Author: The Free Stater

Staff Reporter The University of the Free State (UFS) has teamed up with several medical and scientific experts to test the efficacy of Ivermectin in the treatment of COVID-19 in humans. UFS spokesperson Lacea Loader says the university, through its wholly owned clinical research company FARMOVS, has started preparations for a clinical trial protocol to determine the strength of the drug in treating the disease. “By participating in the preparation of the clinical trial protocol, FARMOVS and the UFS remain supportive of and committed to contributing to the development of treatments and treatment strategies to battle the COVID-19 pandemic,” said…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has lifted the ban on the sale and distribution of alcohol after the country recorded the lowest daily increase in infections on Monday. Ramaphosa addressed the nation on the latest developments in the country in relation to the coronavirus pandemic, which was one of his shortest “family” meetings to date in just 30 minutes. Last month, the president had placed the country on an adjusted Level 3 lockdown. As part of the regulations, he announced the ban on alcohol sales from retail outlets, on-site consumption and consumption of alcohol in public spaces, including parks and beaches. Tonight,…

Staff Reporter The Free State has set up 47 vaccination sites to kick-start the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccination programme. Provincial health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi says 30 collection sites — where the vaccine will be stored — have also been prepared across the province. South Africa will today receive its first consignment of one million doses of the Covishield vaccine produced under licence from AstraZeneca by the Serum Institute of India. Another 500 000 will arrive later this month. “The province is ready to implement the vaccine roll-out plan as soon as the drug goes through the various testing…

You are probably aware that Mangaung Metro is under administration. Probably not surprising when one considers how ineffective and inefficient the municipality is. Last week they disconnected water from 35 body corporates, managed by different body corporate managers, because individual owners were in arrears with their rates and taxes. Not only was this action unconstitutional — because they were punishing all the owners in a building because some owners owed them — but it was also illegal in that they did not even follow their own procedures before doing the disconnections. There is a process of written warnings that must…

Staff Reporter The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has ruled that it was wrong for the government to restrict certain physical exercises to particular times of day and prohibit over-the-counter sale of cooked hot food under the Level 4 of the national lockdown. The SCA made the ruling on Thursday when it dismissed an appeal brought by Western Cape resident Duwayne Esau and seven others against the Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel. The appellants argued that the regulations restricting freedom of movement and…

Staff Reporter The Bloemfontein Regional Court has slapped a 39-year-old man from Bloemspruit with two life sentences after it found him guilty of raping two boys over three years ago. Lepita Nkoto, a cattle herder from Lesotho, was handed the two long sentences by the sexual offences court on Monday. The court heard during trial that on October 24, 2017, Nkoto came across the two boys — then aged six and four years old — playing near their homes in Bloemspruit Phase 10. He is said to have called them to nearby bushes and raped the older one. The suspect,…

Staff Reporter Free State police and the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) are investigating circumstances that led to the fatal stabbing of an inmate at the privately run Mangaung Correctional Centre last weekend. The inmate was allegedly stabbed with a sharp object last Saturday by another inmate under unclear circumstances. The inmate suffered injuries to the upper body and was rushed to hospital where he died several hours later. Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Sam Makhele said in a written response to The Free Stater investigations are still underway to establish what exactly happened on the day and the people involved.…

Staff Reporter The Free State Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) has activated support teams after the SA Weather Service issued a warning for potential floods in the western parts of the province. There are fears the continued rains could result in major disruptions in areas which border the northern parts of the Northern Cape. CoGTA spokesperson Zolile Lobe says there are already signs of floods in the southern Free State in areas such Philippolis, Bethulie, Reddersburg and Luckhoff. “Widespread flooding of roads has been experienced around southern Free State,” said Lobe in a statement. “Motorists are advised…

Staff Reporter On of the districts hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Free State has assured residents it has sufficient hospital beds to accommodate people who may need closer attention when fighting the disease. Provincial health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi told The Free Stater in a written response that there is no pressure on hospitals in Thabo Mofutsanyana, which continues to record the highest daily figures for COVID-19 in the province, as bed capacity has been increased in line with the growing number of cases in that district. “These hospitals have increased their bed capacity for more admissions if…

taff Reporter A Welkom family has been left wondering about the safety of their daughter after a stranger recently reached out to them saying she was safe. Tsholofelo Dineo Makhubu, a 26-year-old IT student at the Central University of Technology, left her family home in Riebeekstad, Welkom, on November 20, 2020 and has not made contact with anyone. Her father has told the police that when she left the house at about 11am, she took some of her clothes. It’s not clear where she said she was going. Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Sam Makhele said in a statement the family…