Author: The Free Stater

Staff Reporter The Free State Provincial Government will officially hand over the Vrede Dairy Integrated Farm Project to approved beneficiaries on Friday after the black empowerment project was mired in controversy for close to nine years when it failed to take off as planned. About 65 black farmers are expected to take over the running of Krynaauwslust Farm situated in the small agricultural town of Vrede in line with the recommendations given by Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane in December 2020. Premier Sisi Ntombela will preside over the ceremony, according to a statement issued by her office. The project, meant to…

Staff Reporter One of Mangaung’s most wanted criminals facing numerous charges of rape has been arrested. Police spokesperson Sergeant Peter Kareli said the 34-year-old suspect was arrested after two weeks of tracking and tracing by a dedicated team of police officials. The Mangaung Tracing Intervention Task Team cornered him in the city just after midday on Thursday. “He has been on the wanted list for the past 13 years and was arrested after he was linked through DNA,” said Kareli. “It is alleged that the suspect surprised his victims by sneaking from behind and grabbing them by the neck, threatening…

Staff Reporter Police in Harrismith, eastern Free State, are looking for about five suspects believed to be linked to two separate incidents which took place in the local farming area in which security guards and a pensioner were recently attacked. Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Mmako Mophiring said in a statement the victims escaped unharmed but were robbed of various valuable items. In the first incident which happened on Monday at about 23:00, two security guards were surprised by four men armed with firearms, a spear and a knife. The suspects allegedly broke into a storeroom and stole generator, a welding…

Staff Reporter The National Department of Health says it has noted with concern a video clip circulating on social media platforms showing a man suffering from what looks like a throat cancer, claiming this to be the result of a COVID-19 vaccine. The department’s national spokesperson, Foster Mohale, said in a statement on Wednesday anyone who experiences any adverse effects should urgently seek medical help. “The department would like to remind and call upon all people who experience any adverse events following immunisation to immediately report to the nearest health facility or vaccination site,” read part of the statement. “Each…

Staff Reporter The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has ruled that the right to privacy for personal information falls away once such details are made public by the owner. The SCA said this when it upheld, with costs, an appeal against a decision of the Eastern Cape High Court in which Eastern Cape farmer Herman Botha dragged Bool Smuts to court for publishing on Facebook what he considered sensitive about him and a situation at his farm without his consent. The matter, according to court papers, dates back to September 23, 2019 when a group of cyclists were participating in…

Not everyone has a huge income or savings to help them buy their first home. Most people are able to take a substantial bond loan to buy a property but often battle to pay transfer and bond costs that can be up to eight percent for a more expensive home. But where can this extra money be found? There are various ways to get the money that you need. Firstly, if you do not want to ask for outside help you can look for a personal loan. Buying a R1 million home, you will require cash to pay for bond…

Staff Reporter A 24-year old man has appeared in court facing a charge of raping a minor last month after residents of an informal settlement in Bloemfontein effected a citizen’s arrest before handing him over to the police. The suspect, Sanele Zweni, appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl that he is said to have forced to undress at gunpoint in his shack dwelling at the Shuping informal settlement in Batho on December 3 last year. Mangaung police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Thabo Covane said members of the community who knew of the rape incident spotted…

Staff Reporter Free State police have arrested a 28-year-old man at Braam Fischer International Airport in Bloemfontein for possession of a drill hand-grenade. The suspect, according to a police statement, arrived at the airport and proceeded to the check-in counter where he handed over his luggage to be searched. “The G4S (security) officer placed the passenger’s bag inside the X-ray scanner,” read part of the statement issued by the SAPS spokesperson in Mangaung, Lieutenant Colonel Thabo Covane. “The scanner detected the metal inside the bag and a round object was visible on the monitor. The security officer physically searched the…

Staff Reporter The Free State Department of Health says it is alarmed by the rapid rise in daily infections in the province with Mangaung Metro recording the highest number of cases. Lejweleputswa and Fezile Dabi districts are tied on second place followed by Thabo Mofutsanyana and Xhariep districts. “The rapid rise in numbers (exceeds) the projected fourth wave of infections . . .” said the department in a statement released Monday. Latest figures indicate that there are 1 938 new cases in the Free State, with 882 of them in Mangaung, followed by Fezile Dabi and Lejweleputswa with 311 cases…

The summer holidays are winking, but often we pay the price after all the eating and drinking amid the merriment of the festive season. To keep the nation in good shape these holidays, a pharmaceutical company, whose focus centres on healthy living, has developed more than 30 mouth-watering braai recipes in partnership with the Heart and Stroke Foundation SA, as part of the Cooking from the Heart cookbook series that will keep festive season calories in check. This week we give you this delectable recipe: VEGGIE SKEWERS These skewers are delicious when braaied over the coals. 125 g button mushrooms, halved 3…