Author: The Free Stater

Staff Reporter The Free State Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) says a High Court application by the opposition Democratic Alliance to force it to recognise and work with the initial beneficiaries of the Vrede dairy project has come a bit late as work is already being done to address the issue. The application requests the court to force the provincial agricultural department to recognise, verify and appoint the nearly 80 beneficiaries to run the project. “The DA’s application to force the department through the courts to recognise, verify and appoint the beneficiaries has come a little too late,”…

There is really no good or bad time to buy. When you have big changes in the market like now, you may think you made a mistake but you didn’t. Actually, the best time to buy is when properties seem like the worst investment ever, just like now. The worst time, if you knew what was happening, is when the market reaches its peak, because prices may not increase for a year or two or even drop, though they seldom drop by much. Between 2000 and 2003 for instance, prices went up nearly three times and fell back about 10…

Staff Reporter Heidedal in Mangaung Metro has been officially declared a coronavirus hotspot after a suspect who was supposed to be in isolation attended a funeral of someone who had died of COVID-19. In a written response to questions from The Free Stater, provincial health department spokesperson Mondli Mvambi said schools in the area are being closely monitored after it emerged that some teachers had attended the funeral. “Heidedal has become a hotspot after a COVID-19 funeral where there was also a positive case,” said Mvambi. “The person was supposed to be in isolation but opted to attend the funeral,”…

Staff Reporter The Botshabelo Industrial Park near Bloemfontein has attracted investments worth over half-a-billion rand following a revitalisation programme being rolled out by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC). Free State Development Corporation property manager Edgar Kgaile said this when he briefed a stakeholder delegation from the DTIC led by the deputy director-general of Spatial Industrial Development and Economic Transformation, Sipho Zikode and including representatives from the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the Free State Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (DESTEA). In a statement, the DTIC said the upgrading of the…

Staff Reporter Heavy storms experienced in the Goldfields area in the northern Free State over the weekend have left several parts of Welkom without electricity after some high-voltage towers collapsed. Eskom said in a statement two towers were toppled by the harsh weather conditions resulting in the power outage. “Storms in the Goldfields have led to the collapse of two 132 kV towers on the Everest-Welkom Bulk feeder,” read part of the brief statement. “This has resulted in a loss of supply to a substantial portion of Welkom since 20h00 on Sunday, 25 October 2020,” it added. Eskom said due…

Staff Reporter Mangaung Metro Municipality is concerned about the latest resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the city and has warned residents not to drop their guard as the country remains prone to a second wave of the pandemic. A statement released by municipal spokesperson Qondile Khedama said the city is worried residents have become complacent and are no longer following the health protocols set out to minimise the spread of the acute respiratory disease. “With the country having moved to Alert Level 1 of the COVID-19 Risk Adjustment Strategy, Mangaung Metro has noted an increase of non-compliance to health and…

We are so lucky that interest rates have come down to historical low figures very similar to those when I started in the property industry in 1975 – around 7.5 percent. In fact, it is just about the same cost to buy as you are paying for rent at this time so it is a good time to consider buying. So, how much can one afford to buy for? Platinum Global always works with pre-qualified buyers. That means that a potential buyer has made a request to a typical bond originator — they help you find the best bond that…

Staff Reporter The Free State Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) has paid just over R20 million to Sedibeng Water after the water board turned off the taps to Matjhabeng Local Municipality four days ago over a growing water bill. In a statement, provincial CoGTA spokesperson Zolile Lobe said the money was paid to the municipality on Thursday to settle the arrears with the water board. Matjhabeng chipped in with a further R10 million to convince Sedibeng to resume supplies following protracted negotiations. “The provincial government has . . . paid an amount of R20.2 million to Matjhabeng…

Staff Reporter One of the two men accused of killing farm manager Brendin Horner has been granted bail by the Senekal Magistrates Court. Sebolai Piet Matlaletsa, 44, who is the second accused in the matter, was granted bail of R5 000 on Thursday after satisfying the court that he was not a flight risk. His co-accused, Sekwetje Isaiah Mahlamba, 32, was denied bail after the court found that the state had a potentially strong case against him and that he could influence his spouse to change her evidence as she is one of the state’s key witnesses. Magistrate Deon Van…

Staff Reporter The Free State Department of Education has suspended a Grade 12 learner from Mophate Secondary School in Bothaville after the pupil allegedly threw mud at a teacher while she was teaching in class. Education MEC Tate Makgoe posted on his Twitter account on Wednesday that the learner has been suspended for five days. “We frown upon any form of violence in our schools,” said Makgoe, urging learners to maintain a high level of discipline and respect for their teachers. The learner is expected to appear before the school’s disciplinary committee on Friday. “The department will further investigate the…