard.
Hopefully there’ll be no tears.
Sure, I will meet new people and make
new friends in Cape Town. I’ll probably
even develop close bonds with my new
employers and colleagues at Cape Times.
But it’s not going to be the same.
Working at Grocott’s for the past three
years has been a helluva experience. Like
life, it’s been up and down. But I will take
with me mostly wonderful memories. Working
at Grocott’s has helped me grow, not
only as a journalist but also as a leader.
Winning an award in 2007 was the icing
on the cake. I’ve created close friendships
with many of my colleagues and Grocott’s
Mail readers.
In the office, we worked hard but also
had fun. The end-of-year parties we had
were great, although it seems I am leaving
(sadly) without tasting Steve’s promised
turkey. Steve, you’re not off the hook yet,
I’ll come back for that turkey even if it
means going AWOL!
There were some weird occasions. I
will never forget the sight of disgruntled
readers torching a copy of this newspaper
or an enraged subscriber storming into our
newsroom, shredding a copy of Grocott’s
Mail into pieces in reaction to our front
page photographs.
There were sombre moments. Losing
a friend and colleague in Madikane Jelu
Grocott’s Mail Friday, 11 September 2009
Goodbye Grocott’s Mail, Grahamstown
Checkers don’t
know their fire drill
On Thursday morning, 3 September at
about 11am while shopping at Checkers, I
was appalled at the way the Checkers staff
behaved when the fire broke out at the Mr
Price in the Carlton Centre.
I was standing at one of the tills waiting
for my goods to be rung up when a group
of Checkers staff came running from the
back of the shop shouting “Everybody
out!” The shop was fairly busy and nobody
had a clue as to what was happening: was
there a fire, was there a bomb or was it
an attempted heist? The security guards
started closing the front doors leading to
the arcade making it difficult for people to
exit. There were screams of panic as most
people were trying to barge through the
doors before they closed. I waited at the till
until the cashier also joined the throng exiting
to the arcade and followed. Standing
just outside the entrance to the supermarket,
I could see a group of Checkers
personnel discharging fire extinguishers
into an area at the back of Mr Price.
Realising that there was no threat
within Checkers itself the cashier reentered
the store and I followed. She rang
up my goods, I paid and left.
I was traumatized, not by the fire but
by the very unprofessional way the Checkers
staff reacted and the fear they put in
everyone without any concern for their
customers. They definitely need some
serious training in this respect to prevent
crowd hysteria. They also need to make an
apology to the public for the way their staff
behaved and the fear they induced.
RAR
Thank you
Luvuyo
MjekuLa
The Grahamstown and District Kennel
Club would like to thank Hills Science
Diet for their generous sponsorship of
dog food and prizes for our 31st Annual
Championship Dog Show held over the
weekend of 5 and 6 September. To the
headmaster and staff of PJ Olivier our
appreciation and thanks for the use of
the school grounds, hostel and equipment,
also for the tremendous co-operation
received from the school’s staff,
nothing was too much trouble for them,
thank you again.
We also extend a big thank you to
the following businesses for their ongoing
support, donation and prizes, which
added to the enjoyment and made our
show possible for the 400-odd exhibitors
with their different breeds who travelled
long distances from all over South Africa
to attend our championship show. Albany
Business Machines, Barshellah golden
retrievers, Bronwyn McClean, Doric’s
Farm Stall (Stoneshill), Fruit & Veg City
(Grahamstown), Fruit & Veg City (PE),
Grahamstown Veterinary Clinic, Hi-Tec
Security, Hoof and Hound, Marvics, Maxwells
Butchery, Meadowpoint Gundogs,
Pat de Coning, Patrick D, Pepper Grove
Pick n Pay, Postnet, Rushfords rosettes,
Stagmanskop rosettes and Wimpy.
Our sincere thanks and appreciation
to everyone.
Jane Dalton, Secretary
Grahamstown and District Kennel
Club
AJ reaches for his
dream
A brave four-year-old boy from Grahamstown,
AJ Gysman, who received a lifesaving
liver transplant earlier this year,
has had his dreams fulfilled by the Reach
for a Dream Foundation.
When Reach for a Dream arrived at
the door of AJ’s home, he was jumping up
and down with excitement. He could not
wait to get into the dream bus, but had no
idea where we were going with him and
his family. Inge and Michelle from Reach
for a Dream met up with Re/max Frontier
and the members of the Army and Air
force at the Army base in Grahamstown
on 2 September. To AJ’s delight, Re/max
Frontier presented him with a remote
controlled helicopter in army colours,
and the four year old was very impressed
with the controls and buttons! And then...
he heard the low drumming noise of
an approaching defence force helicopter,
and stood transfixed as the mighty
machine made its descent on the open
field. His excitement was palpable for
all of us! Captain Khuliso and his co-pilot
welcomed AJ and his father on board,
and the little boy was fascinated with the
earphones he got to wear in order to hear
the pilot’s conversations. It was truly a
earlier this year, dealt me and Grocott’s
a heavy blow. The passing of another
colleague Kirsty “Casey” Cordell, hardly a
month later, left me and the staff dumbfounded.
But as earlier stated, it was not
all doom and gloom.
I’ve been fortunate to work with two
great editors Steven Lang and Jonathan
Ancer who have taught me so much about
this important craft. I’d like to thank Grocott’s
Mail’s general manager Louise Vale
for believing in me.
But I must also say thank you to someone
who introduced me to the world of
practical journalism. Mike Loewe, my first
ever editor, shaped my journalism career
and I will be forever thankful. I am going
to miss the amazing relationships I’ve
developed with the many readers of this
important community newspaper.
But there comes a point in one’s life
when change is inevitable. This is most
likely the turning point of my career as a
journalist so I’m grabbing the opportunity
with both hands. It’s sad to say goodbye to
my small town of birth but I look forward to
a bigger city, bigger stories and an exciting
life.
Write to: The Editor PO Box 103 Grahamstown 6140
Fax to: 046 622 7282 Email: letters@grocotts.co.za
dream come true for AJ and an experience
he will surely never forget!
Liza Botha
Water test is a
scam
The letter “Alicedale’s water crisis”
(Tuesday, 8 September) needs some
clarifying. I am not concerning myself
whether Alicedale’s water is in crisis or
not, that is another issue.
What concerns me is the misleading
facts demonstrated by the salesman
from the water company, who has made
use of a so-called purity or precipitator
test.
He is supposedly trying to prove that
all water, except for the water produced
via his purification equipment, is impure
and subsequently unsafe for human consumption.
This demonstration is a scam.
What they are selling is a reverse
osmosis or desalination unit, which
removes most of the dissolved salts out
of the water. This water does not conduct
electricity. To conduct electricity, minerals
or salts must be present in the water.
Why does the water change colour?
Most forms of water, such as tap
water, contain minerals (electrolytes).
This will allow an electrical current to
flow through the water.
This, in turn, also allows the precipitation
and electrochemical reactions to
take place which discolours the water.
The change in colour can show up as
a grey precipitate, brown or red-brown
sludge. But such a colour change is
normal and expected.
Do not be lead to believe that this
colour change is an indication of impurities
in the water! Do not deter from
growing veggies, or brushing your teeth
with water. In closing, I can tell you
that many people in South Africa would
love to have a water with a TDS (total
dissolved solids) level of 485,mg/l(ppm)
and that the National Water Legislation
1998 Act 36 is certainly not a maximum
of 28ppm.
Please get your facts straight before
writing a letter. I am sure that you have
confused and mislead many unsuspecting
people.
Please Google: “Water test scam”
and read for yourself of the pit falls.
Dave Render
Pseudonyms may be used, but all letters must be supported by a name, signature and street address. Preference will be given to letters which are not
longer than 400 words and are clearly legible. The editor reserves the right to edit or reject letters/photographs.