“Crumbling in Plain Sight”: Man Alleges Who’s Behind Grahamstown’s Downfall

• Eugene Wood, a South African content creator, shared his opinion on who was behind Grahamstown's (now known as Makhanda) downfall
• He mentioned how there was a decline in visitors and performers for the National Arts Festival over the past decade
• Many people gathered in the comment section with their thoughts, with the town's residents sharing their experiences

Local content creator Eugene Wood shared his take on who he thought was behind the deteriorating state of Grahamstown (now known as Makhanda). His post left many internet users shaking their heads at what the government allegedly failed to provide the town.

On 10 September, 2025, Eugene took to his TikTok account and said:

"Grahamstown is basically crumbling in plain sight. Who is to blame for the degradation in this very well-known town that includes Rhodes University, three private schools, the Eastern Cape High Court, as well as the National Art Festival?

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"Even though this town has agricultural and educational importance, the local municipality seems to be to blame for what is going on in Grahamstown at the moment."

In 2015, the National Art Festival's CEO, Tony Lankester, noted that it saw an increase in ticket sales of up to 241 116, representing 6.9% growth over 2014. Roughly 300 productions and 50 visual artists travelled to the town to entertain art lovers.

Eugene alleged that due to the pothole-filled roads, unwalkable pavements, and sewerage, Grahamstown has become inhospitable, seeing a decline in visitors, performers and the money generated from the Festival.

The content creator shared that institutions, such as Rhodes University, which had between 8 700 and 9 300 registered students from 2023 to 2025, according to its website, implemented their own measures to provide students with water and lights.

"All these institutes are trying to do their best because they're not being provided the service from the municipality."

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Eugene stated that while the government was pouring money into the province, it seemed as if nobody was spending the money on what the province needed for its residents.

"The municipal workers have to be urged to do something in this town to uplift it, and they're not even doing that. Where is all this money going? What are they doing with this money?"

South Africans talk about Grahamstown

Several social media users, including the town's past and present residents, headed to the comment section with their views of Grahamstown.

@brentphillips_007 told the online community:

"They need to move the National Arts Festival back to Rhodes University's grounds. The latest setup doesn’t work and doesn't provide the greatest vibe and environment."

@sethumtyobo, who claimed to be a resident, wrote:

"The situation here is appalling. Growing up here, it is heartbreaking to see the town deteriorating into such a state. We, as the community and people, keep asking ourselves what happens to the funds. There is a municipality, but what are they doing? We keep seeing social media displays of machinery being bought and new vehicles, but none of the funds go to fixing the unmanageable sewers, the water crisis, or roads that are half done or full of potholes.

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"I have worked on two projects funded by the municipality that were both left undone, with material left lying around and more damage being done after the projects. I could write a book about the lack of commitment from the municipality to actually uplift the town and serve the community."

@phakamaniarnoldba had a different opinion, writing:

"In all honesty, the ones to blame are those who left their home town to invest heavily elsewhere. One of the biggest home investors, just to name a few, is the First National Bank."

@peace3945 stated under the post:

"I think the ANC government has never had any clear plan moving forward regarding legacy buildings, technological infrastructure, and other state-owned entities that were meant for South Africa's sustainability in the past."

@ncumisagarishe asked in the comments:

"What’s not crumbling in the province?"

Take a look at the TikTok video below:

3 Other stories about Grahamstown

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• In another article, Briefly News reported that a young woman living in the town showed two homeless men imitating her by pretending to warm up for a run, too.
• In October, 2022, police launched a manhunt after seven inmates escaped from the Grahamstown Correctional Facility. The majority of the escapees were Zimbabwean nationals accused of rhino poaching.
• Two students from Rhodes University shared that they chose to spend their money on food rather than grooving the night away. Other students shared their thoughts on the financial decision made.

Source: Briefly News