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WEDNESDAY 9 APRIL 2014
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Chairman opts out
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Members of mining association feel left in the lurch } Tladi Moloi
MATOWANE MPHUTHI, the chairperson of the Thabo Mofutsanyana Mining Association, who resigned. Photo: Tladi Moloi
MATOWANE MPHUTHI, the chairperson of the Thabo Mofutsanyana Mining Association, has resigned. Mphuthi, who has guided the association since October last year, has resigned last week and news reaching Express Eastern Free State is that he had resigned by SMS followed by an email on Monday. He confirmed that he had jumped ship giving business commitments as the reason for his resignation. “It is true that I have resigned. I needed more time to focus on my business of sandstone and building sand. I don’t want a position anymore, but I will remain a loyal member of the association,” he said. Mphuthi said he had indeed sent the members of the association an SMS informing them about his resignation. The SMS was followed by emailing a formal letter to
“They depended on me at all times and that was not doing them any favours. They always had to wait for me for the meetings. If I was not around it meant there was no progress, so I think they will be able to work now that I am no longer there.” – Matowane Mphuthi the secretary on Monday morning. He also pointed out that he would love to see the association going forward. “They depended on me at all times and that was not doing them any favours. They always had to wait for me for the meetings. If I was not around it meant there was no progress, so I think they will be able to work now that I am no longer there. However, I am still available for advice,” he said. Mphuthi said he wished the association a long life. He hoped members of the association would take it forward. “It will benefit the economy of Thabo Mofutsanyana if they take good care of this baby. There is more money in mining,” he said. Mphuthi has, however, criticized the lack of skills among the members of the association and added that it worried him. “I organised some of the skills workshops for them during my time. They should keep on doing that to go
forward. As for now, there are more problems, because some of them have never had a chance to be in a leadership position like me,” he said. He said one of the changes he made was insisting that members had businesses as some members in key positions did not have active businesses. “Some of those people don’t have existing businesses and that makes it difficult when we talk business,” Mphuthi said. Mphuthi phoned Express EFS on Monday afternoon and said he had been asked by the association to come to the meeting to discuss his resignation. He said the members were not happy about it. Kopano Mokoena, the secretary of the association, said he was not in a position to confirm the resignation and added that they had called Mphuthi to a meeting today at 10:00 to discuss the matter. “I will report back after the meeting,” he said.
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EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 9 APRIL 2014
NEWS
Rural principals Residents divided receive laptops on power contract } Tladi Moloi
} Tladi Moloi TATE MAKGOE, the Free State MEC for Education, says his department will soon give farm school principals laptops and free internet connection. He says this was motivated by the communication challenges that they had in the past when communicating with the farm school principals. “We want each and every principal of the farm schools to have access to the internet. We want to communicate with them easier. If connectivity can be improved, they can facilitate communication much better. “We understand that laptops make everyone work overtime. It will also reduce the cost of us having to drive to all the farm schools to deliver the letters,” he says. The MEC revealed this during a recent interview with Express Eastern Free State at the Tiisetsang Secondary School where he had a meeting with the farm school principals from the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality. “Our big challenge is that they always have to drive to the district office to get their letters. Sometimes we need them urgently and we can’t find them because they are busy collecting the letters. At times, if there is a meeting, they have to leave the schools, which means there is no school on that day,” he says. If they all have laptops and internet they will be able to send emails and the good thing about an email is that they will get the information immediately. “We also believe that you will be able to access the common test and everything,” he says.
TATE MAKGOE, the Free State MEC for Edu cation. Photo: Tladi Moloi Makgoe says they have already bought some computers and that they will soon hand them out. “We wanted to do it step by step but we realised that with this new budget, we would have to do it once so that everybody has got this access and we know that we are done,” he says.
RESIDENTS of the Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality (MAP) have mixed feelings about the termination of the controversial 25-year electricity contract between the power supplier Rural Maintenance and the local municipality. Rural has recently announced the termination of the contract and now the residents who had their electricity meters installed by the electricity company are left in the dark. The company started operating in the MAP municipal area from 1 September last year, even though the contract signed by the former municipal manager, Madala Ntombela, was effective since 3 April last year. Jacob Mabaso, Rural Maintenance communications manager, says the community should not be worried about the electricity meters that they have installed during their time. He says they will not remove them, but the municipality will decided if they service them or replace them. “We are not working there any longer and we can’t go to the houses and remove the meters,” he says. Mabaso says that they will take the municipality to court. “They owe us R32 million and we will take them to court to get that money,” he says. The municipality could not be reached for a comment. This is what people had to say on Express Eastern Free State’s Facebook page: Not happy at all. – Makhetha Khotso This is a serious problem. I think they must just give back the electricity back to Eskom because the problem here is with the municipality. – Stona Mosikidi This is bad because under Rural things were always up to date. Now Rural is gone sentse owa motlakase nxa. – Innocentia Relebohile Mahlaba No! No! Not at all. – Phomolo Dlamini The breaches that forced Rural to cancel the contract include the municipality’s: ) failure to pay for its own consumption amounting to R32,6 million; ) wilful interference with the implementation of the contract despite being interdicted by the High Court in August 2013 to prevent such conduct; ) instructions to vendors of electricity not to pay money owing by them to Rural; ) refusal to co-operate with Rural to
implement effective debt collection measures resulting in material debts being accrued to the detriment of the public; and ) refusal to pay to Rural funds received by the municipality for electricity consumed, which funds are required to pay Eskom to prevent disconnection. – Thapelo Molebatsi The issue of electricity at the MAP Municipality needs a serious intervention. People cannot continue to live like this. The municipality might as well give Eskom the tender before more blackouts happen. – Papi Pavlov Molopa Not happy; there goes the best resourced company that served the community with pride and they were dedicated. – Law Motsatse Ke mathata feela masepala wa rona wa bora. Again they take the money that’s supposed to help us with resources, especially electricity. Retlo teneha, this thing is going too far aga maan. – Mokebe Nyatso Aou, people. How can we be happy while we are now struggling like this? We don’t have electricity because of that. And that is going to happen next time because I heard that Rural had paid all what the MAP owed to Eskom. What is happening with our municipality? – Beauty Deekay Waha Shabangu I think it’s a sad thing to happen to our beloved Qwaqwa. Another case of incompetence by municipalities full of people who only care about their own pockets. I had a chance of interacting/ dealing with Rural people during the December holidays, a bunch of professional people, I must say. I guess sanity will prevail one day, after all, nothing lasts forever. – Mpiyakhe Khoza I am afraid that most of the comments are uninformed, hear-say issues and not informative about how Rural was bossing the municipality. How do we explain an illegal 25-year contract? How the hell is Rural threatening to switch off electricity at hospitals, schools, etc.? Mr Khosa, I don’t think you were around when the Traffic Department were without electricity. How about the municipality itself? – Samson Mohomane So now, Mr Samson, what do you say about people who paid for that electricity because now I feel that they have been neglected. Do they know what is going to happen now with the so-called municipality? Do they have any energy plans? – Fale Mic
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NEWS
FET student dies in accident } Tladi Moloi A STUDENT of the Maluti FET College in Qwaqwa died when the taxi they were travelling in collided with a Mercedes-Benz and the taxi overturned. The accident happened about 4 km outside Phuthaditjhaba on the R57 Road towards Kestell last Tuesday morning. Libe David Mokoena (21) died on the scene while Zandile Hlongwane was transferred to the Pelonomi Hospital in
Bloemfontein after she had sustained a neck injury. The driver of the Mercedes-Benz, Mpho Libitsa, the principal of the Boiketlong Primary School, is recovering at the Mediclinic Hoogland in Bethlehem. The 22-seater taxi was transporting the college students to Sasolburg where the minister of Higher Education and Training, Blade Nzimande, was launching a placement programme. The taxi collided head-on with the
Awards open for entries THE fourth Annual SAB Foundation Social Innovation Awards are now open for entry to entrepreneurs and businesses offering sustainable socially innovative products and processes. These products and processes should directly address the challenges faced by low-income women, youth, people living with disabilities and people living in rural areas. The SAB Foundation Social Innovation Awards 2014 offer a first-place grant of R1 million, a second-place grant of R500 000 and a third-place grant of R350 000. In addition, several seed grants are awarded to deserving and stand-out innovations. The Social Innovation Awards were launched in 2011 as part of the SAB Foundation’s primary focus to ignite a culture of entrepreneurship in South Africa. To date, the awards have invested in more than 40 entrepreneurs and their innovations at a total cost of over R11 million. “It is important that more people participate in South Africa’s social and economic life if high-impact and sustainable levels of job creation are to be achieved. “More so, an innovative thread of thinking is fundamental in providing the necessary force to make a real dent,” says Boipelo Nkadimeng, SAB head: Enterprise Development and Community Partnerships. Business grant awards are provided to help upscale and commercialise the innovative solution, a process which is supported by the SAB Foundation over a period of two years or longer, as needed. The size of the grant is designed to allow for substantive progress to be made by the winners. Product innovations cover
goods and services which can be divided into “new” or “improved”. A new product may use advanced technology and knowledge, or a combination of the two, while an improved product is one that already exists, and its performance has been enhanced. Process innovations involve adapting and creatively improving ways of delivering a product or service. This could come from changes in knowledge, perception and/or understanding. The innovation solution must have progressed past an idea and must have proof of concept. This means that applicants must be able to show evidence that prior to entering the competition they have invested time and/or capital developing the innovation. The social impact of the innovation is a strong selection criterion. An open competition puts innovator applicants and their innovation through a rigorous, phased adjudication process. In the end, investments are made in those innovations which are innovative, scalable and can be commercialised. The winners are announced during an awards ceremony later this year. An in-depth needs analysis of each finalist’s business is undertaken and this determines the design of a business development strategy, grant funding and customised mentorship. Entries into the competition close at midnight on 30 May and SAB will invite successful candidates to a selection interview. To enter SAB KickStart, access one of the following channels: Website: www.sabkickstart.net Tel: 011-881-8493 Email: kickstart@za.sabmiller.com.
Owner ordered to pay THE Bethlehem Magistrate’s Court has ordered Pieter Pelser of Riemland Hidroulies to pay his former employee, Jan Christoffel Goodchild all the outstanding monies due to him and he was also fined R500. Pelser, the owner of a welding company in the area, appeared before the court after refusing to comply with the labour inspector’s instruction
to pay an amount of R3 325,44 owed to Goodchild in overtime payments for the period of April to 22 July last year. Pelser was expected to appear in court again yesterday with proof of payment for both the worker’s wages as well as the fine to the court. At the time of print the outcome of this court case was not known.
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Mercedes which was on its way to Phuthaditjhaba. The cause of the accident is still unknown. There were 22 students in the taxi. The injured students were rushed to the Mofumahadi Mmanapo Regional Hospital for treatment. Makgala Moloi-Labase, the marketing manager at the college, confirmed the accident. She said that only one student had died in the accident while another had
been taken to Bloemfontein after sustaining a neck injury. “Mokoena was doing her experiential training at Bibi Cash & Carry in Qwaqwa. “She had completed her Business Management course at the Main Campus last year,” she said. Moloi-Labase said the other students were discharged on the same day and were later dropped off at their respective homes.
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EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 9 APRIL 2014
NEWS
Win a Basotho experience
} Christo van Staden
AT the turn of the century in 1800, the plains around Golden Gate teemed with game. In 1836 it was noted by Major Sir William Cornwallis Harris, well-known English military engineer, artist and hunter, that it sometimes seemed as if the whole landscape was one moving mass of antelope which included thousands of blesbok, zebra and black wildebeest. A weekend in one of the 24 chalets, built to resemble an 18th century Basotho village, at the Basotho Cultural Village in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, leaves you with the same impression: plains teeming with game. While you sit on the stoep of your chalet, the antelope come and go, visiting the brooks next to the camp and grazing, especially early in the morning. The herds of eland and zebra seem to prefer moving together, whilst the blesbok and red hartebeest also keep together. Springbok and black wildebeest also roam the area. Apart from the animal sightings, a weekend at the Cultural Village leaves your soul peaceful and rested with the images in your mind of the golden sunrises and sunsets on the beautiful sandstone cliffs in the area and the play of different colours on the grassveld during the day. The chalets are luxurious and comfortable, with everything you might need. And you will need a nice afternoon nap, because you need to rise with the first golden sunrays to watch the spectacular natural scenery surrounding you. You should also take the opportunity to take a guided tour
A VIEW of the chalets at the Basotho Cultural Village. The chalets imitate the style of an 18th century Basotho village. Photos: Christo van Staden of the Cultural Village Museum, which is also on the premises. Meet the chief and his first wife. Learn some of the interesting facts about the Basotho culture. Did you know that the community selects the chief’s first wife, that she selects his second wife and that the chief only has a choice in the selection of his third wife? The changes in building styles through the decades can also be seen in the houses that were erected as part of the museum. The museum, as well as a restaurant and tea garden, conference facilities and a curio shop, are all managed by the Free State Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. But be warned: You might be so fascinated by the scenes from you stoep that you will refuse to move an inch!
THE chalets are luxurious and comfortable.
For more information on the Cultural Village, go to www.sanparks.co.za, or phone the national park on 058-255-1000. ) Express and SANParks run a competition in which one lucky reader who enters before the end of April stands a chance to win a weekend stay for a family of four in the Basotho Cultural Village. All you need to do, is to visit the Express mobisite (www.expresspaper.mobi), login and enter. If you have not registered before, now is you opportunity. To register, go to the mobisite by opening your phone’s internet browser, type www.expresspaper.mobi and enter. Follow the instructions to register. Directions on how to enter the competition will be on the site. The winners will be announced in the edition of 7 May.
ZEBRAS drinking water in a brook close to the Cultural Village.
A HOUSE depicting the building style of earlier in the previous century.
Photo: Kobus van Staden
Voters can now apply for special votes APPLICATIONS for special votes in this year’s national and provincial elections opened on Monday and will continue until Thursday, 17 April, between 09:00 and 17:00 at local IEC offices. Special votes will be cast on Monday, 5 May, and Tuesday, 6 May. There are two categories of special votes: 1. Home visits: Election officials will visit voters who have successfully applied for a home visit due to physical
infirmity, disability or pregnancy. These home visits will be conducted on Monday, 5 May, and on Tuesday, 6 May. 2. Special voting at your registered voting station: Any voter who will be absent from the voting district where they are registered on Election Day may cast their vote early. It will take place at the voting station where the voter is registered on Monday, 5 May, and Tuesday, 6 May, between 09:00 and 17:00.
Applications for both categories must be made by completing a VEC 1 form (available on www.elections.org.za or at local offices of the IEC) and must be submitted by hand to the local IEC office in the municipality responsible for the voting district where the special vote is to be cast. The forms will not be accepted at national or provincial offices and cannot be faxed, emailed or posted. Special-vote applicants may use
a proxy to deliver the VEC 1 form to the local IEC office in the municipality where they intend to vote, but the form itself must be signed by the voters themselves. Unlike previous national and provincial elections, applications for special votes will no longer be accepted at voting stations on special voting days. Only voters who have pre-approved applications submitted during the window period of 7 to 17 April will be able to cast a
special vote. Having submitted the VEC 1 application form, voters will be informed of the outcome of their application via SMS or email. They can also check their status on the website (www.elections.org.za). A list of local IEC office addresses is available on the IEC website (http://www.elections.org.za/content/About-Us/ Contact-Us/) or voters can call 0800-11-8000.
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EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 9 APRIL 2014
NEWS
Two teams top in their streams } Tladi Moloi DLA2 FC and the Free State Stars Development Academy have won the Safa Thabo Mofutsanyana and SAB Regional Leagues respectively. The two teams are top in their respective streams. Dla2, a team from Qwaqwa, have won stream A while Stars claimed first spot in the B stream. Dla2 finished top with 43 points in 18 games with Dikwena FC coming second with 42 points after the same number of games. United Wanderers FC finished third with 36 points in 18 games in that stream. Mighty Wits FC, who are the defending champions, have failed to do it again as they finished
The winner of the two will represent the region in the provincial promotional play-offs against other teams from Lejweleputswa, Mangaung Metro, Fezile Dabi and Xhariep. third in the B stream. They could only watch Stars going away with the league while FK FC, a team from Senekal, secured a second spot. Stars have won the stream with 39 points in 18 games.
FK, who are second, will play their last game against City Ramblers from Clarens on Saturday at the Kgubetsoana Sports Grounds in Clarens. Kick-off is at 15:00. FK will finish on 38 points should they win the game. However, the two teams know that the season is not yet over as they still have to play against each other to decide the overall champions of the region. The winner of the two will represent the region in the provincial promotional play-offs against other teams from Lejweleputswa, Mangaung Metro, Fezile Dabi and Xhariep. The date and venue for the play-offs are yet to be confirmed.
FREE STATE STARS players in red against City Ramblers of Cla rens. Photo: Tladi Moloi
Desperate for a win } Tladi MoloI A RELEGATION BATTLE continues for Free State Stars as they welcome SuperSport United in a league encounter today at the Charles Mopeli Stadium in Qwaqwa. Kick-off is scheduled for 18:00. The struggling Ea Lla Koto come to this encounter sitting second last on the log table with 21 points in 24 games while United are sitting on position 6 with 37 points after the same number of games. Stars suffered a 2-1 defeat to Amazulu on Saturday at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. United are motivated after they narrowly beat Orlando Pirates by 1-0 on Saturday and will hope to continue their winning streak.
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EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 9 APRIL 2014 7
Zebra Force still on top } Tladi Moloi ZEBRA FORCE FC continues to dominate the Dihlabeng Mayoral League while Super Sport suffered a setback. Force is sitting top on the log table with 66 points in 27 games with Karolo and Super Sport coming second and third respectively. They are six and eight points behind the log leaders with
seven games remaining. Weekend results: ) Zebra Force 4 vs Economas Eagles 0. ) Tshuks 3 vs Slabberts Ajax 5 ) Mighty Wits 6 vs Tower United 1 ) Uprising 2 vs Pappilion 3 ) AC Milan 2 vs Golden Eagles 1 ) Denma Super Eagles 5 vs Super Sport 3 ) Karolo 6 vs Cafu 1 ) Real Madrid 2 vs Mighty Gunners 2
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EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 9 APRIL 2014
EASTERN FREE STATE
EXPERIENCE: Robyn Johannes, the Mar itzburg United de fender, will be hop ing for a clean sheet when his side meets African Warriors in the quarterfinals of the Nedbank Cup on Saturday at the Charles Mopeli Sta dium. Photos: Tladi Moloi
MOTIVATED: Muziwandile Khwela, African Warriors player, will be gunning to guide his team to defeat Maritzburg United who are the hot favourites to ad vance to the semifinals of the Nedbank Cup.
Hot or not?
Win tickets EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE and Nedbank are giving away 15 double tickets for the Nedbank Cup quarter final game between Afri can Warriors and Maritz burg United on Saturday at the Charles Mopeli Sta dium. To win a ticket an swer this question: Who did African Warriors beat to qualify for the quarter fi nals? SMS your answer starting with the keyword EXP to 45527.
It’s Komphela vs. Vilakazi } Tladi Moloi THE stage is set at the Charles Mopeli Stadium in Qwaqwa for the much anticipated Nedbank Cup quarter-final clash between African Warriors and Maritzburg United. The contest, which is regarded as a David against Goliath battle, is set for Saturday. Kick-off is scheduled for 15:00. This game will surely not only be a fight for a place in the semi-finals but it is also a matter of pride, eventhough the teams play in different leagues. It brings the coach, Steve Komphela, head to head against his former assistant, David Vilakazi. And now the question is, who will win it or who wants victory
the most? Komphela has worked with Vilakazi at Platinum Stars and Free State Stars. During an interview with Express Eastern Free State after Maihlome Ihlasele qualified for the quarter-finals of the competition, Vilakazi pointed out that he would not like to play United but rather one of the big three, Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs or Mamelodi Sundowns. “I would prefer not to play against United because Komphela is my blood brother. However, the fixtures are out and I have to plan for his downfall. The fixtures were made in heaven. Only God knows what the outcome of the game will be,” he says.
Vilakazi warned United that they would give them trouble should they take them lightly. “The game is not about how well we know each other as coaches because it is going to be eleven men against eleven men in the field. The only thing that will count is who wants it more and we know that one team will win the game at the end of the day.” Vilakazi says they will be working hard to prepare the boys mentally after they have suffered a 1-0 defeat to Santos on their home turf on Sunday. “This is a cup game. We are playing a premier league team and surely the boys will be motivated by that.” The Warriors advanced to this stage of the competition after
eliminating Milano United AFC by 1-0 while United beat Platinum Stars by 3-1 on penalties after the match had ended in a 1-1 draw in extra time. Both teams know that the game will have to be decided on a lottery of penalties should it end in a draw at the end of 120 minutes. However, the Qwaqwabased side would not like the game to go into penalties because shoot-outs have been a nightmare for them. They missed three penalties in their last three games. They missed a penalty when they went down 3-2 against the National First Division rookies of Baroka FC, missed again in their goalless draw against Witbank Spurs before missing
the last one on Sunday when they lost 1-0 to Santos. The game promises to have goals as the in-form United scored goals in their past three league games. United have found the back of the net on five occasions in the last three games compared to the one goal of the Warriors. They have both conceded three goals. The two teams are strangers to each other as they have never played in a competition nor a friendly game. This will be their first official encounter. Judging from the previous encounters, United has the upper hand coming to the contest and they are the hot favourites to progress to the semi-finals of the competition.