Author: The Free Stater

Staff Reporter The Central University of Technology (CUT) has been forced to take an early recess at its Welkom campus in the northern Free State following a spate of disturbances by students. In a statement released Friday, the university, which also has a campus in Bloemfontein, said management had decided to start the academic recess on March 13 in a bid to find time to address some of the issues and ensure the safety of staff and students as well as protect CUT property. The second term will commence on March 30. “Management . . . regrets a spate of…

Staff Reporter The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has dismissed an appeal by former president Jacob Zuma against a decision by the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg that he should stand trial for corruption in the multi-billion-rand arms deal. In a ruling delivered Friday, the SCA, sitting in Bloemfontein, ruled that Zuma had no reasonable prospects of success. The court also stated that there were no compelling reasons for it to hear the matter. Zuma, who is jointly charged with French arms company Thales, is facing one count of racketeering, 12 of fraud, four of corruption and one of money…

Staff Reporter A 57-year-old suspect this week appeared at the Heilbron Magistrates Court, about 310km northeast of Bloemfontein, for sexually his 15-year-old granddaughter. The accused may not be named in order to protect the identity of the complainant. In a statement released Friday, police said it is believed the attack happened some time in December 2019 when the minor visited her mother’s maternal home for the duration of the school holidays. “During her stay at her grandparents’ house, her grandfather sexually assaulted her on different occasions,” read part of the statement. “The victim could not report the matter to anyone…

By Sabelo Skiti One of the consequences of a stagnant or, worse, shrinking economy is that consumers become more conscious of how they spend their rands. Value for money and practicality, whether one is working class or filthy rich, takes over, denying us the frivolous or nice to haves. In the car world, harsh lessons are being learned, with the example being the Mercedes Benz X-class, which has already been discontinued 24 months after its launch in the country. There could be other reasons as well, but far too many people apparently felt that paying up to R1-million for…

By Staff Reporter Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has withdrawn his statement released on Thursday morning announcing the Free State had recorded its first case of the novel coronavirus. The patient had instead tested negative, the minister confirmed during a media briefing in Limpopo. Mkhize had earlier said the 32-year-old man tested positive for the coronavirus after coming into contact with a Chinese businessman in the province. The patient had not travelled abroad, which means if he had tested positive he would have become the first local transmission of the virus on South African shores. “Up to now, we have been…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7YxeotK_u4

The 122 South Africans who are due to land in South Africa on Friday, will be placed in quarantine in Polokwane in Limpopo. According to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, the South Africans due to land in Limpopo have all tested negative for coronavirus. Mkhize said the site was chosen as it was far from other communities. “We looked at 84 other possible sites but there were factors that were not suitable. It was narrowed down to three sites that would be most comfortable for those returning. The sites needed to also be close to landing spaces. The venue in Limpopo…

With its roof on the ground and its floor in the air, an upside down house is attracting tourists who want to see the world from different perspective. Located near Hartebeestpoort, about 75 kilometers (47 miles) north of Johannesburg, the house is inverted on the outside and inside. Visitors take pictures of themselves in rooms that have sofas and chairs hanging from the ceiling. The kitchen is also upside down with appliances appearing to defy gravity. — AP

Four years ago, Bongekile Msibi, already a mother of a now 15-year-old girl, consulted a doctor after trying unsuccessfully to have a second child. She was shocked, shattered and bewildered, she said, when the doctor told her that she could not conceive because she did not have a uterus. “I couldn’t comprehend what the doctor was saying. How possible is that because I have (had) a baby (before)?” the 32-year-old told AFP, holding back tears. “That means I had a uterus.” She traced her steps back to the only hospital she had ever been admitted to, Johannesburg’s Chris Hani Baragwanath,…

By Staff Reporter The Free State has recorded its first case of the novel coronavirus, as South Africa’s tally rose to 17. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize today confirmed a 32-year-old man who had come into contact with a Chinese businessman tested positive for the coronavirus in the province. The patient had not travelled abroad, which means he becomes the first local transmission of the virus on South African shores. “This is the first case of local transmission as all others have been by patients who had travelled abroad,” Mkhize said. Apart from the Free State, the minister also revealed…