Author: The Free Stater

Staff Reporter The Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (DESTEA) is working with leading retail chain Pick n Pay and financial house ABSA to develop a retail concept expected to promote growth in different townships in the province. Dubbed the Pick n Pay Market Stores, the concept has been earmarked for Sasolburg, Welkom, Bloemfontein, Botshabelo and Virginia. “This concept combines the support of Pick n Pay’s supply chain with the store owner’s discretion to procure certain locally produced items directly from their own suppliers,” said DESTEA in a statement. It said those interested in the R4.5…

Staff Reporter The Free State Department of Education is recruiting about 20 000 education assistants and general school assistants to be deployed across the province. The initiative is part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme aimed at giving jobs to South Africans, particularly the youth. “The department is looking to recruit 11 211 education assistants and 7 791 general school assistants under this programme,” said a statement issued by the department’s spokesperson Howard Ndaba. Successful candidates are expected to start on December 1 and the initial contracts will run until March 31 next year. The initiative is being…

Staff Reporter Free State Education MEC Tate Makgoe is this morning expected to form part of a high-level panel that will draw up parameters for assessing key grades in primary schools in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. “. . . as part of our focus to support primary schools, I will form part of the departmental experts to moderate the primary school based assessment for Grades 3, 6 and 7,” Makgoe wrote on Twitter to announce the crucial exercise. “COVID-19 has disrupted learning programmes in our schools. The initiative aims to assess the learning losses for 2020,” he added.…

Staff Reporter A 17-year-old Free State boy has appeared in court for the possession of a suspected stolen vehicle. The minor, who made an initial appearance at the Sasolburg Magistrates Court on Monday, could face more serious charges after it emerged that the owner of the vehicle, a Toyota Yaris, was found dead in the Vals River near Kroonstad. Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Sam Makhele said in a statement released on Tuesday the minor was stopped by the police on Saturday morning along the R57 while driving the vehicle to Gauteng. He said the police became curious when they saw…

Staff Reporter A Grade 12 learner at a Free State school died on Monday after developing medical complications while writing his final school examination. The deceased was a learner at Unicom Agricultural Secondary School in the small farming town of Tweespruit, which lies about 93 kilometres east of provincial capital Bloemfontein. According to Education MEC Tate Makgoe, the learner was writing his Maths Paper 2 examination when tragedy struck. “Condolences to the family, learners and teachers of Unicom Agricultural SS (for the) Grade 12 learner who passed on today,” Makgoe said via his Twitter account on Monday night. “This after…

A lot of people have spent a lot of money buying and upgrading or changing commercial properties into residential units, especially in the major cities where residential property is scarce. The biggest advantage of these sites is their central location which can mean that people who stay there are close to work and or varsity. But I ask the question: is it worth the effort? I mentor a number of young people who want to get into the property owning business and they bring me these projects to evaluate. Firstly, the buildings usually lie in not very attractive areas. Why…

Staff Reporter ANC secretary general and former Free State premier Ace Magashule has been released on R200 000 bail after he appeared briefly in the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court on 21 charges of corruption and fraud, alternatively theft and money laundering. The matter was postponed to February 19, 2021 as the prosecution looks to add at least three more accused persons on the chargesheet and to join Magashule with the rest of the accused. He was ordered to surrender his passport, inform the investigating team if he wishes to travel abroad and not to be in contact with any witnesses, particularly…

Staff Reporter ANC chief whip in the Free State Legislature Vusi Tshabalala says the party’s secretary general Ace Magashule, who is facing charges of fraud and corruption, is not expected to step aside because the party does not have any such policy. Tshabalala told journalists outside the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court ahead of Magashule’s first appearance that Magashule should be allowed to continue doing his work for the party and should not be disturbed because he has been linked to the alleged Free State asbestos corruption case. “Why should he step aside? Step aside for what?” responded Tshabalala when asked if…

Staff Reporter Mangaung Metro Municipality has announced the closure of major roads around the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court tomorrow morning ahead of an appearance by ANC secretary general Ace Magashule. The move is in anticipation of the crowds that might want to witness the initial court appearance by the former Free State premier, who has been linked to a failed asbestos audit project in the province involving about R255 million. In a statement, municipal spokesperson Qondile Khedama said President Brand Street will be closed between President Boshoff and St Andrews Street. St George Street will also be inaccessible between Markgraaff and…

Staff Reporter The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Blade Nzimande, has directed his department to urgently look into the administrative chaos rocking the Central University of Technology (CUT). A statement issued by the higher education department’s spokesperson, Ishmael Mnisi, said the minister is worried about the situation at the Free State institution after it suspended its vice-chancellor, Professor Henk de Jager, and the deputy vice-chancellor for resources and operations, Dr Gary Paul, over a host of issues. “The minister has requested a detailed report from the department to ascertain facts on the prevailing situation at the institution,” read…