Author: The Free Stater

Sports Reporter Only Timycen Maruma and Carl Mumba batted with much spirit as the Zimbabwe A team put up a feeble performance in their second innings and were bowled out for only 93 runs at Harare Sports Club on Thursday. South Africa A thus won the first unofficial Test match between the sides by an innings and 166 runs. The host began the day on 22 for two wickets, having started their second innings 259 runs in arrears – the overnight batsmen were Takudzwanashe Kaitano with 10 and Maruma with three. Kaitano was soon out for 11, dabbling at a…

Staff Reporter Seven suspects aged between 28 and 67 were arrested at the crack of dawn following a year-long investigation into a sophisticated pre-paid electricity vending racket in the Free State and Gauteng. The suspects were arrested at different premises in Gauteng by a multidisciplinary team that included the Hawks on Wednesday. A statement released by the Hawks said the criminal network was responsible for large-scale pre-paid electricity fraud and theft. “This . . . investigation ensued in May 2020 in Bloemfontein . . . probing the illicit sale of electricity facilitated by illegal vendors who have in their possession…

Staff Reporter The Brandfort Magistrates Court has sentenced Thabiso Isaac Pune to life imprisonment after he was convicted of rape, sexual assault and robbery with aggravating circumstances. Magistrate Dumisani Sisusa sentenced Pune to life imprisonment for rape, 12 months for sexual assault and 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said Pune, also known as “Gunman” in Majwemaseu township, committed the first offence when he broke into the house of a 26-year-old woman at around 2300 hours and raped her three times. “The complainant woke up and found Pune next to her…

Staff Reporter Investigations into the massive looting of state funds that grounded the Vrede Dairy Project in the Free State nearly 10 years ago have been taken over by the Investigating Directorate (ID) after the matter was provisionally withdrawn from the court roll in 2018. ID spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka told The Free Stater in an interview this week that the matter is not dead and that a more pointed investigation is underway. “Essentially, that’s hopefully the next case that we will be bringing before court,” she said on Tuesday, after Gupta ‘associate’ and businessman Iqbal Sharma was denied bail by…

Staff Reporter The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in the Free State says it will work closely with water boards to ensure they are paid on time by municipalities so they can improve their revenue levels and continue delivering quality water. DWS regional spokesperson Larry Crisp says they want to ensure the water boards, which have battled to receive payments from some municipalities, are paid on time so they can focus on their core function of providing potable water. “The department . . . has since committed to working closely with its water boards and several municipalities to prevent…

President Cyril Ramaphosa placed Health Minister Zweli Mkhize on special leave on Tuesday after allegations that his department irregularly awarded COVID-19-related contracts to a communications company controlled by his former associates. Before Ramaphosa’s statement, the minister had apologised for the public rage over the allegations, the latest in a series linked to coronavirus-related tenders that have angered a public suffering pandemic-induced economic hardship. Mkhize has denied any personal wrongdoing. Ramaphosa, who has promised that graft during the COVID-19 pandemic will be dealt with harshly, said the special leave would enable Mkhize to face an investigation into contracts between his department…

Staff Reporter The man at the centre of the alleged looting of R25-million from the Free State government coffers has been denied bail after he was deemed a flight risk by the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court on Tuesday. Iqbal Sharma, a Gupta family ‘associate’ and a former Transnet board member, will therefore remain behind bars after his bid for freedom hit a brick wall. State prosecutor Advocate Peter Serunye told the court that Sharma was a flight risk and had failed to disclose that he had transferred R264 459 241 to Issar Global, a company based in the United Arab Emirates…

Staff Reporter Gupta ‘associate’ and businessman Iqbal Sharma, who has been in police custody since his arrest last Wednesday, is ready to surrender title to his properties, company shares, travel documents and submit to local travel restrictions as well as pay a bail for R100 000 to secure his freedom. This is contained in an affidavit submitted by Sharma, 54, to the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court on Monday. He said he owns a property in a complex on Rivonia Road, Sandton, worth R5-million from which he receives R12 000 in monthly rental. “The entire complex is in the process of being…

Staff Reporter The Bloemfontein Magistrates Court has postponed the bail hearing for former Transnet board member and Gupta family associate Iqbal Sharma to Tuesday. This is to allow for all evidence to be put together ahead of the hearing of arguments. State prosecutor Advocate Peter Serunye told Magistrate Estelle De Lange that the defence had furnished them with their affidavit late and needed more time to confirm the details. According to Serunye, they only received the applicant’s affidavit without the supporting documents on Sunday evening at around 8pm instead of Saturday as agreed. He said they got the final affidavit…

Staff Reporter Former Free State Agriculture and Rural Development head Mbana Peter Thabethe, accused of conniving with the Guptas and others to loot R25-million meant to benefit some of the province’s poor, has been granted bail at the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court. Magistrate Estelle DE Lange released him on R10 000 bail and asked him to return to court on July 5 for the continuation of the matter. His co-accused, Iqbal Sharma, is expected to apply for bail later today. The state, represented by Jacyntha Witbooi, had opposed Thabethe’s bail application saying the matter had drawn a lot of public interest…