A friend visiting from Sierra Leone once nodded in agreement with a Nigerian colleague’s comment: ”The great thing about South Africa is that you really value your languages.” She had asked me what language Generations or Isidingo characters were speaking to each other, finding it remarkable that national television used more than one language in this way, writes Pumla Dineo Gqola.
The Bloemfontein High Court on Thursday postponed an urgent court interdict sought by four African National Congress (ANC) members to suspend the election of new office bearers at a northern Free State ANC regional conference. The matter was suspended to March 29 for consideration by the court.
<i>Sunday Times</i> journalist and columnist David Bullard was shot and wounded when four men broke into his Johannesburg house, police said on Thursday. Captain Cheryl Engelbrecht said Bullard (55) had been shot once on Wednesday, with the bullet going through his arm and into his abdomen.
South Africa should not see itself as the ”criminal skunk” of the world, because many other countries in transition had the same high crime prevalence, a criminologist said on Wednesday. Dap Louw, a psychology professor at the University of the Free State, said South Africans should also not develop a ”learned helplessness syndrome”.
The crime most feared in South Africa is housebreaking, according to a survey recently conducted for the National Prosecuting Authority. ”The reason is the fear that the burglary will take place while the residents are on the premises,” said Andre du Toit, acting director for public prosecutions in the Free State.
Crime is an ”illness” that affects all and makes the population live in fear, businessman and former premier of Mpumalanga Mathews Phosa said on Wednesday. He was speaking at a symposium at the University of the Free State on the effect of serious crime and violent crime in South Africa.
Santos reached the last 16 of the lucrative Absa knockout competition on Wednesday night when they narrowly beat Free State Stars 1-0 in a match played at the Athlone Stadium. The goal was scored by Erwin Isaacs in the 75th minute. The visitors were unlucky to lose as they were the better team on the night. It is clear why Free State Stars are leading the second division.
No image available
/ 28 February 2007
The Free State will spend more than R10,6-billion on social and human development in this financial year, with the education department getting more than half of this, provincial finance minister Tate Makgoe said on Wednesday in delivering the province’s budget for 2007/08 in Bloemfontein. The department of education will get a proposed allocation of R5,6-billion.
No image available
/ 28 February 2007
The largest household-based survey undertaken to date by Statistics South Africa officially wrapped up on Wednesday. Survey workers had interviewed more than 232 673 families across the country — 85% of the total number of households sampled, said spokesperson Solly Kganyago.
No image available
/ 27 February 2007
The Constitution promised a non-racial, non-sexist judiciary that would promote freedom, dignity and accountability. Just over a decade later, we celebrate a body of law developed by the Constitutional Court. Ranging from a rich set of judgements promoting equality to the protection of a deepened sense of democracy based on public participation, the court has propelled the country along the road leading to the promised constitutional democracy.
No image available
/ 26 February 2007
Isolated drought conditions and the heatwave of the last 10 days in many parts of South Africa have affected the maize crop severely, said the general manager of Grain SA, John Purchase, on Monday. ”[With] the heat at 35 to 36 degrees Celsius daily, [or] even higher, there was no chance that maize crops could pollinate and produce,” said Purchase.
No image available
/ 23 February 2007
The government’s ”narrow focus” on land was counter-productive, says a report delivered to President Thabo Mbeki. This was often the cause of failure and lack of sustainability in land reform, argues the document. The report, handed over by a group of farmers on Tuesday, resulted from an initiative by a group of prominent Afrikaner businessmen and academics.
No image available
/ 22 February 2007
The government’s ”narrow focus” on land is counter-productive, prominent Afrikaner businessmen and academics told President Thabo Mbeki on Thursday. It is often the cause of failure and lack of sustainability in land reform, they argued during talks in Cape Town with Mbeki and Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs Lulu Xingwana.
No image available
/ 21 February 2007
As if defending Premier Soccer League champions Mamelodi Sundowns have not posed sufficient problems for their opponents of late, up pops the player the Brazilians call ”El Buddah” to further torment Bloemfontein Celtic at Seisa Ramabodu Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
No image available
/ 20 February 2007
A high-powered Fifa delegation is in South Africa for a five-day venue-inspection tour ahead of the 2010 World Cup, the media reported on Tuesday. A tight lid was kept on the proposed arrangements for the tour, although the delegation was scheduled to inspect Ellis Park and Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday, it was reported.
No image available
/ 14 February 2007
The Bloemfontein flying squad has been ”beefed-up” with a new leadership team following allegations of members watching pornography on TV instead of answering duty phones. Superintendent Sam Makhele on Wednesday said Free State police Commissioner Amon Mashigo made the changes during the recent restructuring process within the police.
No image available
/ 11 February 2007
The Free State High Court has granted an interim interdict suspending the resolutions, decisions and elections at the regional general council of the African National Congress (ANC) in the northern Free State, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported on Saturday.
No image available
/ 9 February 2007
Would-be robbers blew up an automated teller machine (ATM) in Welkom on Friday morning, but left empty-handed, Free State police said. Residents of Thabong told police of a white Toyota Cressida that had been driving up and down Nkoane Road, where a Standard Bank ATM was located, at about 1.40am.
No image available
/ 9 February 2007
The man found guilty of killing and raping the mother-in-law of celebrity Soli Philander was sentenced to two life terms by the Free State High Court on Friday. The judge told Simon Matshwane that were he to call him (Matshwane) a pig, he would be insulting pigs. ”Even pigs don’t do such things,” he said.
No image available
/ 8 February 2007
The man accused of killing the mother-in-law of celebrity Soli Philander will be sentenced on Friday. Simon Matshwane (20) will hear his fate in the Parys Magistrate’s Court on Friday, said Philander’s wife, Toni, who will attend the sentencing with her family.
No image available
/ 7 February 2007
A firm of commercial lawyers on Wednesday did what First National Bank (FNB) did not do and published an advertisement in Beeld newspaper voicing its grievances about crime. ”We might not have an advertising budget like that of FNB, but we have De la Rey courage,” read the advert, placed by Pretoria-based Van Huyssteens attorneys.
No image available
/ 6 February 2007
A tip-off to police led to a constable being arrested and about R500Â 000 worth of dagga being seized from a police vehicle on Tuesday, eastern Free State police said. Superintendent Motarafi Ntepe said the Bloemfontein dog unit was tipped off that a police vehicle was about to load and transport dagga in the Ficksburg area.
No image available
/ 6 February 2007
Great Soweto rivals Moroka Swallows and Orlando Pirates have been paired together for the first round of South Africa’s Absa Cup soccer competition. One official called it ”the million to one shot”. The draw on Monday evening uncannily paired a good number of teams from the Premier League against each other.
No image available
/ 5 February 2007
Almost 35% of the total South African personal income of R1,232-billion accrued to Gauteng in 2006, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 16,3% and the Western Cape with 14,7%, a new report showed on Monday. Gauteng led the pack despite the 2005 boundary changes that favoured the Northern Cape.
No image available
/ 2 February 2007
Free State farmers have accused Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs Lulu Xingwana of hate speech over her allegations of worker abuse and widespread, inhumane evictions in the industry. ”She is accusing us of murder, rape and evictions,” Free State Agriculture president Louw Steytler said on Friday.
No image available
/ 1 February 2007
Leave to appeal a fraud conviction and a four-year prison sentence by Sandile Tsopo, husband of Free State education provincial minister Ouma Tsopo, was denied on Thursday by the Bloemfontein Regional Court. Regional magistrate MI Menong, however, extended Tsopo’s bail pending the outcome of a petition to be filed at the high court.
No image available
/ 29 January 2007
A former Free State Miss South Africa finalist, Taryn Thompson, and her husband appeared in the Welkom Magistrate’s Court on Monday on drug-related charges. Thompson was released on bail of R1 000 while her husband was remanded and will formally apply for bail on February 5, said police spokesperson Captain Magda Muller.
No image available
/ 25 January 2007
No dates have yet been set for the scrapping of taxis in Gauteng, Transport Department spokesperson Sam Monareng said on Thursday. Dates have also yet to be set for the destruction of old vehicles in the North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, he said. All Monareng could indicate was that dates would be announced ”soon”.
No image available
/ 25 January 2007
President Thabo Mbeki awarded 18 of South Africa’s top matric students the Thabo Mbeki Matric Merit Award in Pretoria on Thursday. ”It is us who feel honoured to be in your company,” Mbeki told the matriculants, a sentiment shared by Education Minister Naledi Pandor.
No image available
/ 18 January 2007
Power cuts rippled across South Africa on Thursday, blacking out parts of major cities and spurring warnings from state utility Eskom that unexpected shortages could extend into next week. The cuts, which Eskom attributed to power-station maintenance and the shutdown of one unit at Koeberg, caused power failures stretching from Cape Town to Johannesburg.
No image available
/ 18 January 2007
The lights went out in several parts of South Africa on Thursday morning as Eskom carried out load-shedding as its capacity was stretched by a surprise surge in consumption. Power plants failed, including Koeberg nuclear power station’s unit one, when the turbine tripped at 2.18am. ”There is a national alert,” said Eskom spokesperson Tony Stott.
No image available
/ 17 January 2007
Several employers in the Free State might be hauled to court or fined for breaking labour laws, the provincial department of labour said on Wednesday. This follows an inspection to check if they are adhering to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and other labour acts, spokesperson Zolisa Sigabi said.