EASTERN FREE STATE
TEL: 058 3035411
WEDNESDAY 7 AUGUST 2013
FREE
WWW.EXPRESSNEWS.CO.ZA
Gang crime tackled
Zuma promises action during visit to Botshabelo } Lesego Ditheko PRES. JACOB ZUMA, accompanied by Free State premier Ace Magashule, visited Botshabelo last week to tackle the sprawling township’s gangsterism problem. The high-powered delegation, which also included social development MEC Sisi Ntombela, held a community mass meeting at a soccer field in the middle of Section W and were joined by community members from neighbouring sections. Botshabelo has been plagued by the scourge of gangsterism for a number of years now with various interventions taken to try and deal with the problem. The mass meeting started about five hours late at about 14:00 as Zuma later explained that he first had to attend a meeting in Pretoria which had delayed him. “I am not surprised that he is late, even in service delivery he is still late. People who are older than 70 years have been standing there. Some even arrived an hour before the actual arrival time,” said 25-year-old Dineo who was doing the laundry instead of attending the meeting. Zuma’s visit follows a spree of killings and arson cases that have been reported in the area over the last couple of months. Zuma’s campaign in the area started at the houses burnt by the members of the BTK (Born To Kill) group who were prepared to kill Tsietsi Letlela and Lebogang Ntseki of the SVK (Stout Van k*k) group over the weekend. Lebogang’s grandmother Mmamathako Ntseki showed more than just disappointment when Magashule, Ntombela and Zuma arrived at her burnt out home.
‘I am deeply hurt be cause we were nearly burnt in the house. We have nothing to look out for. I want these boys to be locked up, including my grandson. The boy is stubborn and we live with terror every night,’ – Mmamathako Ntseki
PRES. JACOB ZUMA addresses the community of Botshabelo during his visit there last week. Photo: Conrad Bornman
“I am deeply hurt because we were nearly burnt in the house. We have nothing to look out for. I
want these boys to be locked up, including my grandson. The boy is stubborn and we live with
terror every night,” Ntseki said. According to the grandmother, the 18-year-old Lebogang dropped
out of school in 2009 whilst in grade 9. He opted for the life of a gangster and that led to him being jailed a year later on charges of rape. The feud between SVK and BTK has been ongoing since December after a community member from another area within Section W was robbed allegedly by the BTK gang. The SVK gang retaliated and killed one of the BTK gang members. The war went on until it arrived to the point where 5 homes of SVK gang members were burnt down by the BTK gang. “We are not going to let this go on. We as the people of South Africa, the government and the police will intervene and stop this whole thing before it gets out of hand,” Zuma told the community.
2
EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 7 AUGUST 2013
NEWS
Hiring angers residents } Selloane Khalane
A BLOEMFONTEIN pastor has been accused of forcing his congregants to join the ANC in exchange for jobs at the R100 billion Airport Node Development project. Since last Monday disgruntled community members from areas in and around Grassland Bloemfontein have been flocking to the construction site in Bloemspruit, alleging flawed hiring processes. The project was still on standstill last week after residents accused the Mangaung Metro Municipality officials of collaborating with Pastor Peter Makae of the United in Christ International Ministry in securing jobs for ‘ANC’ congregants at the project. Thabo Botsane, the National Unemployed Voters Organisation (NUVO) secretary, said Makae forced congregants to be ‘card carrying’ members of the ANC in order to get jobs at the project. Botsane said 210 people had been hired for the first phase of the project through the church. “Makae wants to increase ANC members prior to the 2014 national elections,” Botsane said. Makae is also the chairperson of the ANC branch executive member in Ward 17. Makae told Volkblad, the mother newspaper for Express, he was a staunch ANC member but didn’t force congregants to join the ANC. “As a big ANC member I do talk about the ANC during my sermons, but I don’t force them to join the par-
ty,” Makae said. Makae also admitted that job applications for residents in Ward 17 were filed at his church, which, according to Makae, is also used as a community hall by residents. “I was instructed by Papiki Moeng to get names and submit them to the mayor’s office,” said Makae. Moeng is a member of the mayoral committee responsible for planning at the Mangaung Metro. Makae said the Ward 17 councillor, Ntswaki Phupha, was incompetent and he (Makae) would not allow ‘his’ people to perish while he was still alive. Makae further said sewerage and toilet projects had been halted on purpose in Ward17 because the ward councillor was not on good terms with the premier, Ace Magashule, and the Mangaung Metro mayor, Thabo Manyoni. The Mangaung Metro spokesperson, Qondile Khedama, confirmed that 210 people had been hired. Khedama said residents were angry about the criteria used to hire people. Khedama denied allegations of flawed processes and said that both parties would engage to find a way forward. Khedama said 11 000 jobs will be created through the project after the first phase has been completed. The development will build a new town along the N8 with hotels, urban square, a mall, mixed housing, educational and civic sites and a railway station.
PRIMROSE RAMOKOTJO (left) and Mojaje Mokuku. Photo: Supplied
Hope on the horizon THE New Horizon School’s senior and junior speakers took part in the cluster eliminations of the Youth Summit last week at Harrismith Senior Secondary. In the senior section, Mojaje Mokuku (gr. 11), was awarded position one, while Primrose Ramokotjo (gr. 9) got position two in the junior section. These two learners will therefore be taking part in the District Eliminations at Tshiya. The impromptu discussions, taking place after the prepared speeches have been heard, are always interesting, revealing at
what level learners are aware of current affairs. Marks given during these discussions count for 50% of each contestant’s final percentage, whilst the prepared speeches also count for 50%. Junior impromptu question included the following: “What is the significance of Nelson Mandela?”, “What differentiates Mandela from other struggle stalwarts?” and “Which president in other countries do you like, and what do you like about them?” The questions that seniors were asked, also reflected how
the spotlight is on Mandela, with his illness, and on Barack Obama’s African visit, namely “Which country in Africa has a better president than Mr Mandela?”, “Do you think the ruling party still rules according to Mandela’s ideals?” and “If you were allowed to change two rules from our constitution, which would you choose, and why?” Mojaje, whose prepared speech said, “Stand still – I also have a dream: ‘My South African dream”, felt that the ruling party’s style of government today reflects the exact opposite of Madiba’s ideals.
vox pop vox pop vox pop vox pop vox pop vox pop vox pop vox pop vox pop vox pop
Women’s Day must be celebrated WITH Friday being National Women’s Day, Express went out onto the streets of Bloemfontein to find out whether the country should still be celebrating Women’s Day. Xolani Stuurman asked the questions and took the photos. Add your comment on our Facebook page at Express-News03. Express wishes all the women in the Free State a happy Women’s Day and wishes the day is used to further advance the cause of the still marginalised women of this country. - Ed.
MALEPHUTSI MOKOKO: “Yes, it is impor tant that the day should be celebrated be cause women are important to the nation. They take care of other people, they pray for the world and even though it is hard, we still celebrate Women’s Month because of all the abuse still taking place out there.”
SUZETTE PATON: “Yes, it is necessary to celebrate Women’s Day. Mothers are the foundations of the family, they provide love and care. Women are the backbone of the family. A woman is a wellorganized man.”
MURITA VAN DER SANDT: “It is necessary to celebrate Women’s Day because women still have to fight for their rights and stand up against men and abuse.”
CARNELA MOHOKARE: “Elderly people like myself are an example to the younger gen erations. We show younger women how to be ladies.Without women the world has no foundation.” Photos: Xolani Stuurman
EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 7 AUGUST 2013 3
NEWS
MALUTIHOOGLAND SCHOOL
Photos: Supplied
FOURIESBURG HIGH SCHOOL
Project brings change
WITH the successful delivery of more than 800 soccer balls to underprivileged schools in Bloemfontein during 2012, SuperSport’s Let’s Play decided to extend the project. This entailed contributing a further 100 balls to underprivileged schools in the Eastern Free State, namely the Maluti-Hoogland School and Fouriesburg Intermediate School. This amazing project, which began in 2006, is a corporate social responsibility initiative developed by SuperSport and partners in a bid to encourage children to become physically active in addition to assisting these schools to get their sporting programmes on track. Part of the trip to Bethlehem involved visiting the Sidney Farm Initiative. Across South Africa many children go to bed hungry at night, unsure of when they will have their next meal. In September 2012, a
kind-hearted farmer, Pierre Coetzee from Bethlehem, donated a piece of his farming land to start a vegetable garden project. This project provides many children with their only meal at the Maluti-Hoogland School, Fouriesburg Intermediate School, Sonskyn-dienssentrum, Karee House: CT Child and Youth Care Centre and Youth with a Mission (YWAM). “The Let’s Play soccer balls were met with excitement from both learners and teachers. For kids especially, playing a sport can be a positive experience – it gets them active, social and teaches lessons about teamwork, sportsmanship, goal-setting and competition. The Let’s Play balls signify hope and excitement. The kids were all ecstatic to receive the Let’s Play balls – it was priceless experience,” said Lynne Landman, SuperSport media liaison for the Free State and Northern Cape.
‘The Let’s Play soccer balls were met with excitement from both learners and teachers. For kids especially, playing a sport can be a positive experience – it gets them active, social and teaches lessons about teamwork, sportsmanship, goalsetting and competition.’ – Lynne Landman
4
EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 7 AUGUST 2013
NEWS
Mosadi ya kgabane tjheleteng KGWEDING ena ya Phato eo e leng ya basadi ha re ke re shebisane hore mosadi o sebeletswa ke tjhelete jwang. Mosadi ya kgabane o tseba hore moputso wa hae o lekane hore a ka phela bophelo boo a batlang ho bo phela le ba lelapa la hae. Mosadi ya kgabane o netefatsa hore ditshenyehelo tsa le lapa tsa kgwedi le kgwedi ha di fetisi moputso wa kgwedi. Ho mosadi enwa kontane ke morena (ka sejatlhapi ho bolela hore “cash is king�). O fepa ba lelapa, o reka di phahlo le thepa ya ka tlung le tse ding tsa ditlhoko ntle le sekoloto. Le ha a etsa mekete ha a sebedisi sekoloto. Sephiri sa hore mosadi ya kgabane a fihlelle ditlhoko tsa bophelo ka kontane ke eng? Mosadi ya kgabane wa boloka hape o na le mammello. O tseba hore mammello e tswala katleho. Hape mosadi enwa o tseba hore a keke a kgona ho fihlella tseo a di batlang nakong e khutswane. Ha a batla horeka fanitjhara, horekela bana di pahlo, kapo hoya nakong ya phomolo o boloka nako e sale teng hore a qobe ho etsa sekoloto bakeng sa hofihlella ntho tsena. Mosadi ya kgabane o
A re bueng Boitumelo Koma Auditing lecturer Mosadi ya kgabane o sebedisa tjhelete k a kelohloko. O tseba holekanya moputso wa hae hore o lekane mabaka a hae a kgwedi. Pele a reka o nka nako ho nahana. Ke motho ya sa hohelweng k e theolelo ya mabenkele ho reka dintho tseo a ne a sa rera hodi reka kanako eo. bolokela maeomo a tshohanyetso a bophelo hape o tseba le ho bolokela thuto ya bana ya yunivesithi. Ke hore mosadi enwa o bolokela mabaka a nako e kgutswane le mabaka a nako e telele. Mosadi ya kgabane o na le societi, o boloka le bankeng, o boetse o na la di enshorense tse tlang holefa bakeng sa ho hlokomela ba lelapa la hae ha a se a sa kgone hoba hlokomela. Mosadi ya kgabane o sebedisa tjhelete ka kelohloko. O tseba holekanya moputso wa hae hore o lekane mabaka a hae a kgwedi. Pele a reka
o nka nako ho nahana. Ke motho ya sa hohelweng ke theolelo ya mabenkele ho reka dintho tseo a ne a sa rera hodi reka kanako eo. Mosadi ya kgabane o lefa ditshebeletso tsa masepala le laesense ya TV kanako. Ha a rekile ntlo le koloyi ka tjhelete eo a e kadimilweng ke banka o netefatsa hore o lefa hantle. Ha a nale melato ho batho o phakisa ho ba lefa. Batswadi ba hae le bana ba habo ha ba na le tlhoko le bona oa bahlokomela. Bokgabane ba hae bo bonahala hape ka letsoho la hae le batsi ka ho fana a sa kganane. Mosadi ya kgabane kemotho ya bolokang, ya fanang, ya phedisang ba lelepa, hape kemotho ya lefang tsohle kanako hoya katekanyetso ya moputso wa hae. *Mang kapa mang ya a batlang ho ngola kholomong ena, a ka ikopanya le Jabulani Dlamini ho 051-404-7910 kapa ho Jabulani.Dlamini@volksblad.com *Mongodi ha ana ho lefiwa
EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 7 AUGUST 2013 5
NEWS
‘Kgomongwe was not fired’ } Selloane Khalane FREE STATE TREASURY has denied firing its head of department, Humphrey Kgomongwe, for allegedly refusing to deviate from Treasury regulations. Kgomongwe is apparently still strongly aligned with the former MEC of Treasury, Seiso Mohai, who was shipped to parliament earlier this year following a reshuffling of the Free State cabinet. Mohai was replaced by Magashule’s former provincial
director general, Elzabe Rockman. The provincial Treasury spokesperson, Gunnet Kaaf, said Kgomongwe requested early retirement to pursue other interests and spend more time with his family, who resides in Gauteng. “Kgomongwe was due for retirement early next year,” Kaaf said. According to Kaaf, Kgomongwe would be turning 65 years next year. Sources said although last Wednesday was Kgomongwe’s last
official day of work, the former HOD was still in negotiations with the department on settlement of the remaining years on his five year contract which commenced in February 2011. Kaaf said he was not sure of the contract terms and could therefore not comment further on its terms. Kaaf confirmed that Kgomongwe’s post has already been advertised but denied allegations that the post had been earmarked for Adv. Makhoseni Msibi. Msibi is the current head of the Free State Government Garage.
“As far as I know, the post was advertised and no interviews have been conducted yet,” Kaaf said. In a farewell message released by Rockman, Rockman said Kgomongwe’s retirement marks the end of an illustrious career of nearly 40 years in the public service. Rockman also expressed Premier Ace Magashule’s acknowledgment and appreciation for the guidance and leadership Kgomongwe provided. Magashule is currently on an official visit abroad.
RETIRED: Humphrey Kgomong we. Photo: Sidwell Guduka
6
EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 7 AUGUST 2013
NEWS
Little ones treated to outing } Sidwell Guduka AS many as 38 children of the Mamorena Day-care Centre in the Bochabela township, Bloemfontein, were treated by Genesis Acts of Random Kindness on Saturday. The little ones were treated to food and drinks, and they had a whale of time at the Spur in Brandwag.
KATLEGO DINTWE, Tshenolo Kgaudi, Nale di Maphisa and Nompilo Mgabi enjoy their meal. PONTSHO MOKON YANE, Omolemo Moloi and Nokukh anya “Kay” Nkosi enjoyed the out ing.
KIDS of the Mamorena Daycare Centre in Bochabela, Bloemfontein, were treated at the Spur in Brandwag on Saturday. Photos: Sidwell Guduka
EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 7 AUGUST 2013 7
NEWS
Celebrate the liberation of our women
* Love problems * Promotion at work * Money in a bank * Bring back lost lovers * Win lotto, casino and luky charm * Financial boost Pay after results Call me on 084°824°2110.
PHUMLA WILLIAMS, acting CEO of GCIS: SINCE the onset of democracy, South Africa has taken bold steps to advance the interests of women. Today we can look back with pride at some of the many strides we have made, particularly as we prepare to celebrate 20 years of democracy and freedom. South Africa has moved from apartheid where women suffered triple oppression based on their sex, colour and class to a society where gender equality is now a constitutional imperative. While the policies of apartheid were detrimental to the whole black population, women were the most affected. Apartheid restrictions on African women forced them to remain in the homelands, supporting their families without the help of men. They faced poor living conditions, extreme poverty, malnutrition, illness and high infant mortality. Every effort was made to keep African women out of urban areas through laws and regulations that governed their movement. It was these restrictions, in particular the Pass Laws which required Africans to carry documents allowing them to be in white-occupied areas, that led to the famous 1956 march by 20 000 women to the Union Buildings. Today, under our democratically elected government, our Constitution informs our work, promotes, protects and advances the rights of women. Pres. Jacob Zuma said this constitutional imperative was further reinforced by our progressive legislation to advance women. These legal instruments that he noted included the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, the Employment Equity Act, the Domestic Violence Act, Maintenance Act, Sexual Offences Act and the Civil Union Act. Recognising that August is Women’s Month, we take stock of some of the advances we have made in empowering women. We also celebrate the achievements of women in our society. The government recently proposed the Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill to enforce gender parity across all sectors of society. This demonstrates our commitment to act decisively and enforce change in the workplace and speed up the process of gender transformation. The proposed bill calls for equal participation of women in the economy and for equal representation in decision-making in private and public sectors. The proposed bill comes at a time when gender transformation in our corporate boardrooms continues at a much slower pace than in the government. The 2012 Business Women in Leadership Census shows that while women make up 52% of the population they account for just 3,6% of chief executives, 5,5% of chairpersons, 17,1% of directors and 21,4% of executive managers. Kunyalala Maphisa, the president of the Business Women’s Association, said: “Essentially, the findings of the census show that we have a long way to go to achieve more equality in the upper levels of the workplace. The advancement of women in South Africa is no longer an option, it is an urgent requirement.” The Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill provides for the elimination of practices that violate the rights of women in terms of social, political, economic and cultural freedoms and the abolition of discrimination against women and girls. It will also monitor all legislation to address inequalities, discrimination against women, gender violence, access to services and economic empowerment. While our laws have been enacted to promote gender equality and women
Dr Solomon Traditional Healer and Spiritual Healer
empowerment, the issue should not be viewed by the private and public sector simply as compliance. Gender equality must become a lived reality to enable a societal shift that ensures that women are treated as equal citizens, and contribute to socio-economic growth and development. The transformation of gender disparities requires the commitment from all to deal with the historical gender discrimination within our communities. Our National Development Plan (NDP) – the country’s strategic vision for the next 20 years – highlights the important role of women in the fight against poverty and transformation of our economy. The active participation and empowerment of women will help to transform the economy as they make up a significant percentage of the poor, particularly in rural areas. Our record of the last 19 years of democracy suggests that with a concerted effort we can build on the advances we have made which have enabled women to construct better lives for themselves and their children. The government has ensured that all laws that assist in the transformation of society, particularly those that relate to women, are in place. The challenge, however, is the willingness by all to comply with them. The government has done its bit in tackling gender imbalances in the public sector. The public sector has 40,7% female senior managers. The overall workforce in the public service consists of 60,6% women up from 58,2% in 2011. Furthermore, research shows that South Africa is one of the most progressive countries in the world when it comes to the representation of women in politics. Before 1994, Parliament had a mere 2,7% representation of women. After our first democratic elections in 1994 women representation in the National Assembly stood at 27,7%. In 1999 that figure increased to 30% and then 32,7% in 2004. After the 2009 national elections women’s representation rose again to reach 42%. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2012, this puts South Africa in fourth position worldwide for the greatest number of women in Parliament. In the national executive, we have 14 cabinet ministers and 16 deputy ministers. In addition, five out of nine premiers are women. The government remains determined to meet its 50-50 target on women’s representation. While we celebrate our many successes in advancing women in our democratic journey, the government understands that more needs to be done to ensure that women feel safe. The daily reports of violence and abuse suffered by women are evidence that we must continually work to ensure a safer and more caring society. We urge communities to help government to eradicate violence against women through reporting such crimes. Domestic violence in particular should not be treated as a private matter. It is a crime and must be reported to the police. As a nation we must unite towards creating a safer environment for all women and ensure they take their equal place in the workplace and elsewhere to enable us to reach our full potential.
Full set of wooden kitchen cabinets, R2 800. 5 cabinets consisting of drawers, shelves and doors. 1 complete double basin with mixer tap. 1 rinse basin. Contact Paul 082 458 6255.
GRANITE & MARBLE: Kitchen tops, vanities, bar counters, etc. Tel. 058 303 4840/ 082 807 7456.
NEED A LOAN? 071°446°7284
8
EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 7 AUGUST 2013
EASTERN FREE STATE
FROM the left are Kosie Weyers, Mandla Mdakane, Tschops Sipuka and Michael Stephen.
Photo: Supplied
Engen racing team do well on the circuit } Express Reporter THE Engen Racing Team contested two championships at the Phakisa Freeway in Welkom on Saturday. In both series the team’s drivers were to be found right in the middle of the action. Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme) is the defending champion in the series – and also the championship leader. Going into the sixth round at the Phakisa circuit, Stephen was always expecting it would be a tough event. This certainly proved to be the case, but Stephen and Sipuka stood their ground against the opposition. With three races for their Audi S4 Quattro on the day, the duo had to work hard for their results. In race one the Engen Xtreme finished fifth and sixth, followed by
a third for the defending champion in race two, while Tschops Sipuka maintained his sixth place when he crossed the finish line. The finish in the final race of the day again saw the teammates claim the chequered flag in sequence, with Stephen fourth and Sipuka up to fifth. For Stephen a third championship victory is on the cards and consolidating his position is an important aspect of his race strategy. Rather than taking unnecessary risks, he is focused on collecting points and Sipuka is helping to keep the pressure off of Stephen in his championship bid. Fourth and fifth overall is also how the pair of Engen Xtreme Audi Quattro S4s finished the day overall in the premier saloon car series. The demanding Engen Volkswa-
gen Cup Championship saw Weyers and Mdakane compete in two races. Weyers, the championship leader, was more interested in scoring points than winning races. For Weyers this meant claiming second place in race one and third in race two for second place overall on the day. This result will keep him well ahead of the pack as he heads to Zwartkops Raceway for round seven of the championship. Mdakane crossed the finish line for 18th position at the end of race one, but was able to complete just five laps of the second race before being forced to retire. The Engen Racing Team will take to the track in search of championship points again on Saturday, 31 August, for round seven of the Super Series.