Author: Darlington Majonga
SOUTH Africa’s water sector is facing a deepening crisis, with nearly half of the country’s municipalities failing to provide safe drinking water and almost all wastewater treatment plants unable to meet quality standards. This is according to the Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA)’s first consolidated audit of the national water sector, presented to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation on Tuesday. The report found that 46 percent of municipalities operate unsafe drinking water systems, while 44 percent failed chemical safety tests. The situation is even worse in wastewater management, where 99 percent of treatment plants failed at least one quality…
POLICE in Kroonstad have launched an intensive manhunt after a major burglary at the Moqhaka Parks Municipality building in the early hours of Monday, in which more than 40 firearms and over a thousand rounds of ammunition were stolen. According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the break-in is believed to have occurred at around 00:55. The burglary was only discovered later that morning when a municipal employee arrived for work and found the alarm control box destroyed. Further inspection revealed that the door to the building’s armoury room had been forced open, allegedly using a grinding tool. Inside,…
MORE than three years have passed since the peaceful rhythm of life in Jagersfontein was shattered by one of the worst disasters in the town’s history. On 11 September 2022, the wall of a tailings dam at a local mine collapsed, unleashing a torrent of sludge that tore through the community. Homes were swept away, roads submerged, and hundreds of residents left scrambling for safety. Since that morning, the town has waited — often in frustration — for answers. This Friday, 28 November, Minister of Water and Sanitation Pemmy Majodina is expected to release the findings of an independent investigation…
FOR years, the warm glow of Coobah’s signage lit up a corner of Preller Walk Shopping Centre in an upmarket Bloemfontein suburb, drawing in families, students and late-afternoon regulars who treated its bustling tables as a second home. Then, almost without warning, the restaurant fell silent. The chairs were stacked, the lights dimmed and the signature aroma that once seeped through the shopping centre vanished. What most shoppers did not realise was that although the Coobah brand had continued operating under new management for some time, the original corporate entity behind it – Coobah Development CC – was quietly sliding…
A 46-YEAR-OLD woman from Phuthaditjhaba miraculously survived an alleged attempt on her life, clinging desperately to a tree branch in an overflowing river for more than 12 hours after a taxi driver reportedly tried to sexually assault and drown her. Police said the ordeal began on Sunday evening when the woman boarded a taxi from Mabolela Village to Phuthaditjhaba. Instead of heading to her destination, the driver allegedly diverted the vehicle toward Mphatlalatsane Village. The suspect reportedly demanded that she have sex with him. When she refused, he allegedly stopped the taxi, approached her and instructed her to undress. She…
BLOEMFONTEIN will play host to one of the world’s most gruelling cycling challenges this week as the Munga Cycling Tour kicks off on Wednesday. The ultra-endurance, single-stage race departs from Windmill Casino in the Free State capital at 1200 hours, sending participants on a punishing 1 500 km journey through some of South Africa’s most unforgiving terrain. Riders will traverse Vanderkloof Dam, Britstown, Loxton and the vast expanse of the Tankwa Karoo before reaching Ceres. The final stage ends at Doolhof Wine Farm in Wellington in the Western Cape province, with the race officially closing at 1200 hours on Monday, 1 December…
A PRISON officer at the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein was arrested on Thursday morning after he was allegedly caught attempting to smuggle drugs into the G4S-run facility using his lunch box. The breakthrough came during a joint operation between the Department of Correctional Services and the South African Police Service (SAPS). Acting on intelligence, officials conducted a random search during which the 36-year-old officer’s locker and lunch box were inspected. Using a fork to probe the contents of the lunch box, officials discovered 149 Mandrax tablets tightly sealed with masking tape, along with compressed dagga concealed in a transparent…
NCOP slams Nketoana over R42 million bulk water project failuresNCOP slams Nketoana over R42 million bulk water project failuresNCOP slams Nketoana over R42 million bulk water project failures During oversight visits across the Thabo Mofutsanyane district this week as part of Parliament’s Provincial Week, delegates discovered that construction of a three-megalitre reservoir in Petrus Steyn and upgrades to the raw water and high-lift pump stations in Reitz were terminated midstream. Municipal officials confirmed they are now pursuing legal action to recover the wasted funds. Delegation leader Bheki Radebe said it was “deeply disturbing” that companies entrusted with essential infrastructure could…
PARLIAMENT’S education watchdog has pressed the Free State Department of Education to tighten its planning and fix gaps in its data, saying the province’s strong matric results cannot mask weaknesses in long-term skills development. The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education met this week with the Free State and Northern Cape education departments as part of its oversight of provincial annual performance plans, financial management and school safety interventions. In its presentation, the Free State Education Department reported that it continued to prioritise teaching and learning despite budget pressures and the freezing of senior management posts. The committee acknowledged the province’s…
THE Free State is opening its doors to investors with a landmark Public Property Investment Summit set for 27 November in Bloemfontein – an ambitious initiative aimed at transforming dormant state-owned properties into engines of economic growth and job creation. Held under the theme “A Free State That Works for All: Unlocking State Assets for Inclusive Growth”, the summit is a flagship initiative of the provincial government to reposition state properties as drivers of development rather than financial burdens. Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae said the summit sends a clear signal that the province is ready to welcome investors and forge sustainable…