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Makhanda National Arts Festival
MUNICIPAL NEWS
Makana Local Municipality
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Makhanda National Arts Festival
One of the local municipalities within the Sarah Baartman District Municipality is Makana. Located in the Eastern Cape approximately 120 km from Port Elizabeth in the west and about 180 km in the east it is strategically placed in the province’s largest industrial centres. Makana is named after the legendary Xhosa prophet and war doctor Makana. It was during the frontier war between the Xhosa and the British that the Xhosa and the Khoi, who were the indigenous inhabitants of the area, formed alliances to resist the British occupation.
The seat of government of the Makana Local Municipality is Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown). The city lies at the meeting point of four major biomes. It is therefore not unusual to experience a rainy morning and a balmy afternoon on the same day.
This city is of great historical and cultural importance and was once the second largest city in the Cape after Cape Town. In view of the plethora of churches and a cathedral the town has assumed the mantle of the “City of Saints”. This former frontier town has grown to become one of the leading cultural, educational and tourist centres in South Africa. Makhanda prepares for the Festival Preparations for the Makhanda National Arts Festival, held over 11 days in June are already in full swing. The Makhanda National Arts Festival with its 180-year old history generates interest nationally and internationally and has become the showpiece event on the South African arts and culture calendar.
The Festival not only generates interest but also much needed revenue as the excitement and vibrancy of the Festival causes the population of the City to double during the duration of the Festival. It is estimated that the festival attracts some 50 000 festival-goers to the event. For the first time last year the festival was completely on-line due to the Coronavirus restrictions. The organisers for this year’s Festival are planning for a hybrid event in July. The live 2021 festival is likely to be smaller but more intimate and focused to ensure that both audiences and artists enjoy good value for money. Makhanda is anticipating that the Festival will go ahead as planned and that the uncertainty caused by the Coronavirus will dissipate by the time the Festival kicks off in July.
PICTURE BY MARK WESSELS
A scene from one of the plays at Makhanda National Arts Festival
Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality hardest hit by floods
Heavy rains in the Northern Cape leave a trail of destruction
After many months of ardent prayers by the good folk of the Northern Cape for the drought to end, their prayers were answered. The drought was so severe and devastating the Northern Cape Province was declared a disaster province.
What the good folk of the Northern Cape were not prepared for was the abundance of water that was bestowed upon them. The rains kept coming and for more than three weeks of continuous rain the rivers and dams began to overflow.
The heavy rains, however, not only ended the drought but also left a trail of disaster and destruction. Infrastructure and roads were either washed away or badly damaged. Many villages and towns were cut off as the main arterial roads residents that used to receive their services were either washed away or were transformed into rivers.
Houses and buildings were flooded and this caused the Province to once again declare the Northern Cape a state of disaster. Ironically this time flooding was the cause of this state of disaster. Sadly the floods claimed the lives of five people with several others injured and hospitalised.
One of the hardest hit municipalities was the Ga-Segonyana local municipality with its seat in Kuruman. Interesting the name Ga-Segonyana means small calabash with bubbling water. The water in the town of Kuruman more than bubbled, it flooded as the Kuruman River filled and flowed for the first time in 40 years.
Despite the destruction caused by the floods many residents and children were so overwhelmed when they saw the Kuruman River flowing again they plunged into the river with sheer excitement rejoicing the breaking of the drought.
However, the flooding cut off many surrounding communities of Kuruman and many were left without food, water and clothing. A humanitarian crisis was averted when the Humanitarian Organisation, Gift of the Givers sprang into action and as is their reputation organized the necessary social relief for those communities that found themselves in dire straights.
As the roads were washed away the only access to the villages requiring relief was by air. With their high level network of sponsors and influential donors Gift of the Givers was able to have a helicopter available that airlifted the necessary social relief to those stricken communities.
The Premier of the Northern Cape, Dr Zamani Saul said the early estimates are that the province will require approximately R600 million to restore the damage done by the floods.
Heavy flooding in the Northern Cape
