Lanherne Guest House Grahamstown

12/06/2026

Relocation of High Court seat on hold, for now

By Rod Amner

Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has stepped back from an immediate decision on relocating the Eastern Cape High Court’s main seat from Makhanda to Bhisho. But Cabinet has approved the broader court rationalisation programme that will substantially reduce the Makhanda court’s jurisdictional area from 1 July.

Briefing the media on Tuesday, Kubayi confirmed that Cabinet, at its meeting of 3 June, had approved the report of the Committee on the Rationalisation of Areas under the Jurisdiction of the Divisions of the High Court, chaired by retired Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke, and had given the Department of Justice a “go-ahead to proceed with the implementation”.

The Cabinet post-meeting statement of 3 June recorded that Cabinet had been briefed on the work and “supported the implementation of the immediate recommendations of the Rationalisation Committee”.

The Minister said the implementation would proceed in two phases. Phase 1 covers the gazetting of new jurisdictional areas for the existing main and local seats of the country’s High Court divisions. The jurisdictional changes will take effect on 1 July.

The reduction of the Makhanda High Court’s territorial jurisdiction, which the MHCAC’s August 2023 memorandum estimated would shrink the court’s catchment area from 27% to about 8% of the Eastern Cape population, is part of Phase 1.

Phase 2 covers the establishment of additional local seats elsewhere in the country and the proposed relocation of the Eastern Cape Division’s main seat from Makhanda to Bhisho. Phase 2 will follow a “phased-in approach”, the Minister said.

On the Makhanda seat specifically, Kubayi said: “The recommendation to relocate the seat of the Eastern Cape Division from Makhanda to Bhisho, which is part of phase 2, will be considered after consultations with key stakeholders in the Eastern Cape Province, which will be led by the Minister.” She has tasked her Deputy Minister, Andries Nel, with leading the consultations, which she said she expected to begin within the next month.

The Makhanda High Court Action Committee (MHCAC), which last month appealed to President Cyril Ramaphosa to halt the seat relocation, welcomed the announcement. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the committee said it was “particularly encouraged by the Minister’s indication that she will engage meaningfully with stakeholders before any final decision is taken” and described the consultation as “a prudent and necessary step, given the far-reaching implications such a move would have”.

The committee said it would present the Minister with what it called a “detailed account of the devastating economic and social consequences that would follow should the seat be moved from Makhanda, particularly if accompanied by a reduction in its jurisdiction”. It estimated that the combined effect would cost about 10 000 jobs in the region.

That combined-impact figure conceals an awkward arithmetic for the MHCAC. Disaggregating those numbers in comments to Grocott’s Mail last month, MHCAC sub-committee chairperson Brin Brody, an attorney with Wheeldon Rushmere & Cole, said the proposed jurisdictional reduction would cost about 5,000 jobs, but that the seat relocation would cost a further 5,000 jobs. Both figures, he said, had been verified by Rhodes University economist Professor Geoff Antrobus.

The MHCAC accepted the proposed jurisdictional reduction in its August 2023 memorandum to the Moseneke Committee, on access-to-justice grounds. That change is the part Cabinet has now approved for implementation on 1 July, just six weeks from now, and is likely to be in place before the Minister and her Deputy have sat down with the Action Committee.

Importantly, the seat relocation has not been withdrawn. Kubayi did not specify when, after the consultations, she would take a final decision, nor did she indicate the criteria she would apply in deciding whether to proceed. As of Wednesday, the Government Gazette notice giving effect to the Phase 1 jurisdictional changes had not been published.

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development had not responded to follow-up questions on the timing of the consultations or the Gazette notice at the time of publication.

While the decision on relocating the Eastern Cape High Court’s main seat from Makhanda to Bhisho has been put on hold, the Makhanda court’s jurisdictional area will be substantially reduced. Photo: Supplied

12/06/2026

11/06/2026

Local elections are a chance to rescue collapsing university towns

By Eric Sibiya

The heart of South Africa’s intellectual future is beating inside a decaying co**se because our municipalities are rotting in plain sight.

Just walk through the university campuses in Makhanda, Potchefstroom, Alice, or Kimberley, and you will find hubs of excellence producing the skills this country desperately needs. But if you take a step outside campus, you are immediately confronted by the collapse of local government –crumbling streets, dry taps and dark streets.

Aside from hosting universities, what do these municipalities have in common? They are all governed by the ANC and trapped in a cycle of factionalism. This stands in stark contrast to Stellenbosch which is governed by the DA and actually maintains functional infrastructure, attracts investment and works alongside the university rather than dragging it through the sewage.

For years, failing municipalities and the South African Local Government Association have hidden behind a pathetic excuse: a supposed shortage of skills. But how on earth can a town suffer from a lack of skills when it sits right on the doorstep of institutions producing thousands of graduates every season?

This week, Professor Bismark Tyobeka, principal and vice-chancellor of North-West University, dismantled this myth in response to Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke’s damning briefing to Parliament that the finances of municipalities such as Potchefstroom’s JB Marks, were crumbling from irregular expenditure. and zero controls.

Tyobeka noted an absurd contradiction. His university alone produced nearly 13,000 graduates this past season. "Let us be honest. The real crisis within many of our municipalities is not simply one of skills. It is instability in leadership, the politicisation of appointments, poor institutional management, poor people management, and undue political interference.

"A capable state is not built merely by producing graduates. It is built by creating institutions where competence is protected, ethical leadership is rewarded, and professionals are allowed to perform their functions without fear, favour or undue interference," Tyobeka added.

This governance collapse is forcing residents and businesses into an impossible, desperate position. Last week’s Grocott’s Mail coverage was dominated by headlines such as, "Why must we fight for basic services?" and "I'm tired of living like this".

Universities in these towns are meant to benefit the surrounding communities, be one with the communities, but when municipalities fail to supply the most basic services — such as water provision and refuse collection — businesses, institutions and residents are bullied into fending for themselves.

When a university is forced to build its own water treatment plants and solar grids just to keep its doors open, as Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor Professor Sizwe Mabizela has frequently outlined, it fundamentally ceases to be one with the town, and becomes a fortress of privilege, while the community outside its gates is abandoned to the rot.

Worse still, it lets the municipality off the hook. Once the biggest ratepayer and political heavyweight in town no longer relies on the municipal pipes and wires, the pressure to fix the town vanishes, leaving the community to drown while the university sits precariously on dry land.

However, it would be wrong to place the entire blame on the municipality. Makana has dealt with crippling water outages and raw sewage for well over a decade but, come election time, the town’s residents return the same politicians to the council chambers. So yes, voters are actively complicit in their own town’s destruction.

The situation in Kimberley is equally devastating. This city hosts the modern, forward-looking Sol Plaatje University, yet the Sol Plaatje Local Municipality subjects its residents to medieval living conditions. The Diamond Fields Advertiser reported in early 2026 that the municipality had forced the entire city into brutal nightly water shutdowns.

For weeks, taps would run dry from 9pm until 4am just to prevent the Newton Reservoirs from emptying completely. How exactly do you run a student residence, study for a degree, or build a start-up when the local government literally shuts off the lifeblood of your city every single night?

The Kimberley electorate is just as complicit as Makhanda’s. Who are they expecting to save them when they enable the abuse every five years through the ballot box?

Conditions are even worse at Alice, home to the historic University of Fort Hare. The town falls under the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality, an entity that offers virtually no baseline of functional infrastructure.

The fallout extends far beyond the lecture halls, suffocating the entrepreneurial spirit of these towns and fracturing entire communities. Political economist Frans Cronje warned in his May 2026 analysis that South Africa was increasingly balkanising into elite, middle-class enclaves. This bleak reality is exactly what is playing out in our university towns where wealthier residents and well-funded institutions are pushed to create their own private, resilient bubbles with independent water treatment plants and solar power grids.

South Africans cannot afford to sit back and watch these towns fail, nor can we accept a grim future where universities operate as fortified islands surrounded by failing states. We are in an election year, and the survival of these towns lies in the electorate finally using the power it already has. Our votes must stop rewarding incompetence but demand accountability from the individuals deployed to serve us.

Litter and potholes are characteristic of downtown Kimberley, while vacant plots and the veld around the town is an extended illegal dump. Photo: Steve Kretzmann

09/06/2026

2026 Standard Bank Young Artist for Visual Art Bronwyn Katz, works through sculpture and installation to develop a speculative language that draws on land, memory, and embodied forms of knowledge. Her practice considers how histories that resist traditional archives might be carried through material, gesture, and sound, proposing alternative ways of recording and transmitting communal memory.

The retrieval of lost language through material process is central to Bronwyn Katz’s exhibition, Ta a-b kobab ada kāxu-da, ti khoe-du’e!

Language here is not fixed or lexical; it is relational, a system of contact, conduction, and response. Katz begins with the body. She traces subtle shifts across her own skin: impressions, irritations, fleeting marks that appear and dissolve over time.
These intimate cartographies are translated into metal scaffolds that hold resonant forms, horns and cavities filled with healing herbs, beeswax, and conductive wire circuits.

Monument Gallery | Monument Building
Daily during the Festival 09:00 to 17:00

08/06/2026

05/06/2026

3 weeks to go, folks!
See you at the Village Green 💚

02/06/2026

Part opera, part dystopian fever dream, this immersive AI-driven dance experience from Darkroom Contemporary shifts and evolves in real time, with audiences influencing how the story ends.

AUTOPLAY uses combined generative processes to create a unique, live score and structure for each performance and asks an unsettling question: are we still in control, or have we already handed that over to the machine?

26th - 29th June | Drill Hall

Tickets available at https://zurl.co/FFIZZ

01/06/2026

31/05/2026

It’s nearly time to pack your bags and make your way to Makhanda for the 2026 National Arts Festival!
From buzzing cafés to the famous Long Table restaurant, vibrant Village Green and late nights at Oldies - there’s plenty happening on and off stage. Catch a kids show before lunch, discover hidden Fringe gems in the afternoon, then head into the evening spoilt for choice by theatre, dance, music, comedy and more.

Head to the https://zurl.co/K7Po8 and hit Plan Your Stay!

25 June-5 July 2026

23/05/2026

Makhanda seeing property boom as families leave big cities behind

By Ragel Maritz

An increasing number of South African families are relocating to Makhanda, driven by the town’s prestigious schools, slower pace of life, and growing sense of civic renewal. Recent insights from estate agencies, school leadership, and relocating parents suggest the town is experiencing renewed confidence in its property market, with semigration from larger metropolitan areas steadily increasing.

According to Welmarie Calitz, manager at Pam Golding Properties, Makanda has seen a measurable increase in buyer activity, particularly from families relocating for schooling opportunities.

She explained that buyers are arriving from cities including Johannesburg, Cape Town, East London, and Gqeberha, with demand largely fuelled by the town’s private schools and lifestyle appeal.

Families relocating for schooling are generally purchasing homes between R2.5 million and R4.5 million, while lifestyle buyers are targeting character homes and larger garden properties priced between R2 million and R2.5 million. Investment buyers continue to purchase student accommodation and long-term rental properties, while first-time buyers remain active in the lower price brackets. Carlitz said suburbs such as West Hill, Oaklands, Hill 60, and Kingswood remain among the strongest-performing residential areas.

“We are also seeing growing demand for secure lock-up-and-go homes and townhouses for parents who maintain their primary residence elsewhere but want a base in Makanda during school terms and sporting weekends,” she added.

The town’s schools remain central to this trend. Kingswood College head Leon Grove said the school has observed a notable increase in families relocating from major cities in search of a healthier lifestyle and stronger community values.

“These families are drawn to the town by the exceptional quality of education on offer, a quieter and more balanced lifestyle, strong traditional family values, excellent academic outcomes, and a rich sporting culture,” Grove said.

He added that remote and flexible work arrangements have enabled more families to leave traditional economic hubs behind. “Makhanda offers a unique quality of life, one where families can enjoy the beach within 35 minutes or escape to the countryside in half that time,” he said.

Grove noted that schools and Rhodes University continue to play a major economic role in the town. Sporting and cultural events regularly attract parents and visitors, benefiting local guest houses, restaurants, and businesses. He also highlighted the role of civic partnerships in improving the town’s infrastructure, including work undertaken through Makana Revive.

“There is a growing sense that Makhanda is beginning to turn a corner after years of decline and neglect,” Grove said.

Grove added that the school’s admissions department has also seen increased interest from expatriate families, particularly from the United Kingdom, who view Makhanda’s private schooling as more affordable while still offering strong academics and an outdoor lifestyle.

According to the school, many parents are seeking safer environments and a better quality of life away from urban congestion. “Parents say they are tired of sitting in traffic in big cities and also want to get their children out of the malls,” Grove added, as noticed by their admissions department.

Among those who have recently relocated is Dave Stevens, who moved with his family from Johannesburg to Makanda so his children could attend Kingswood College. “Our primary reason was schooling for our two boys,” Stevens said. “We wanted a smallish co-ed school, and there wasn’t a lot near our home in Johannesburg.”

Stevens explained that the move also reflected a desire to leave behind the pressures of city life. “We got to the point where we felt we’d done our time in the rat race,” he said.

He described the adjustment to small-town life as significant but rewarding. “It feels as though there [is] a lot more time in the day,” Stevens said. “I’m not simply running from moment to moment, but I have the time to stop and really experience the now.”

While he acknowledged that adapting to a close-knit community has taken time, Stevens said the lower levels of violent crime compared to Johannesburg have given his family peace of mind. “There is no doubt that contact crime is significantly lower in Grahamstown compared to Johannesburg,” he said.

Further evidence of the town’s growing confidence comes from RE/MAX Frontier principal Jean Rodgerson and the RE/MAX team, who believe Makhanda is undergoing a major shift driven by civic engagement, infrastructure improvements, and growing investment confidence.

“I think the shift has definitely happened, and we definitely are selling,” Rodgerson said, adding that RE/Max has 60% to 70% market share in Grahamstown.

She explained that local businesses, residents, schools, and civic organisations have increasingly stepped in to improve infrastructure and uplift the town independently of the municipality. “People can physically see things happening — streets being repaired, gardens being maintained, businesses doing their part…." Rodgerson noted that private schools such as St. Andrew’s College, Kingswood College, and Diocesan School for Girls are operating at or near full capacity, which is helping drive demand for housing.

The pools at Kingswood College. Photo: Supplied by Jackie Grove