Author: The Free Stater

Staff Reporter At least 34 people below the age of 18 have died as a result of COVID-19-related complications in the Free State over the past two years. The provincial health department says it discovered the deaths after analysing its list of casualties for 2020 and 2021 following the death of a Grade 8 learner at Kgotso Taole Secondary School in Botshabelo who succumbed to the disease. Spokesperson Mondli Mvambi told The Free Stater that the death of the learner which led to the discovery of the deaths of other minors in the province is an indication that no age…

Staff Reporter Free State Department of Agriculture and Rural Development MEC William Bulwane believes the use of drones and digital trackers to monitor the movement of livestock could help improve security on the farms and allow emerging farmers to grow. According to the MEC, most farmers along the SA border with Lesotho have struggled with stock theft and farm attacks for a long time and he anticipates a new initiative launched by his department on Friday to reduce the high crime rate and allow farmers to focus more on their operations. “We felt it important to help farmers improve security…

Staff Reporter Centlec has dismissed as unfounded claims that the local power distributor’s chief executive officer Malefane Sekoboto sacked an official who was allegedly blocking him from manipulating the awarding of tenders. In a statement, the company said the messages published on social media and also circulated via SMS were unfounded and simply bent on tarnishing its image and that of Sekoboto. “Centlec has noted with great regret another attempt by agents of dark forces to discredit the name and the integrity of the CEO . . . Mr Malefane Sekoboto,” it said. The company said an SMS message originating…

One of the biggest cost centres in owning property is maintenance. Management and finance can also take up a significant part of your budget. Maintenance accounts for 50 to 70 percent of the cost of running a building. It may not seem like it, but major maintenance will skew the average over time. While the figure might seem a bit steep, it’s worth spending because it saves you from continuously fixing small faults which could cost even more over time. Maintenance includes, waterproofing, painting, lifts, piping, driveway paving and flooring etc. If done properly, waterproofing can last up to five…

Staff Reporter The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a severe weather warning for the Free State and other parts of the country for Friday. In a statement issued on Thursday, SAWS said some parts of the province may experience damaging winds between 7am and 3pm this Friday. “The strong and gusty winds observed over the western parts of the Free State and North West provinces are expected to move eastward tomorrow (Friday),” said the SAWS. It said northerly and north-westerly winds with speeds of 40-50km/hr with gusts of 60-70km/hr will be expected. Some of the areas that could…

Staff Reporter The Free State Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is expected to officially launch a special programme to assist farmers minimise the loss of livestock and different equipment through the use of technology. Titled the Risk Management Solution Programme, the initiative will be unveiled by Agriculture MEC William Bulwane in Wepener today. The programme, according to the department, entails supporting farmers with risk management solutions using equipment such as animal tracking devices and digital security surveillance and drones. The first group of farmers to receive the equipment consists of farmers from around Thaba Nchu and Botshabelo in the…

Staff Reporter The Central University of Technology (CUT) and the Free State Department of Education will today host the Charlotte Maxeke Women-in-STEM Lecture as part of the Women’s Month commemorations. The hybrid lecture will have a limited audience at the CUT Bloemfontein campus and will also be streamed live between 12:00-15:00. STEM stands for Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics and the lecture will seek to promote the teaching and learning of these subjects from an early stage through to tertiary level. “The lecture will celebrate and promote . . . STEM education in Free State schools whilst focusing on women in…

Staff Reporter Municipalities should step up their operations so that they are able to pay for services and ensure communities have ready access to key amenities such as water all times, Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has said. He told journalists during a media briefing in Welkom on Wednesday that while poor governance and poor financial management at some water boards had led to protracted legal battles with some municipalities, it’s important for the local authorities to pay on time for services received to ensure uninterrupted supplies. “They have to run their affairs in such a way that they…

Staff Reporter Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has warned staff in his department to desist from corrupt activities, saying they have a duty to serve the country and not get involved in crime while in public office. “Stop being corrupt,” said Mchunu on Wednesday during a media briefing in Welkom where he is meeting various stakeholders including water boards, municipalities and provincial government officials from the Free State and the Northern Cape. The minister said this on the back of a long list of investigations currently being undertaken by different authorities including the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). He did…

Staff Reporter The Kroonstad Regional Court has sentenced three thieves on eight counts of stealing copper cable. Eskom said in a statement the trio was sentenced to a total of 244 years in prison for crimes committed between March and June 2017. The accused were involved in eight incidents where copper cable to the value of R115 500 was stolen from the power company. They were arrested on June 4, 2017 by a private security company contracted by Eskom. They were charged for the theft of overhead copper conductors in the Kroonstad, Koppies and Allanridge areas. At the time of…