Your newspaper, FREE OF CHARGE Three months to Day Zero Pg 11 Car guards in crisis Pg 3 16 February 2018 • Vol. 148 Issue: 04 The cat that got the cash! Ron Weissenberg and Tim Bull from the Makana Revive (yellow T-shirts) citizen action group celebrate Shattercat’s achievement in raising funds to fix Grahamstown’s potholes with PG Glass owner Tim Dold and staff members Kevin van der Merwe, Ronelle Botha and Penny Nelson. Story on Page 2. Photo: Sue Maclennan PRE-OWNED Get a FREE iPad 2017 Hyundai Tucson 2.0 Premium Manual R339 900.00 2016 Hyundai Grand i10 1.2 Fluid Manual R149 990.00 2016 Hyundai Accent 1.6 Motion Manual R199 900.00 with selected 2016 Hyundai Grand i10 1.25 Fluid Manual R159 900.00 2016 Hyundai ix35 2.0 Executive Manual R319 900.00 2016 Hyundai H1 Bus 2.5 Diesel Automatic R479 900.00 2016 Hyundai Accent Hatch 1.6 Fluid Manual R209 900.00 vehicles 2015 Ford Figo 1.4 Ambiente Manual R115 900.00 *T&Cs apply *While stocks last GRAHAMSTOWN 046 622 3914 STEVEN 078 113 3497 TANYA 071 158 0461 SOME FANTASTIC WORK BEING DONE BY MAKANA REVIVE! THIS INITIATIVE DESERVES EVERYONES SUPPORT. 2 NEWS Grocott’s Mail 16 FEBRUARY 2018 Students return for safer O-Week By KATHRYN CLEARY during O-Week and had been afraid to As Grahamstown’s population swells go out. Grocott’s Mail cannot confirm during Rhodes O-Week, so can the risk this information at this time. DRIVEN BY PEOPLE of crime. In past years, students have Sade Sandham, co-manager of The POWERED BY TECHNOLOGY carried traumatic O-Week memories, Rat and Parrot said, “One thing we with reports of robberies, violent har- have noticed [is that] the first-years Securing assment or sexual assault. Now, resi- seemed to be more geared up as to t h e c i t y f o r o v e r dents and busnesses have taken the what to expect. In previous years they 25 years town’s safety into their own hands. were walking around with cellphones Posters on the sides of rubbish bins in their back pockets, talking on their near New and Somerset streets warn phones, being very oblivious to poten- SAFETY that 24/7 CCTV cameras in the area tial dangers. We have noticed that has TIPS are monitoring crime. The Makana definitely improved.” Revive initiative was finalised in early She said businesses were also more FROM 2018 and the citizen action group’s prepared for O-Week this year. “Big- chairperson Ron Weissenberg said O- ger nights we got extra bouncers, we ANDRE Week would be a good test. asked Hi-Tec to do more visible polic- WILLE Grocott’s Mail spoke to first-year and ing as well as the police. We are in fur- returning students about how O-Week ther talks with getting CCTV cameras safety. First-years Roche Williams and around town [and] Makana Revive has Yandiswa Tembe had positive O-Week become quite a big part of that. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS Bob Dyubulu checks a pump draining a huge hole at the west end of experiences. “It’s not just the businesses: the resi- • Ensure that tools such as Worcester Street, as Victor Ngumbela checks on progress at the site. Williams said she felt safe and was dents themselves have gotten involved axes, spades, picks, ladders, Some residents at the Smokey Moon Backpackers property beyond the given ample advice about campus and in the safety of the town as well as the yellow barrier were trapped and unable to get to work, fearing that the town. Tembe said her house committee students.” etc that can be used in an road was to perilous to drive on. Ngumbela said the stormwater pipe attack, are locked away when had been helpful, adding to her wel- SAPS spokesperson Captain Khaya channelling a natural stream under the road was blocked on the north coming first week in Grahamstown. Thonjeni said during O-Week the Gra- you do not use them. side of the road and a pipe had burst on the south side causing the Returning student Sniko Lukubeni hamstown Cluster reported one bur- • Vary your daily routine. flooding. He said the pipe had been replaced and once the water was agreed O-Week was safer, especially glary, one theft out of a motor vehicle, • Get into the habit of not drained, the Makana team would fill in the car-sized hole to make the with the presence of CPU on campus. one general theft and one kidnapping road safe to drive on again. Photo: Sue Maclennan immediately falling asleep Two students said they had heard and robbery (no injuries, cellphone after switching off the lights. of a first-year being sexually assaulted stolen). • Remain awake for a while. • You should not be visible in the bedroom from the outside when you are asleep. Shattercat boosts pothole repair fund By SUE MACLENNAN lay confirmed he would be budgeting There has been an overwhelmingly Grocott’s Mail if he raised R10 000 for RESPONSES THIS WEEK IN hen Grahamstown’s most close on half a million rands to secure positive response to the initiative, the potholes fund. To Dold’s alarm, GRAHAMSTOWN famous feline hit the fund- the Jetpetcher’s services for a further with the Makana Revive coalition people came to donate to the pothole Housebreak ins: 1 raising trail last week, his three weeks and see through what (the Grahamstown Residents’ Associ- fund within hours of Shattercat’s call ownerW, Grahamstown businessperson citizens started. ation and Grahamstown Business Fo- on social media. Shattercat surpassed Arrests: 1 – stolen property Tim Dold, never imagined Shattercat The Jetpatcher, working optimally, rum are among the groups that have the target in less than a week and WE OFFER would get much past the R10 000 has the capacity to fill 10 cubic me- combined forces under its umbrella) Dold was obliged to reveal his rash mark, let alone crack the R12 300 tres a day, provided it has the sup- hailed as heroes and individuals and promise to the Grocott’s Mail editor. • 24hr Monitoring he’d raised by yesterday. port of ground staff. That’s 150-200 businesses willingly putting their By yesterday, with R12 380 banked • Alarm Installations Two weeks ago, a plan long in the potholes a day, said Makana Revive hands into their pockets to support in the Makana Revive account, Shat- • Services and repairs to all making finally came together. Fund- spokesperson Ron Weissenberg. it. But it’s clear that it will need to tercat had solicited around 30 willing makes of alarm systems ed by donations from Grahamstown But, Weissenberg said, “We were continue well beyond the three ad- donors. • Armed Response residents and businesses, citizen ac- hoping to fill potholes, not craters.” ditional weeks that Pillay’s commit- Now Dold has challenged Shatter- • Guards tion group Makana Revive hired a Some of the potholes are so big ment has bought, and Weissenberg cat to reach the target of R20 000 by • Access control (gate Jetpatcher machine from East Lon- that one alone can swallow half a said they were considering establish- the end of this week - and it looks automation, intercoms and don to professionally repair some of cubic metre of the tar and aggregate ing a permanent pothole repair unit like the fame alone will be enough cameras) Grahamstown’s notorious potholes. mix. in Grahamstown. encouragement for the feline fund- • Electric Fencing Starting in Albert Street in Fingo Vil- It had also been difficult to secure He said the plan was to recruit a raiser. lage, the four-person team has gone reliable municipal input, Weissen- team from the local community who Dold said members of the public Securing Kenton on Sea/ on to deal with main CBD access berg said and in addition to the R20 would be trained by a civil engineer were welcome to drop off their do- Bushman's River/Cannon Rocks/ roads High Street and African Street, 000 a day cost of the machine and its and work fulltime as a pothole repair nations to the fund at PG Glass in Boknes Areas as well as Templeton Drive and Park crew, Makana Revive has also been unit. Bathurst Street (and don’t forget to Road, among others. forking our R3000 a week hiring “The team would continue fixing greet Shattercat while you’re there!) For advice or a free quote The work began in the week Ma- casual labour to provide the logisti- potholes until we run out of funds,” Donors get a receipt and the funds contact André Wille kana Municipality announced they cal support the operation requires. Weissenberg said. are deposited into the Makana Revive Tel: 046 636 1667 had just received R3.5 million of The machine operates Monday to Shattercat - PG Glass Grahams- account on their behalf. their equitable share to rehabilitate Friday, and when the additional sup- town’s most famous staff member - Contributors who would prefer to roads around Grahamstown, with the port staff isn’t available, expert time put his weight fully behind the cam- pay directly into the Makana Revive support of Mamlambo Construction. is wasted on sweeping and clearing paign after business owner Tim Dold account should obtain the account EMERGENCY Then, after just two days in office, the road surface before and after the promised him a week of roasts and details from the Makana Revive Face- acting municipal manager Ted Pil- operation. his photograph on the front page of book page: bit.ly/MakanaRevive NUMBERS • Ambulance 10177 WEATHER AND • Aids Helpline 0800 012322 046 603 6300 • AA Rescue 0800 111997 WEATHER & TIDES • Medical Rescue 0800 033007 • GHT Child Welfare 046 636 1355 TIDES • Electricity 046 603 6036 FRIDAY 9 February MONDAY THURSDAY A/H 046 603 6000 Fair.