Author: The Free Stater

Staff Reporter An 86-year-old woman from Bethlehem in the eastern Free State was reportedly raped at knife-point last week after an unknown man broke into her home and threatened her before fleeing with cash and several items. Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Sam Makhele said in a statement released Wednesday that the elderly woman was alone in the house when the incident occurred. “According to allegations, the victim . . . was watching TV in her bedroom on Thursday 28 May . . . at about 23:30 when she heard a sound of a breaking window and was suddenly confronted by…

Staff Reporter Mangaung Police Station in Phahameng, Bloemfontein, has been temporarily closed after one of its members tested positive for COVID-19. National police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said in a statement released Tuesday evening that communities served by the police station will now be assisted from a community service centre operating from the Lesley Monnanyane Hall, behind the Home Affairs offices in Moshoeshoe Road. “The building will be undergoing decontamination and the community will be informed when the station will be operational again,” said Naidoo. The police station becomes the second one in the city to be temporarily closed due…

Staff Reporter The North Gauteng High Court has declared alert Levels 3 and 4 of the national lockdown regulations unconstitutional and invalid. The Pretoria court however suspended the declaration of invalidity for a period of 14 business days to allow the government time to address the issues at fault. This means the alert Level 3 regulations which kicked in on Monday remain in place for now. “The regulations promulgated by the Minister of (Cooperative Governance) and Traditional Affairs in terms of the Disaster Management Act . . . are declared unconstitutional and invalid,” read part of the judgment delivered by…

Staff Reporter A clinic in the Free State has been temporarily closed after people associated with the health facility tested positive for COVID-19. The clinic is in Heilbron in the Fezile Dabi district. Provincial health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi told The Free Stater that nine people in the town, including some associated with the clinic, had tested positive for the coronavirus. “There are nine people that tested positive for COVID-19 at Heilbron and some of them are associated with the clinic,” he said Tuesday night. In a statement that Mondli sent out earlier, the provincial health department announced it had dispatched…

Staff Reporter The one-week delay in re-opening schools should give authorities enough time to address all outstanding health and hygiene issues and ensure a safe environment for both learners and teachers, key players in the education sector have said. The Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (FEDSAS) says it had recommended to the Basic Education Department not to rush the reopening of schools before ensuring all systems were in place, while the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) believes the seven-day postponement is long enough to ensure a successful return to schooling. FEDSAS chief executive officer Paul Colditz…

Long queues formed outside shops selling alcohol across South Africa after restrictions on its sale, imposed two months ago as part of measures to fight COVID-19, were lifted today. Social media posts showed people, who had braved the morning chill, cheering as buyers emerged with their bottles. The alcohol ban was to allow police and hospitals to better focus on tackling the coronavirus, the authorities said. Alcohol-fuelled violence is a huge problem in South Africa. Doctors and police say the ban has had a dramatic impact, contributing to a sharp drop in casualty admissions. But the country’s brewers and wine…

Staff Reporter South Africa has been forced to push back today’s reopening of schools by a week because a substantial number of schools are not ready as yet to welcome back pupils, Basic Education Angie Motshekga has said. The last-minute postponement of the resumption of classes for Grades 7 and 12 – which was only announced on Sunday night – followed reports by players in the education sector that raised concerns about the state of readiness. A number of government schools across the country, especially in rural areas, are reportedly in poor shape as they do not have running water,…

Staff Reporter The sudden spike in COVID-19 cases in the Fezile Dabi district could be a result of more test results being released by the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) in recent weeks, the provincial health department has said. The northern Free State district has recorded 24 new confirmed cases, bringing its tally to 33 with most of its major towns now affected. “This could be a result of test results being released by the NHLS,” provincial health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi said by telephone on Sunday night. “There is nothing unusual and people should not panic because there was a…

Staff Reporter Students doing their final year in nursing and allied health sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS) will be the next group to be allowed on campus when the South Africa moves to alert Level 3 on Monday. In a letter addressed to students, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor Professor Francis Petersen said the phased return of students is line with the regulations of Level 3 lockdown stipulating that only a third of the staff and students may be on campus for face-to-face classes. “The next cohort of students who will be returning to campus is final-year…