MyPE

Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

From the Poor to the Rich: Makhanda’s Standard Bank Art Festival Fails to Deliver

By

Dear Editor

In the past and two months before every winter holiday, the citizens of Grahamstown would be hard at work preparing for the Art Festival. Every Government institution would employ an additional group of contractual workers. This was done to prepare for this prestigious event about to happen in town.

Public works would ensure roads damaged due to summer rains were fixed and clearly marked with road markings. Every year a new road would be constructed, tarred, for easy access to places for visitors. This was a double benefited for the locals better and contracted employees.

The Municipality would add staff for plumbing, cleaning, reception and security for the event. Local Eskom would add staff for the maintenance and electrification of temporary structures and places where events, clothing and/or equipment would be sold.

Local businesses would also employ additional staff for the Festival period to meet the demands of increased customers and visitors.

Some locals became temporary police to ensure police officers were visible, working tirelessly to prevent crime during this period.

Youth started dancing and singing groups. They would find a corner to showcase their talents and by-passers would throw money or spot a talent and invite them to develop their skills further.

The town opened centers where art was taught, drawing, sculpturing, photography, musical instruments, dancing, acting and singing. Young people were trained in those centers. Some were employed in those centers. When the Art Festival came, the youth of the town would also find slots to showcase talents and skills. This boosted the local economy enabling many to benefit from the festival.

Many changed their residences to guest houses, Bed and breakfast to accommodate foreigners and nationals. This resulted in some hosting the same visitors often during this event. Some started to develop relations with international and national people, developing and extending their houses to accommodate more people.

Local schools also hosted some events. This was due to local halls and theatrical centers being fully booked. These schools ended up better able to maintain their facilities whilst some added arts as subject to be taught in school. Nombulelo SSS, Mary Waters and Nyaluza Secondary were amongst the beneficiaries of the art festival.

You could see that Christmas came in June for the townships, some were visited by movie, music stars and celebrities. Some sold sculptures, paintings and other art works. The Art Festival kept the Makhanda locals very busy.

Fast forward and one now sees how the Art Festival has deteriorated into only benefiting a few rich locals and mostly outsiders.

The centers of art training closed down and those buildings were vandalized, township schools no longer benefit. The houses in townships that used to host visitors no longer get any.

Roads are increasingly crowded with potholes. People are looking hopeless, jobless and moneyless. Water unavailability and Electricity blackouts continue.

The ANC lead government now subjugates people into ever more poverty. What used to benefit its voters, the ANC looted and ensured it is destroyed. Locals in Makhanda need to interrogate if the ANC came to liberate or to subject them into violence and poverty. Makhanda’s erratic water crisis has been there for more than seven years. This government has NO PLAN. Water is not a basic right anymore. The drought cannot be an excuse – year 2022 and 2023 provided sufficient rainfall that could have resulted the dams being full and every area provided with water every day. Those elected have no plan – their only hope is on the failed Amathole Water Board.

The only hope to revive the Art festival to return to its former glory is to vote for change in 2024 national elections. People must be exhausted of driving on debilitated roads, living without water and electricity blackouts. People must be tired of only hosting an event that does not benefit them at all.

A change of government is what this town needs.

Reagrds

Maxhoba Buwa
BOSA Eastern Cape, Provincial Leader

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Port Elizabethan

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