With Covid-19 restrictions finally dropped, the promise of normalcy and social activities without face masks hiding the smiles of attendees, the rolling grey clouds and plummeting winter weather were no match for the outburst of excitement at the opening of the 48th National Arts Festival in Makhanda.
The Guild Theatre stage has been transformed into a magical island by Wela Kapela's latest production Once on this Island, which opened last night to an explosion of colour and song.
Community Theatre director and teacher Nasine van Rensburg-Boltt will host auditions this Saturday for her new East London offering of The Snow Queen: A Frozen Adventure. Van Rensburg Boltt said: “We are incredibly excited for this project and we just know it is going to be a smash. “We have been focusing on children’s theatre since the pandemic began.
Taxi drivers barricaded the N2 on both sides of Dutywa, holding up traffic for about 12 hours on Friday to protest what they claim is an “industry monopoly” by bus company Intercape. Schools, supermarkets, banks and government departments in Dutywa were closed because of the protest and some road users were stuck on the N2 from 2am.
Taxi associations shut down the town of Dutywa on Friday morning complaining of “the industry monopoly” by bus company Intercape. Schools, supermarkets, banks and government departments in the town have closed as a result of the strike. A taxi driver in Dutywa, who asked not to be named, said: “Intercape is monopolising the industry because they always charge less prices than taxis on the same route than us.