Author: The Free Stater

Staff Reporter At least 18 people including a police officer, examiners and administrative clerks from the Department of Traffic and private testing stations have appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court on charges of fraud and corruption. The accused, who made their first appearance on Friday, were allegedly involved in the registration of unroadworthy vehicles and issuing of police clearance certificates without proper examination. Some of them were working at the Lengau Traffic Centre in Bloemfontein while others were based at P Mvela Testing Centre in Port Elizabeth, Lephalale Private Testing Centre in Limpopo and VTEQ Private Testing Centre in Heidelberg,…

Staff Reporter Free State Agriculture and Rural Development MEC William Bulwane has described as senseless the latest farm attacks in which three farmers were killed in separate incidents in the province. The latest incident involving a 56-year-old farmer and his 26-year-old son happened in the early hours of Friday. “We hope that the perpetrators of these gruesome murders will be brought to book,” said Bulwane in a statement. He urged different stakeholders to come together and fight the gruesome crimes, saying farm killings threaten food security and leave those who depend on the very same farmers for employment vulnerable. In…

Staff Reporter Police in the northern Free State have launched a manhunt for unknown suspects after a farmer was shot and killed while his son was left injured. In a statement, police spokesperson Brigadier Sam Makhele said a domestic worker made the gruesome discovery at Swartpan Farm in Hennenman at about 5am this morning after she was called by the deceased’s wife who was worried as she could not get hold of her husband and son. “The domestic worker alerted relatives after she found the 56-year-old farmer and his 26-year-old son injured,” said Makhele. “Other farmers and the police were…

Commercial property such as shops and offices as well as industrial property like factories and warehouses can be good investment options but you certainly need some professional guidance when buying. Commercial and industrial properties are higher risk compared to investing in flats and townhouses. This is mainly because they tend to be expensive single-tenant properties. Investors in this market need to have a risk appetite and be able to pay expensive prices even if their properties stand vacant for long periods of time. The reason for this is that while the market is active, commercial and industrial properties are in…

Staff Reporter Performing Arts Centre of the Free State (PACOFS) chief executive officer Peter Pedlar has been suspended to allow for an on-going investigation. PACOFS, an agency of the Department of Arts and Culture and the flagship of theatre activities in the province, announced the suspension in a statement but did not elaborate on the nature of the investigation or what prompted the move. “PACOFS hereby confirms the precautionary suspension of the chief executive officer, Mr Peter Pedlar, with immediate effect due to an on-going investigation,” it said in the statement. “An independent service provider has been appointed to enable…

Staff Reporter The vice chancellor and principal of the Central University of Technology (CUT), Professor Henk De Jager, has been suspended amid claims of a governance crisis at the Free State institution. The situation at the university is said to be so dire that the chairperson of the CUT council, Boysie Phehlukwayo, allegedly resigned on Tuesday, just a day after the suspension of the vice chancellor. The university has not formally communicated the suspension and the resignation of the two but close sources say De Jager was suspended during a virtual council meeting which was however not concluded after it…

Staff Reporter Free State Education MEC Tate Makgoe has witnessed the start of this year’s National Senior Certificate (NSC) Examinations at Kagisho Comprehensive School in Bloemfontein and wished all learners well. “This morning I visited Grade 12 learners at Kagisho Comprehensive School and spoke to them a few minutes before they started writing,” said Makgoe in a Twitter post. The candidates were sitting for the English First Additional Language Paper. “Good luck to all our learners. I know they are ready . . . make the Free State proud!” More than 49 000 candidates will write the 2020 matric examinations…

Staff Reporter At least six people have been confirmed dead after a bus and a motor vehicle collided near Reddersburg in the early hours of this morning. The accident occurred at the crossing of the R702 and the N6, also known as the Dewetsdorp/Reddersburg Crossing, at about 1am. A statement from the Free State provincial health department said all the deceased and critically injured were travelling in the car while some of the bus passengers were treated on the scene. “All the injured and deceased were from the car and patients were transported to Pelonomi Trauma Unit,” read part of…

Staff Reporter Acting Free State Health MEC Thembeni Nxangisa has blamed the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the province on people growing tired of the acute respiratory disease, resulting in most of them failing to follow the set health protocols to curb its spread. Nxangisa told a media briefing on Friday that the Free State is now listed as one of the provinces in the country with an increasing daily rate of infections and warned the situation could worsen if people don’t adhere to social distancing, sanitising and the wearing of masks, among others. Over the past few days,…

The hot summer holidays are usually times to enjoy with family but it’s important to avoid the heat-waves which normally result in extreme activities around dams, rivers and oceans. The Department of Water and Sanitation urges citizens to observe safety procedures around rivers, dams and oceans across the country during the festive season and beyond. Most inland holiday makers will be flocking to the coastal areas after a stiff COVID-19 lockdown that came with both physical and mental constraints. For many, particularly first-timers to the beach, it will feel like having freedom of a lifetime after spending a long period…