Author: The Free Stater

THE National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says no sensitive information had been taken during a burglary at its Free State provincial office in Bloemfontein this week. Four laptops and voice recorders were reported missing after the break-in in the early hours of Monday. “Even though these criminals managed to break into this central nerve of prosecutions in the province, the citizenry of the republic and the Free State province can rest assured that no sensitive information, dockets, or files were taken as they are not stored in these offices but have a secured area where they are safely secured and kept…

THE Free State has suffered financial losses estimated at R321 million through material irregularities flagged by the Auditor General since the 2018/19 financial year. This includes four cases recorded in 2022/23, three of them at the Department of Education. Material irregularity is defined as any non-compliance with, or contravention of, legislation, fraud, theft or a breach of a fiduciary duty identified during an audit that resulted in or is likely to result in a material financial loss, the misuse or loss of a material public resource or substantial harm to a public sector institution or the general public. “Since we…

THE Free State provincial health department faced medical negligence claims amounting to a whopping R5.01 billion during the 2022/23 financial year, the Auditor General of South Africa’s latest report on government audit outcomes has revealed. The figure is up by 9.86 percent compared with the R4.56 billion recorded in the previous year. Auditor-General (AG) Tsakani Maluleke said medical negligence claims against the health department put further pressure on the Free State’s already strained finances. “These claims increased from R4.56 billion last year to R5.01 billion in 2022/23,” she said in the report released on Wednesday. “This has a significant impact…

FOUR out of 16 government entities in the Free State achieved clean audits in the 2022/23 financial year, the Auditor General of South Africa has reported. While the provincial Treasury, Fleet Management and Housing Fund have retained their status from the previous financial year, they have now been joined by the provincial Legislature which has improved from an unqualified audit opinion with findings to an unqualified opinion with no findings. This means these four auditees produced quality financial statements free of material misstatements – in other words, errors or omissions that are so significant that they affect the credibility and…

THE Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality has embarked on a waste management campaign targeting illegal dumpsites that have become a common sight around the Free State capital. The city’s drive is part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s initiative to mobilise citizens, business, industry, labour and civil society to clean up South Africa. Funded by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, the Mangaung project is ward-based and will see the planting of 6 000 trees around the metro, according to the acting head of the municipality’s community services department, Francois Nel. To officially kick off the clean-up drive, Mangaung Executive Mayor Gregory Nthatisi…

THE Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality is battling to recover from a suspected cyberattack that has caused significant disruption to the Free State capital city’s information technology systems. The breach is believed to have occurred in the early hours of 24 October. Nearly a month later, the municipality’s computer systems have not been fully restored as yet. “Unfortunately, all systems have been affected, but as a security and precautionary measure we needed to lock down the network as we were not sure if the threat agent was still able to access the network in any way,” Mangaung city manager Sello More told…

UNIVERSITY of the Free State (UFS) vice-chancellor and principal Professor Francis Petersen has been elected as chairperson of Universities South Africa (USAf)’ board of directors. His two-year term at the helm of the organisation will commence on 1 January 2024. Petersen be deputised by Professor Rushiella Songca, vice-chancellor and principal at the Walter Sisulu University. USAf is the umbrella body for South Africa’s 26 public universities. Among its key responsibilities is building capacity of the country’s higher education system as an internationally competitive system. “I am honoured by my election as chairperson and will, together with the board, continue working…

THE ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) Free State has launched a volunteer programme that it says is aimed at honouring the legacy of anti-apartheid heroine Winnie Madikezela-Mandela. Dozens of female party members turned up for the launch held in Botshabelo on Sunday. “The idea behind launching the Winnie Mandela volunteers initiative is to honour the legacy of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and mobilise women in the Free State to actively participate in community upliftment and development,” ANCWL Free State spokesperson Kele Thulo told The Free Stater. “It aims to empower women by providing them with a platform to make a meaningful impact in…

THE Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality is looking to fast-track the re-opening of the Bloemfontein Zoo, four years after it was permanently shut down due to permit breaches and its shocking state of neglect. Founded in 1906 in the heart of the Free State capital, the city-centre park was once a popular tourist attraction before mismanagement turned it into an eyesore where algae-infected water, carcasses and faeces strewn in cages became common sights. Following its closure, various species of animals – including predators, primates, reptiles, mammals, birds and rodents – were relocated to wildlife sanctuaries elsewhere across the country. Only 11 buffaloes…

THE Free State was one of the two provinces least visited by tourists in 2021 and 2022, a survey has revealed. Findings of the Domestic Tourism Survey 2022, released by Stats SA this week, reflect the total number of day and overnight trips taken across South Africa during the 12-month periods from January to December 2021 and January to December 2022. About 16 million day trips and 10.9 million overnight trips were undertaken in 2021. Furthermore, the results indicate that there were 33.1 million day trips and 23.2 million overnight trips taken within South Africa in 2022. In 2021, the…