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/ 27 May 2008

FF+ slams closure of Reitz men’s residence

The University of the Free State’s handling of the Reitz saga has not contributed to reconciliation, the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) said on Tuesday. FF Plus leader in the Free State Abrie Oosthuizen said the decision by the university to close the Reitz residence was an act of subservience to the African National Congress.

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/ 26 May 2008

UFS expected to announce decision on Reitz hostel

The University of the Free State (UFS) is expected to announce its decision on the future of its Reitz men’s hostel on Tuesday. The hostel was the centre of a racial storm in February this year after a video, made by residents, sparked a national outcry. The council of the UFS has mandated management to consider the possibility of closing down the hostel.

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/ 17 May 2008

Habana strikes twice for Bulls

World superstar Bryan Habana dotted down twice as Super 14 title holders the Northern Bulls crushed the Central Cheetahs 60-20 in a final-round mini-league match on Saturday. However, the sole South African winners of the championship will not feature in the knockout stages after poor early-season form.

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/ 11 May 2008

Celtic still on course for top eight

Petrus Mahlatsi’s brace kept Bloemfontein Celtic’s hopes of qualifying for the top eight alive when they beat Bidvest Wits 2-0 in an Absa Premiership match at the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium on Sunday. Celtic meant business from the start, pushing forward in numbers in search of the lead. Their efforts paid off as early as the second minute when Mahlatsi broke the deadlock.

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/ 9 May 2008

Inquiry postponed into Free State official’s murder

The judicial inquiry into the murder of former senior Free State official Noby Ngombane was on Friday postponed for a decision on whether his wife and family members should give oral evidence. Willem Edeling, legal counsel for Ngombane’s wife, Nokwanda, and other family members asked regional magistrate Dawn Soomaroo to consider not calling the so-called ”suspects” to the stand.

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/ 3 May 2008

Highlanders enjoy rare win

The Otago Highlanders recovered from 14-11 behind at halftime to beat South Africa’s Cheetahs for only their second win this season. It was another close defeat in a frustrating season for captain Juan Smith and his Bloemfontein men who themselves have won just once this season and are second-bottom of the table.

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/ 26 April 2008

Cheetahs outrun Cavaliers in Vodacom Cup

The Free State Cheetahs secured their place in this year’s Vodacom Cup semifinals by beating the Boland Cavaliers by 35-20 at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein. The home side led the Cavaliers 24-10 at the break, but the visitors never gave up. Wilton Pietersen, South African under-20 fullback, scored a brace of tries and didn’t put a foot wrong on the night.

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/ 17 April 2008

Blind man falls down shaft before operation

A 68-year-old blind man was killed when he fell six floors down an elevator shaft in Bloemfontein a day before an operation to repair his sight, the Volksblad newspaper reported on Thursday. Giel van Heerden was apparently on his way to drop his keys at the caretaker before going to the airport to fly to Cape Town for the operation.

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/ 8 April 2008

Hamstrung ANCYL looks to Mantashe for help

The national congress of the African National Congress Youth League was indefinitely postponed on Monday evening after being unable to finish its work or confirm the results of its leadership election. Electoral commission member Malusi Gigaba told journalists in Bloemfontein that the League would ask the ANC to help solve its differences.

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/ 6 April 2008

Two in running for ANCYL presidency

Two candidates were nominated for the vacant post of African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) president at the organisation’s national congress in Bloemfontein on Sunday. A spokesperson also confirmed that some delegates had been ”barred” — by provincial structures — from the conference following incidents of disturbances and ill-behaviour.

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/ 6 April 2008

Cheetahs end Super 14 losing streak

The Cheetahs claimed their first Super 14 win of the season and moved off the bottom of the table by defeating the Queensland Reds 29-14 on Saturday. The Bloemfontein-based franchise also snatched a bonus point when centre JW Jonker scored a breakaway stoppage-time try at a sparsely populated Absa Stadium.

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/ 3 April 2008

Mbalula tells Pityana to wake up and smell the coffee

Outgoing African National Congress Youth League president Fikile Mbalula on Thursday criticised University of South Africa rector Barney Pityana for making ”a clown of himself” regarding his comments about ANC president Jacob Zuma. Mbalula said the league condemned the continued slander by self-imposed political commentators on the integrity of Zuma.

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/ 3 April 2008

Delegates in Bloemfontein for ANCYL conference

Hundreds of delegates arrived at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein on Thursday for the national conference of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL). Although the programme for the day had not started by 11am, delegates already inside and outside the Callie Human Centre were dancing and singing songs, waiting for proceedings to start.

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/ 23 March 2008

Celtic loss upsets supporters

Just before kick-off on Sunday at the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium, Bloemfontein Celtic supporters shouted at Santos substitute players to move off their team’s bench, and they obeyed. After the Premier Soccer League game — in which Celtic lost 1-0 to Santos despite a spirited showing — angry Celtic fans had to be closely watched by police.

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/ 17 March 2008

What to do with Reitz hostel?

The University of the Free State on Monday asked for proposals on the future of its Reitz men’s residence from various affected parties. A racist video surfaced at the institution last month, made by former students living in the Reitz hostel. The video features black university employees on their knees eating food that had apparently been urinated on by a white student.