Author: The Free Stater

Staff Reporter Leading gold mining and exploration company Harmony says it expects to produce less than a tonne of gold during the 21-day national lockdown after it stopped operations at its nine underground mines in the country, six of which are in the Free State. “It is anticipated that Harmony will only produce between 650kg to 700kg of gold in South Africa during the 21-day lockdown period,” the company said in a statement released Tuesday. It said all exploration and capital projects have been suspended as the company seeks to preserve cash. Harmony chief executive officer Peter Steenkamp said the…

Staff Reporter The Central University of Technology (CUT) is using its 3-D printing technology to make non-invasive ventilation masks used by COVID-19 patients as part of efforts to contain the deadly disease which has claimed five lives in South Africa. CUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Henk de Jager said in a statement that the university has availabled a grant of R1 million to the Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (CRPM) to assist in the production of the vital medical devices. The CRPM is working together with the Product Development Technology Station (PDTS), the Centre on Quality of Health and…

Staff Reporter The Free State Department of Health has named the first person to succumb to COVID-19 in the province as John Hlangeni. The man passed on yesterday at Pelonomi Hospital in Bloemfontein. In a statement, provincial health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi said the department got the family’s consent to publish the name of the deceased. “Mr Hlangeni succumbed . . . whilst being treated at our health facility,” he said in the statement which also revised Hlangeni’s age to 85 from the initial 86. “As it is, it has been explained before that the effects of COVID- are more severe…

Staff Reporter An 86-year-old man from Bloemfontein has succumbed to COVID-19, making him the first person in the Free State to die from the disease. This becomes the third death related to the coronavirus in South Africa. In a statement released Tuesday morning, provincial health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi said no further details about the deceased could be immediately released because they were dealing with a fragile family situation because his 81-year-old wife was also admitted in hospital. “We are due to meet his family this morning who are unhappy that they saw this on social media already, not by us,”…

Staff Reporter The Free State Department of Health says the province has recorded nine recoveries from COVID-19 following increased efforts to contain the deadly disease. “The department is pleased to have recorded nine recoveries from COVID-19,” said provincial health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi in a statement released Monday evening. “This number of COVID-19 recoveries should send a message of hope to anyone who happens to test positive to COVID-19 at any given point . . . that it is possible to recover from the effects of the virus. “It is important to emphasise that these recoveries are highly influenced by the…

Bloemfontein Celtic have issued an apology on behalf of midfielder Teboho Potsane following his video on social media wearing the army regalia. Over the weekend, Potsane’s video where he was threatening to kill someone, while wearing military camouflage, went viral. In the video, the 26-year-old midfielder joked about killing a person while putting on boxing gloves. “You see, those who would are busy roaming the streets while we are busy here . . . wait and see what I’m going to do to them,” Potsane said in the video. “I am training guys, I am not playing around and I’m…

Staff Reporter Four men have been arrested in Sasolburg after one of them allegedly confessed to killing a woman and dumping the body in a pit latrine. The deceased, Mohanua Kobedi, 34, was last seen alive by her sister-in-law on the night of February 3, 2019 at her house in Harry Gwala, Zamdela Township, in the large industrial town, about 340km north-east of Bloemfontein. Provincial police spokesperson Sam Makhele said in a statement released Monday that the four were arrested Sunday after members of the Tactical Response Team, Provincial Task Team and Zamdela Trio Task Team pursued a tip-off on…

Staff Reporter The number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Free State has risen to 72 after four new cases were recorded from the last count on Saturday. South Africa also recorded a second death related the coronavirus after a 74-year-old man from Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal succumbed to the disease. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said the man had an underlying health condition which had deteriorated before he died. “It is with sadness that we announce the second death of a patient who had tested positive for COVID-19,” Mkhize said in a statement released Sunday night. “The…

Staff Reporter A 70-year-old Free State medical doctor is fighting for life in the intensive care unit after testing positive for COVID-19, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has said. Two other doctors, a nurse and a neurophysicist in the province have also tested positive for the deadly virus which causes flu-like symptoms which can lead to acute respiratory complications. The minister however said the medical staff were not infected by the patients they were treating. “It must be emphasised that none of these health workers were infected by patients that they were treating,” Mkhize said. “They came into contact with their…

Staff Reporter The Free State Department of Health says it has identified over a thousand people from three different churches in Bloemfontein who may have contracted COVID-19 after coming into contact with infected persons who attended a religious conference at the Divine Restoration Ministries earlier this month. “The Free State Department of Health has identified 1 259 contacts that have to be traced,” spokesperson Mondli Mvambi said in a statement released on Saturday. “This emanates from the 480 people that attended the Tuesday worship service at the Divine Restoration Church which had some contact with the international guests that (have)…