Makhanda, South Africa // The annual arts festival in the Eastern Cape town of Makhanda brings thousands of visitors and with them an influx of revenue to local business.
This year, the festival also brings water.
“The organisers have said we’d have enough water, at least for the week,” says Belinda Meyer, who runs a small bed and breakfast in the usually quiet town in the Eastern Cape province. “But don’t drink it. It’s not guaranteed to be clean and safe to drink. Stick to bottled water, even for teeth cleaning,” she adds.
Makhanda, formerly known as Grahamstown, has struggled to deliver basic services to its 70,000 residents for the past five years. Sewage runs freely in potholed streets and rubbish is everywhere. Feral donkeys wander unhindered among the 19th century houses and stone cathedrals that line the central village square.
“The donkeys belong to nobody,” says Xolani Mcibi, a local vendor setting up shop in the town square. “Before, the municipality would remove animals. Now they walk everywhere, digging in rubbish and making a mess in the streets.”
Townsfolk are limited to 50 litres of water a day, and those who can have installed rainwater tanks. Even Makhanda’s crown jewel, Rhodes University, was on the brink of closing its doors in February and sending students home because of the acute water shortage and the health hazard it presented.
They were saved by a South African Islamic disaster relief charity Gift of the Givers (GOG), which drilled bore holes and installed tanks around the campus. “The life blood of the economy is Rhodes University: if that shuts down the city shuts down,” GOG founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman said in February.
GOG has helped following disasters around the world including the devastating Nepal earthquakes in 2015 and in the Philippines after hurricanes struck such as the 2013 Super Typhoon Haiyan. It is, therefore, both experienced and equipped to supply potable water. In May, however, GOG abruptly removed most of its equipment and left Makhanda.
“It was one of the hardest decisions we have ever had to make,” says Dr Sooliman, who set up the charity in the 1990s by sending volunteer doctors and field hospitals scrounged from the South African army to the conflict in Bosnia. But leaving Makhanda "was a matter of principle, we had no choice”, he says.
Although GOG’s aid to the town was not a business transaction, and the charity’s resources are limited, it had in effect stepped in to provide municipal services to the entire population. An agreement was reached that the local council would apply for disaster relief funds from the government and use this to fund the GOG's activities. Instead, the money that was granted was handed to three local "contractors" for work that GOG had done. Furious, Dr Sooliman and his team packed up and left.
“This is 10 million rand [Dh2.6m] of taxpayers' money handed out freely by the government to people as remuneration for work that we did,” he says. “Our hearts are with the people of Makhanda, the elderly, the women and children and everyone who waited so patiently for water but as a matter of principle we cannot continue.”
Makhanda’s troubles are hardly unique. Towns across South Africa are imploding. Even the urban centres are not immune. The mayor of eThekwini, which includes Durban port that handles more than 60 per cent of South Africa’s imports and exports, is out on bail pending a corruption trial. The eThekwini council itself is dominated by the African National Congress party that also runs the country. However, the council now is barely functioning.
Last week, Nicole Graham, the leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance in the eThekwini council, summed up the situation on Twitter like this: “Today started with several ANC Councillors trying to physically attack the City Manager, and ended with the Acting Mayor apparently being poisoned. It’s a pity this is what it took, but I’m glad eThekwini is finally in the national spotlight. This city is in deep, deep trouble.”
The state auditor general’s office in June released a damning report that showed out of the 257 municipalities in South Africa, only 18 received a clean financial audit.
“The accountability and performance management continue to worsen in most municipalities,” auditor general Kimi Makwetu told parliament. Lack of compliance with accounting standards and dearth of skilled professionals contributed to the decline in services, he said.
Mr Makwetu noted that just 21 per cent of municipal governments had qualified engineers to build infrastructure projects. Almost 65 per cent did not have a chief financial officer with adequate account management training. As a result, many local authorities were in debt and owed a total of nearly 140 billion rand for municipal services to state utilities such electricity provider Eskom.
The steady decline in services and infrastructure is now hurting business’ ability to operate, says , Alan Mukoki, the chief executive of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “Businesses operate at a local level, even if they are national companies; their manufacturing centres, their logistics centres are at the municipal level. There is no way to run a business when the electricity, water and roads are not functioning.”
The impact of ill financial health of local municipalities and their mismanagement has a profound impact on businesses, both large and small. The largest poultry producer in the country, Astral, which has a market capitalisation of 6.7bn rand, has halved production at its processing plant because of water supply interruptions at the Lekwa municipality in Mpumalanga.
Premier Foods, another major producer, has warned it will need to shut bakeries in several centres around the country because of municipal infrastructure problems.
The infrastructure breakdown is also costing lives. In May a long-distance bus barrelled into a roundabout in the Free State province town of Welkom. Eight passengers were killed and the distraught driver, who survived without injury, hanged himself from a nearby tree. Travelling overnight, a lack of functioning streetlights made it difficult for the bus driver to see the road, police said.
It is unclear if the government is entirely aware of the extent of the problem. During his annual state of the nation address late last month, the president of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa said plans were being made to modernise infrastructure.
“I dream of a South Africa where the first entirely new city built in the democratic era rises, with skyscrapers, schools, universities, hospitals and factories,” he said in parliament.
The country's Treasury has also just published new municipal cost containment regulations that, among other measures, ban the use of credit cards by local officials and councillors. This is intended to assuage public anger at reports that municipal officials use these cards for personal expenses.
Last year, for instance, in a widely publicised scandal that infuriated the public, the manager of the Enoch Mgijima municipality in the Eastern Cape, one of the poorest towns in the province, spent 90,000 rand on Kentucky Fried Chicken in just two days. This same municipality had, a few months previously, been forced to sell assets including its fire brigade vehicles and refuse trucks over unpaid debts to contractors.
Now, the Ramaphosa administration hopes to rein in some of these excesses. However, for people like Mrs Meyer in Makhanda, self-reliance is the key to remaining in business.
“Nothing’s going to change or improve anytime soon. We’ll have to keep relying on our own water tanks, and eventually our own electricity. We’ll probably have to grow our own food soon.”
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20myZoi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Syed%20Ali%2C%20Christian%20Buchholz%2C%20Shanawaz%20Rouf%2C%20Arsalan%20Siddiqui%2C%20Nabid%20Hassan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2037%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Initial%20undisclosed%20funding%20from%20SC%20Ventures%3B%20second%20round%20of%20funding%20totalling%20%2414%20million%20from%20a%20consortium%20of%20SBI%2C%20a%20Japanese%20VC%20firm%2C%20and%20SC%20Venture%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Three ways to get a gratitude glow
By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.
- During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
- As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
- In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.
Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.
Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.
Favourite colour: Black.
Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.
Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Omar%20Hilal%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Muhammad%20Farrag%2C%20Bayoumi%20Fouad%2C%20Nelly%20Karim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Structural%20weaknesses%20facing%20Israel%20economy
%3Cp%3E1.%20Labour%20productivity%20is%20lower%20than%20the%20average%20of%20the%20developed%20economies%2C%20particularly%20in%20the%20non-tradable%20industries.%3Cbr%3E2.%20The%20low%20level%20of%20basic%20skills%20among%20workers%20and%20the%20high%20level%20of%20inequality%20between%20those%20with%20various%20skills.%3Cbr%3E3.%20Low%20employment%20rates%2C%20particularly%20among%20Arab%20women%20and%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jewish%20men.%3Cbr%3E4.%20A%20lack%20of%20basic%20knowledge%20required%20for%20integration%20into%20the%20labour%20force%2C%20due%20to%20the%20lack%20of%20core%20curriculum%20studies%20in%20schools%20for%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jews.%3Cbr%3E5.%20A%20need%20to%20upgrade%20and%20expand%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20particularly%20mass%20transit%20infrastructure.%3Cbr%3E6.%20The%20poverty%20rate%20at%20more%20than%20double%20the%20OECD%20average.%3Cbr%3E7.%20Population%20growth%20of%20about%202%20per%20cent%20per%20year%2C%20compared%20to%200.6%20per%20cent%20OECD%20average%20posing%20challenge%20for%20fiscal%20policy%20and%20underpinning%20pressure%20on%20education%2C%20health%20care%2C%20welfare%20housing%20and%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20which%20will%20increase%20in%20the%20coming%20years.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m; Winner: Mcmanaman, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
6.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Bawaasil, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Bochart, Fabrice Veron, Satish Seemar
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Mutaraffa, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
7.50pm: Longines Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,00 (D) 1,900m; Winner: Rare Ninja, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.25pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Alfareeq, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9.35pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Zorion, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
The%20specs
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
