Author: The Free Stater

Staff Reporter The Supreme of Appeal (SCA) has set aside a ruling by the South Gauteng High Court in which it increased sentences against two men convicted of theft. Nhlanhla Arthur Kubheka, who is the first appellant, and Armstrong Ngidi, the second, were each convicted in the Randburg Magistrates Court on 12 October, 2017, on one count of theft of a cellular phone and an iPod out of a motor vehicle. On January 23, 2018, Kubheka, who is an engineer by profession, was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, of which two years were suspended for a period of five years…

Staff Reporter A Clocolan man and his wife are behind bars after they were arrested on Sunday for allegedly selling dangerous drugs to a 12-year-old child. Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Sam Makhele said two off-duty police officers from the small farming town pursued the couple after receiving word that someone had just sold drugs to the minor. Makhele said the child’s parents and some community members responded swiftly and teamed up with the police officers as they followed up on the information to Extension 6 in Hlohlolwane, Clocolan. “The members searched the house and found dagga weighing 10kg and 27…

Staff Reporter The Free State Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has completed the verification of the beneficiaries of the Vrede dairy project following an order by the office of the Public Protector. Agriculture MEC William Bulwane revealed this when he delivered his budget vote speech for the 2021/2022 financial year during the provincial legislature’s sitting in Zastron Friday. “I am glad to announce that we have concluded the process of verifying the beneficiaries,” he said. “We can confirm that during that process, only 64 were verified positively. “I have also sent an official apology on behalf of the department…

Staff Reporter A 40-year-old man from Welkom has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment by the Ficksburg Magistrates Court after he pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud and one of theft. Magistrate Smith sentenced Tsietsi Thato Mofokeng for defrauding Imperani Guest House in Ficksburg and Frontier Hotel in Bethlehem between August and October 2020. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said in a statement that Mofokeng arrived at Imperani Guest House on August 21, 2020 and introduced himself as Daniel Sebiloane. “He told the guesthouse manager that he is a newly appointed magistrate at the Ficksburg Magistrates…

With Human Rights Day approaching, it is important to remember the sacrifices of those who lost their lives in the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre in the fight for our freedom. This year, I think it is also important to look inward, focus on individual healing, growth and reflect on the losses pre- and post-COVID-19. The strength and resilience of the Sharpeville community is an important reminder of the hardships we have to overcome. It is an important reminder that we can overcome even this challenge of the pandemic. But on this Human Rights Day our strength lies in our vulnerability and…

Staff Reporter The Free State is developing a new set of rules aimed at regulating participation in strategic sectors of the provincial economy which will see locals being prioritised in setting up businesses. The MEC for the Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (DESTEA), Makalo Mohale, told the provincial legislature sitting in Zastron for his department’s budget vote speech that the master plans for identified sectors are expected to be finalised by July. “In response to the call for accelerated economic recovery in our province, we have developed a value chains economic transformation approach . .…

Every property has its price and it depends on a lot of factors, some of which are difficult to put into practice, but every buyer should be careful not to over pay for a property. But that is not to say you must not pay more than has been paid before, it is just that the extra price must be justified. Things that increase or decrease the value of a property could include any of the following: Position: Often thought as vital when buying a property. There is an old adage – position, position, position. Think about it. The actual…

Staff Reporter The crisis at the Performing Arts Centre of the Free State (PACOFS) which has culminated in the ongoing sit-in by disgruntled artists from across the province has been a long time coming as the Auditor General (AG) pointed to a host of issues that were not in order at the institution about three years ago. The AG, in a report dated August 2, 2019, gave PACOFS a disclaimer audit opinion for the 2018/2019 financial year citing insufficient information as the arts centre could not provide reliable invoices and other supporting documents on its operations to allow for an…

Staff Reporter Free State Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane has ordered an investigation into the case of a man seen in a video being transported in a dog cage by the police. In the video, the man, who has been identified as Tshediso Paul Mohale, is handcuffed from behind and is sitting in a dog cage placed at the back of a marked police bakkie. Mohale is hunched over as he can hardly fit in this cage made up of two small partitions. In the other compartment, there is a police dog barking viciously. The incident is believed to…

Staff Reporter University of the Free State (UFS) rector and vice-chancellor Professor Francis Petersen says South Africa’s funding model for higher education is not working and it urgently needs to be remodelled in order to cover students more comprehensively. He told a virtual media briefing on Monday that a more sustainable student financial model was needed in order to ensure stability at universities and other institutions of higher learning because the state-funded National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) was failing. “We can’t have every year . . . disruptions at higher education institutions,” said Petersen. “. . . you can’t…