Author: The Free Stater

Staff Reporter The ANC has given its secretary general Ace Magashule and other senior party members facing criminal charges 30 days to voluntarily step aside or face suspension. This was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his closing remarks at the end of the marathon meeting held by the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) – the party’s highest decision-making body between conferences – over the weekend. “All members charged with corruption or other serious crimes must step aside within 30 days, failing which they should be suspended in terms of rule 25.70 of the ANC constitution,” Ramaphosa said. “The meeting…

Single ladies, if you’re wondering why your man hasn’t proposed yet, perhaps he’s waiting to turn 37? According to a report released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), “Marriages and Divorces, 2019”, the median age of bridegrooms increased from 36 years in 2015 to 37 years in 2019. Similarly, the age of brides increased from 31 years to 33 years over the same period. According to the report, the data suggests that men tend to marry younger women, as 98 714 (76.2 percent) of the 129 597 bridegrooms were older than their brides. However, 20 730 (16.0 percent) bridegrooms were…

South African Adrian Nel is one of the victims of a brutal insurgency being waged by militant Islamists in northern Mozambique. Dozens of bodies have been seen but few details have emerged about the other casualties. Nel would have celebrated his 41st birthday on April 1. But his body now lies in a mortuary in Pemba – a coastal city in Mozambique’s resource-rich Cabo Delgado province. The region has become the latest front line in the global war being waged by militant Islamists. On Wednesday, hundreds of those militants stormed the town of Palma. Nel was among dozens of people…

Staff Reporter There has been an increase of over 70 percent in kidnappings in the Free State over the past year with most of the cases ending with incidents of sexual assault, Police, Roads and Transport MEC Sam Mashinini said. In his budget vote speech delivered on Friday in Welkom, Mashinini said although the province has recorded a marked drop in other forms of crimes, kidnappings associated with sexual offences had increased. “Kidnappings in the province have . . . shown an alarming increase of 78.3 percent or 184 cases,” he said. “The majority of kidnappings in the province are…

Staff Reporter The Free State provincial government is planning to sell over 60 vacant properties in the next few months as it seeks to consolidate its property portfolio and make it easier to manage. Public Works, Infrastructure and Human Settlements MEC Motshidisi Koloi said in her budget vote speech delivered on Friday at Teto Secondary School in Welkom that the properties which are located across the province will be advertised at the beginning of the financial year. “The department plans to dispose of 68 vacant sites and 14 plots,” said Koloi in her R1.7 billion budget speech. The properties are…

Many people buy a ground floor flat or a townhouse because it gives them what they think is their private garden. But take care, it is not always what it seems. In flat buildings, gardens are almost always common property, meaning they can be used by everyone, but over the years people have worked on the garden and slowly enclosed areas for their own use. You need to be clear whether the garden that is allocated is purely for your own use or whether anyone is entitled to use it. This can cause serious conflict when somebody from upstairs wants…

Staff Reporter The Free State Department of Education has set targets that should be met by learners starting from Grade 1 as the province seeks to consolidate its position as the best performing province in the country. Education MEC Tate Makgoe, in his budget vote speech delivered at Mohaladitwe Secondary School in Phuthaditjhaba on Thursday, said set targets are aimed at encouraging learners to excel in their studies from an early stage. According to the Provincial Strategy on Learner Attainment for 2021 which he announced, the targets are: Grades 1-3: 100 percent pass rate with an average pass of 75…

Staff Reporter The Free State has vaccinated a total of 14 313 health workers for COVID-19 as it prepares a major roll-out for the inoculation of at least 67 percent of the province’s population. Health MEC Montseng Tsiu said this when she presented her department’s R12.135 billion budget for the 2021/22 financial year in Phuthaditjhaba on Thursday. “As at yesterday, we had vaccinated a total of 14 313 health workers in the province,” she said. “The vaccination of healthcare workers is aligned to risk stratification and the recommended categories, with schedules being specific to the target population within each local…

Staff Reporter The Free State Department of Social Development says it is closely watching the increase in cases of gender-based violence (GBV) in the Lejweleputswa district and is working with local authorities to address the situation. Social Development MEC Mamiki Qabathe told the Free State Legislature on Wednesday that the district has been identified as needing close attention due to the steady rise in GBV cases which have been worsened by the prevailing socio-economic conditions. “The department has . . . registered Lejweleputswa district, Welkom in particular, as deserving greater attention in responding to the increase in GBV cases in…

Staff Reporter Free State municipalities are now saddled with a collective electricity bill of nearly R13.6 billion as the local authorities are finding it difficult to collect more revenue from ratepayers, most of whom have lost jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Thembeni Nxangisa told the Free State Legislature when he delivered his 2021/22 budget vote speech in Botshabelo that municipalities are finding it increasingly difficult to deliver electricity, water and sanitation to communities as a result of the disease that has forced some businesses to shut down while others have scaled down operations.…