Author: The Free Stater

Staff Reporter Ensuring that children in primary school attend school every day is one effective way of reducing the number of those who drop out, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said in Bloemfontein this week. While education authorities in the Free State say the province has not reported a high drop-out rate amongst learners since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic which has forced schools to close several times, the minister said parents and communities at large should help ensure learners stay in school. “It all depends on the role of community members,” said Motshekga when she visited schools in…

What is an exclusive-use area? It is actually just what it says: an area of the common property that is set aside for the exclusive use of one owner of a unit in a building. Typical of this would be a garden area, a carport or a storeroom. To qualify as an exclusive-use area (EUA), the part of the common property allocated for the use of individual owners would have to be noted in some way. In the first Sectional Titles Act (STA) in 1976, body corporates could simply draw up a simple plan and mark the area agreed could…

Staff Reporter President Cyril Ramaphosa has named ANC economic heavyweight Enoch Godongwana as South Africa’s new Finance Minister, replacing Tito Mboweni who resigned. The major cabinet reshuffle announced by the president on Thursday evening also saw Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula getting the chop, with Thandi Modise taking over. Deputy Health Minister Joe Phaahla has been elevated to the helm of the ministry after the incumbent, Zweli Mkhize, stepped down. Mkhize had been on special leave for close to two months on allegations that his department irregularly awarded COVID-19-related contracts to a communications company controlled by his former associates. Another…

Staff Reporter The state will have to wait for at least three months to get a confirmation from court on the preservation order that allowed assets worth over R520 million owned by Iqbal Sharma and others to be seized in June this year. The judge president of the Free State High Court, Cagney Musi, said the parties to the matter agreed to push the matter forward to allow everyone to submit responses before the matter is argued in court. The matter will now be heard on November 18. Investigating Directorate (ID) spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka said the judge will however rule…

Staff Reporter Embattled former head of the Free State Department of Health, Dr David Motau, has been placed on precautionary suspension by his new employer, the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). Motau, who left the provincial health department a few months ago, was appointed HPCSA chief executive officer/registrar in June and the suspension follows his recent arrest and appearance in the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court facing numerous charges of breaching the Public Finance Management Act. He is charged with 22 other alleged accomplices who include current and former employees of the department as well as service providers and their…

Staff Reporter Two armed robbers disguised as security guards have robbed a Post Office in Viljoenskroon of an undisclosed amount of cash after telling staff they were there to make a delivery before turning guns on them. Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Sam Makhele said in a statement the incident happened just before 17:00 on Tuesday as the staff were preparing to close for the day. He said the two men dressed in clothes similar to those of security guards approached a 49-year-old Post Office security officer and told him that they were delivering paper. “He opened the door and accompanied…

Staff Reporter Three people aged between 50 and 75 have been arrested for allegedly trying to defeat the ends of justice and corruption after plying a rape victim with cash in a bid to convince her to withdraw charges. Free State spokesperson for the Hawks, Captain Christopher Singo, said in a statement the suspects were arrested yesterday and in the early hours of Wednesday in Bloemfontein. The Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit carried out the arrest, assisted by the Tactical Response Team and Crime Intelligence. According to Singo, the suspects allegedly approached the victim last Thursday and paid her…

Staff Reporter The Free State High Court will on Thursday morning decide on the assets to be included in an unlimited restraint order against Iqbal Sharma and businesses that have been linked to him. The restraint order, issued in June, pertains to Sharma, his company Nulane Investments 204 (Pty) Ltd as well as Islandsite Investments 180 (Pty) Ltd, which belongs to Atul and Rajesh Gupta and their wives, Chetali and Arti, respectively. The freezing order is in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crimes Act. “The order applies to assets in South Africa which include all property of Islandsite, Sharma…

South Africa was recently rocked by the worst violence, riots and chaos that has devastated the business community. An estimated 40 000 businesses were affected, costing the country about R50 billion in lost output and endangering around 150 000 jobs. It is important to stress that the situation regarding riots and looting in South Africa is not a once-off phenomenon because, in the past few years, South Africa has witnessed rioting and looting as one of the reoccurring events happening in the country, which often left big and small businesses to bear the burden as they pay the price for…

Staff Reporter Centlec is advising Mangaung Metro residents not to make unfounded comparisons on its electricity tariffs and those in Mossel Bay Local Municipality because the two municipalities are in different categories. Centlec spokesperson Lele Mamatu said a social media post comparing the two was not based on fact but aimed at misleading Mangaung residents into believing they were paying unjustified tariffs following the recent 14.59 percent increase. In a Facebook post, a user took pictures of electricity tokens bought in Mangaung and Mossel Bay worth R1 000 each. In Mangaung, the buyer got 297 units while the Mossel Bay…