Author: The Free Stater

Darlington Majonga UNITED States President Donald Trump’s executive order halting aid to South Africa and directing US agencies to facilitate the resettlement of Afrikaaner refugees has deepened diplomatic tensions between Washington and Pretoria, raising significant concerns over economic stability and international relations. The order, signed last Friday, cites concerns over South Africa’s policy of land expropriation without compensation and its recent geopolitical manoeuvres, including its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and its growing diplomatic ties with Iran. Professor Theo Neethling, a political studies and governance expert at the University of the Free State, says the…

IN recent days, 14 South African soldiers have died in clashes with the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Several analysts argue that this marks a low point for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and that it is almost too late to implement the reforms needed to restore the military to an institution South Africans can once again take pride in. The incident recalls the so-called Battle of Bangui in March 2013 during the Central African Republic civil war — a major defeat for the SANDF that led to the Séléka rebels seizing…

WITH no background in the chemical industry, Tebello Jeanette Khanya took an unlikely path into entrepreneurship. In 2022, the 33-year-old from Sasolburg founded Bonolo Scents, a pioneering company manufacturing eco-friendly laundry detergents. In just over a year, she turned a small home-based business into a profitable enterprise, challenging established brands in South Africa’s competitive retail sector. “I never thought that one day I would be an entrepreneur. It really came as a surprise even to my family,” Khanya told The Free Stater in an interview. Khanya’s journey into the detergent industry began in an unconventional way – by running a laundromat from…

THE Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein has dismissed an appeal concerning whether an insolvent individual can initiate legal proceedings in their own name under the Insolvency Act of 1936. The case involved Tobias Casparus Du Plessis, the sole member of Full Circle Projects Twenty CC, a company that owned a farm he leased for business operations. After Full Circle was liquidated in January 2021, Du Plessis was provisionally sequestrated in March 2021. As part of the liquidation, the farm was sold to the De Klerk Familie Trust by liquidators acting on behalf of creditors, despite a lease agreement Du…

THE Shimlas are gearing up to defend their Varsity Cup title as they prepare for the 2025 season opener against Maties in Stellenbosch on Monday, 17 February. The anticipation was heightened at the University of the Free State (UFS) team’s official jersey handover ceremony on 13 February at Shimla Park, where the institution’s newly appointed vice-chancellor, Professor Hester Klopper, was in attendance. Klopper, formerly the deeputy vice-chancellor at Stellenbosch University, added an extra layer of excitement to the evening, addressing the players with an inspiring speech. Drawing a comparison between the Shimlas and a high-performance Formula One car, she emphasised…

PAKISTAN stunned South Africa with a record-breaking run chase, securing a six-wicket victory in Karachi as they fine-tuned preparations for their ICC Champions Trophy title defence on Wednesday. Chasing an imposing target of 354, Pakistan powered home with six balls to spare, thanks to brilliant centuries from Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha. Their 260-run stand for the fourth wicket set a new ODI record for Pakistan, surpassing their previous highest chase of 349 for four against Australia in 2022. Rizwan’s unbeaten 122 off 128 balls included nine fours and three sixes, while Salman’s 134 off just 103 deliveries featured 16…

UNITED States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order halting aid to South Africa and directing US agencies to facilitate the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees, citing concerns over property expropriation and foreign policy tensions. The order, issued from the White House on Friday, accuses the South African government of enacting policies that enable “the seizure of ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation” and fostering “race-based discrimination”. It also criticizes Pretoria’s diplomatic moves, including its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and growing ties with Iran. “The United States cannot support the government of South…

SOUTH Africa’s HIV and Aids fight could face serious challenges after the United States suspended some of its funding for HIV and tuberculosis programmes in Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his State of the Nation Address on Thursday. Speaking to lawmakers in Cape Town, Ramaphosa acknowledged the potential impact of the decision, noting that US funding covered about 17 percent of South Africa’s HIV response budget. “We are concerned about the potential impact of the decision by the United States government to suspend some of its funding for HIV and TB programmes in African countries for 90 days,” he…

SOUTH Africa “will not be bullied”, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday, in what was widely seen as a response to US President Donald Trump’s threats to cut aid over the country’s land expropriation law. Ramaphosa, speaking to a packed Parliament in Cape Town, addressed the shifting global landscape and growing nationalist sentiments, vowing that South Africa would stand firm in defence of its sovereignty. “We are witnessing the rise of nationalism and protectionism, the pursuit of narrow interests and the decline of common cause,” Ramaphosa said to resounding applause. “This is…

A R429 million housing claim against the Free State government has been put on hold, exposing deep-rooted issues in South Africa’s post-apartheid housing policies that still impact thousands of low-income homeowners across the country. At the heart of the case is Hlano Financial Services (Pty) Ltd, a financial institution claiming it is owed a staggering sum for homes once tied to the South African Housing Trust (SAHT), a government-backed initiative aimed at providing affordable housing for lower-income South Africans. The origins of the claim can be traced back to the early 1990s, when the newly elected post-apartheid government sought to…