Author: The Free Stater

“It’s good to be back at work,” said Rayhaan Coovadia as he busied himself around a car tyre fitting service in South Africa’s financial capital Johannesburg. The garage reopened on Saturday after a five-week shutdown meant to halt the spread of coronavirus in Africa’s most industrialised economy. Around 1.5 million South Africans returned to work from May 1 as stay-at-home measures were eased and some businesses allowed to partially resume their operations under “strict health conditions”. In a face mask and overalls, manager Coovadia made sure clients were sprayed with hand sanitiser on arrival and kept a safe distance from…

Staff Reporter The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has declared Lerato Rubeta Sengadi the rightful wife of the late musician Jabulani Tsambo, popularly known as HHP, as lobola had successfully been negotiated and paid in part before he passed on in 2018. The matter, which was heard before a full bench on March 6, had been brought to the SCA by the late musician’s father Robert Tsambo who wanted the court to determine whether a customary law marriage ever subsisted between HHP and Sengadi. But in a detailed judgment delivered on April 30, the Bloemfontein court dismissed the appeal and…

Staff Reporter Operations have resumed at Clover’s Bloemfontein factory which was temporarily closed last week after five employees tested positive for COVID-19. A joint statement issued by the Free State health and the dairy and beverages company indicated that they had completed the contact tracing process and comprehensive testing to ensure they contain any further spreading of the deadly coronavirus. The first employee to test positive lives in Botshabelo and it was also necessary to trace other commuters who may have travelled with him to work as his colleagues. “All 369 Clover employees as well as 12 taxi drivers and…

Staff Reporter Five employees at Clover’s Bloemfontein factory have tested positive for COVID-19, with at least 300 other workers still waiting for their results, the leading dairy producer has confirmed. The company was last week forced to halt operations at the factory, located along Harvey Road in the provincial capital, after one employee had tested positive for the virus. In a statement released this afternoon, Clover announced five of its tested employees have so far received positive results. “Clover confirms that as of today, five employees have tested positive for COVID-19 at its Bloemfontein factory,” company secretary Jacques van Heerden…

Staff Reporter At least 17 of the medical specialists from Cuba who arrived in the country on Monday morning have been allocated to the Free State where they will work alongside their South African counterparts in the fight to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said this during a televised height-level technical briefing on the work being done by the government around COVID-19. “We have gone out to seek assistance from Cuba and China,” he said. “It’s in this context (that) yesterday we received 217 doctors of various training and professions. They are augmenting our resources.…

Staff Reporter President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced an easing of the national coronavirus lockdown that will see a partial reopening of the economy on May 1, with travel restrictions relaxed and some industries allowed to operate under a risk-adjusted system. South Africa has spent nearly month under a lockdown which severely limited the movement of people and effectively closed the country’s borders and brought the economy to a standstill, leaving many struggling without wages and short of supplies. Addressing the nation on Thursday night – just a few hours after it was announced that South Africa now has 3 953…

Staff Reporter President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a stern warning against officials stealing food aid meant for people struggling to make ends meet as a result of the ongoing national lockdown. He said such conduct was grossly immoral and that perpetrators should be prosecuted. “We are deeply disturbed by reports of unscrupulous people abusing the distribution of food and other assistance for corrupt ends,” Ramaphosa said. “We will not hesitate to ensure that those involved in such activities face the full might of the law.” The president’s warning follows numerous reports of councillors and politicians allegedly diverting some food parcels…

Staff Reporter President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced R500 billion extraordinary budget to address the massive socioeconomic effects of the coronavirus pandemic on South Africa. The rescue package, which equates to 10 percent of the country’s GDP, will prioritise combating COVID-19 and cushioning millions of vulnerable South Africans who are facing hunger and social distress. The national lockdown imposed to help curb the spread of the virus has halted most economic activity, with only essential service workers in sectors like food and healthcare allowed to operate. “The pandemic requires an economic response that is equal to the scale of the disruption…

Staff Reporter The 17-year-old girl from Kutlwanong in Odendaalsrus who allegedly stabbed and killed her 20-year-old lover last weekend after accusing him of cheating on her has been released into the custody of a guardian. The teenager, who is accused of killing Marvin Mafubetsoane, made her first appearance at the Odendaalsrus Magistrates Court on Monday before the case was postponed to June 29. National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Phaladi Shuping told journalists that the accused was released into the care of a legal guardian following a preliminary inquiry. He said the postponement was to allow the accused time to find…

Staff Reporter A 17-year-old girl from Kutlwanong in Odendaalsrus has been arrested for allegedly stabbing and killing a 20-year-old man she accused of cheating on her. The incident is said to have happened on Saturday evening in the old gold mining town, about 162km north-east of Bloemfontein. Media reports quote Free State provincial police spokesperson Motantsi Makhele as saying the deceased, who was killed while at his house, was a learner at Riebeckstad High School in Welkom. He said the two were lovers and a quarrel broke out after the girl accused her partner of having an affair. “This led…