Author: The Free Stater

THE Free State government is ramping up efforts to boost agriculture and rural development, with Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae underscoring the sector’s critical role in the provincial economy during her State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Friday. She highlighted that agriculture currently contributes six percent to the Free State’s economy, reaffirming its importance in driving economic growth and job creation. “Because of our Comprehensive Commodity Support Programme, 47 smallholder producers were capacitated to be commercial producers,” said Letsoha-Mathae, emphasising the province’s commitment to transforming small-scale farming into commercially viable enterprises. A major focus of the government’s strategy is the revitalisation…

PREMIER MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae has committed to working closely with local businesses and Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) to drive economic growth in the Free State. Delivering her inaugural State of the Province Address in Bloemfontein on Friday, she pledged to transform the province’s economic landscape by prioritising Free State-based businesses in government procurement. “We will engage the Free State business community to explore how they can meaningfully participate in the economic development of the province,” Letsoha-Mathae said. The premier emphasised that the provincial government’s commitment to SMME development remains unwavering, recognising small businesses as the foundation of inclusive growth…

PREMIER MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae has lauded the Free State’s growing investment portfolio, highlighting significant strides in manufacturing, mining, and economic development during her State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Friday. Her address emphasised that the province’s commitment to investment attraction is bearing fruit. “We want investors to invest in the future. The future is in the Free State,” she stated. At the heart of the province’s investment drive, according to the premier, is the Maluti-a-Phofung Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which has secured major investments for the 2024/25 financial year. Letsoha-Mathae underscored the importance of these projects in boosting economic growth…

CENTLEC is struggling to recover debts exceeding R1 billion, forcing the electricity distribution company for the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality to disconnect power to several Free State provincial government buildings and other properties in Bloemfontein. The utility said the mass disconnections, which began last week, were necessary to recover long-standing arrears that have hindered its ability to maintain a stable power supply. The move has affected government offices, businesses and residential properties. “As we have mentioned in our statement issued on February 5, Centlec has made multiple efforts to engage with all defaulting customers, guided by our approved Credit Control and…

MORE than 31 000 students at the University of the Free State (UFS) owed a total of R506 million in unpaid fees by the end of last year, highlighting financial burden that threatens not only their dreams of graduation but also their prospects of entering the workforce. “The total student debt at the University of the Free State as of 1 November 2024 is R506 million,” university spokesperson Lacea Loader told The Free Stater in an interview. Of this, R332 million was owed by students funded through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), while self-paying students accounted for R174 million. NSFAS-funded students…

THE Free State High Court dismissed a bid by the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) to compel authorities to take immediate action against illegal land occupations in Bloemfontein’s Lourierpark area. The two opposition parties had sought a court order forcing the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality and the South African Police Service (SAPS) to enforce a previous ruling that authorised the removal of unlawful occupiers from Subdivision 5 of the farm Brandkop 702. Judge President Mbhele ruled there was no evidence that SAPS failed in its constitutional duty to act against the land invasion. The court dismissed the application,…

PREMIER MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae has urged greater professionalism in the public service while addressing the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu)’s sixth provincial congress held at Ntsu Secondary School in Bethlehem. The two-day congress, which ran from 13-14 February under the theme “Building Working-Class for Economic Liberation Towards Socialism”, opened with hundreds of delegates singing the struggle anthems “Bizani ifire brigade Kuyasha” and “Haene Pula”, reflecting a mood of renewed hope and commitment to workers’ rights. Letsoha-Mathae, speaking to a packed hall, said: “In our efforts to professionalise, the seventh administration battled with a plethora of irregular and unlawful appointments, many…

THE High Court in Bloemfontein has dismissed an application by construction firm Ntema Investments CC to be reinstated in a multi-million-rand housing project in the Free State province, ruling that the company’s joint venture agreement had lapsed when the provincial government terminated the contract. The company had approached the court seeking an order compelling the Free State Department of Human Settlements to reinstate it in the construction of 2 614 housing units in Refengkgotso, a project awarded in 2017. Judge Daffue found that the joint venture (JV) between Ntema Investments and Sedtrade (Pty) Ltd had ceased to exist after Sedtrade,…

Following US President Donald Trump’s controversial executive order cutting aid to South Africa and offering refugee status to Afrikaaners, The Free Stater Editor Darlington Majonga engages AfriForum’s Head of Public Relations, Ernst J van Zyl, for an in-depth question-and-answer interview. Van Zyl shares AfriForum’s perspectives on the implications of Trump’s decision, the state of international diplomacy, land reform policies and the broader conversation on race relations in South Africa. Excerpts: Q: AfriForum has consistently opposed land expropriation efforts. Given South Africa’s historical land dispossession, how does AfriForum propose addressing land inequality without maintaining the status quo of white land dominance? A: Expropriation of…

THE Free State provincial government’s failure to honour its electricity bills has led to a disgraceful and avoidable crisis. With Centlec forced to disconnect power to key government buildings due to unpaid debts exceeding R1 billion, the consequences of financial mismanagement are now painfully clear. While the provincial administration scrambles for damage control, the reality is simple: no entity, including the government, can expect uninterrupted services without paying for them. For years, residents and businesses have been warned that failure to settle their accounts would result in service disconnections. Now, government departments are facing the same reality. It is unacceptable…