Author: The Free Stater

Staff Reporter Two MECs in the Free State have tested positive for COVID-19 as the province’s official count for coronavirus fatalities more than doubled with 84 deaths being recorded within 24 hours. Education MEC Tate Makgoe and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Thembeni Nxangisa are among the 970 new cases that were confirmed in the province Sunday evening. A statement issued by the provincial government said Makgoe has been admitted to hospital while Nxangisa is self-isolating at home. “Makgoe, whose COVID-19 tests returned positive on Thursday . . . has since been admitted at a local hospital in Bloemfontein,…

Staff Reporter Eskom has agreed to release some of the money that has been frozen in the Maluti-a-Phofung bank account so it can meet some of its running costs. This follows the successful attachment of the bank account belonging to the municipality this week after it failed to honour its debt for bulk electricity supplies which now stands at about R5.3 billion. In a statement released Saturday, the national power utility said it had reached an agreement with the eastern Free State municipality to partially release some of the funds so assist it to meet its running costs. “Eskom and…

Staff Reporter A grave “error” resulted in Health MEC Montseng Tsiu announcing that 167 healthcare workers in the Free State had so far succumbed to COVID-19, nearly three times the province’s latest official count for coronavirus fatalities. Instead, the disease had claimed the lives of only seven healthcare workers, the provincial health department said Friday evening. While presenting her budget speech earlier in the day, the MEC said: “Regrettably we have so far lost 167 soldiers, that is healthcare workers in the battle field, affecting all our platoons at different levels.” Her department however had to retract the statement after…

Staff Reporter Free State Education MEC Tate Makgoe believes public schools, which have been ordered to take a month-long break to avert the spread of the coronavirus, remain a safe place for learners as they are constantly screened for the disease while their movements are also regulated. In his supplementary budget vote speech presented on his behalf by Economic Development MEC Makalo Mohale, Makgoe said while President Cyril Ramaphosa’s directive to close schools allows for an opportunity to re-evaluate school operations, the phased reopening of schools had proved an effective way to monitor the health of learners. “. . .…

Staff Reporter Close to 370 000 people in the Free State have applied for the special unemployment grant set up by the government to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 which have seen thousands losing jobs as companies struggle to survive. Social Development MEC Mamiki Qabathe said in her supplementary budget speech for the 2020/21 financial year that 367 208 applications from across the province had been received. The special grant of R350 is aimed at assisting unemployed persons with no income between May and October 2020. She said 236 536 applications had been approved and 159 157 or 67 percent…

Staff Reporter Police are warning motorists in Heilbron to be extra vigilant of hijackers on the R57 road from Zamdela. Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Sam Makhele said in a statement at least nine hijackings have been reported in the area since the beginning of this month. “The most recent incident took place on Saturday . . . at about 17:20,” he said. “The driver was stopped by four unknown males who were standing on the side of the road on the R57 Deneysville crossing pretending to be seeking directions. “When he stopped, they attacked and overpowered him. “They took the…

Staff Reporter The first phase of a COVID-19 field hospital designed to ease pressure on existing health facilities is expected to open next month. “The hospital is to prepare for the anticipated overwhelming demand for hospital beds in future in the province as scientists are predicting the surge in the number of positive COVID- 19 cases,” Health MEC Montseng Tsiu said when she virtually presented her supplementary budget vote speech for the 2020/21 financial year. The hospital is expected to have a total of 4 252 beds. “This will be introduced in phases, with the first phase of 936 beds…

Staff Reporter The Free State Department of Health has been forced to implement major budget cuts due to the COVID-19 pandemic with some programmes losing close to 10 percent of their initial allocations. Health MEC Montseng Tsiu told the provincial Legislature when she presented her nearly R12.5 billion supplementary budget vote during a virtual sitting Friday that several important programmes have been set aside to focus on fighting the “invisible enemy”. “Priority is now given to activities geared to ensure our effective COVID-19 response,” Tsiu said. “The situation is further aggravated by the challenges on social determinants on health which…

Staff Reporter President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed a proclamation authorising the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate any unlawful or improper conduct in the procurement of any goods, works and services during or related to the national state of disaster at any state institution. The proclamation empowers the SIU to probe any allegations relating to the misuse of COVID-19 funds across all spheres of the state. “If the SIU finds evidence that a criminal offence has been committed, it is obliged to refer such evidence to the prosecuting authority,” Ramaphosa said in a televised national address Thursday evening. The president…

Staff Reporter President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced all public schools will close for four weeks as COVID-19 infections in South Africa surge. However, Grades 7 and 12 will only close for a week as the rest of the classes stay home from July 27 to 24 August. The president said the decision to close schools was not taken lightly by the government. He made the announcement after meeting with the cabinet and the National Coronavirus Command Council. Ramaphosa said Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga had also consulted widely with over 60 stakeholders in the sector, among them teacher unions, principal…