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Team ploughs back TEL: 058 ­ 3035411

WEDNESDAY 13 AUGUST 2014

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Showing appreciation for ongoing support

} Tladi Moloi BETHLEHEM. – Free State Stars in partnership with Scorpion Legal Protection donated R20 000 to the Ntsu Secondary School in Bethlehem on Thursday.

The cheque was handed over to the school principal, Moeketsi Masiteng, by Palesa Maseke, Scorpion Legal Protection’s regional manager, and Lebohang Maketa, Free State Stars public relations officer (PRO). The school learners were also called to witness the donation.

Scorpion Legal Protection has joined the Absa Premiership outfit, Ea Lla Koto, as the membership card sponsor.

According to Maketa, the donation was aimed at ploughing back into the school that has shown unwavering support to the team and re-launching their membership. He said they also believed that it would be used for the development of football, because Ntsu had proven to be one of the best schools in soccer.

“We have a social responsibility as a football club and that responsibility is to look after people who support the club whole-heartedly,” he said.

He said Ntsu was one of the schools which had displayed their unwavering support to the team.

“Learners and teachers of this school are always at the stadium, whether during the week or weekends. They have been with the team at the time when everybody had ruled us out last season and we felt it was time that we say thank you to them,” he said.

Maketa said it was at this time of the season that they needed supporters to come and fill the stadium.

“People are not attending the games in numbers and we still

MOEKETSI MASITENG (Ntsu Secondary School principal), Palesa Maseke (Scorpion Legal Protection regional manager) and Lebohang Maketa (Free State Stars public relations officer (PRO) with a R20 000 cheque that was donated to the school by Free State Stars in partnership with Scorpion Legal Protection.

Photo: Tladi Moloi want to know why. But I am sure if we keep on showing them that we treasure their support they might come back in numbers,” he said.

Maseke said they though the best way to re-launch the team membership card was to give back to the community. She said two schools, the Teboho Primary School at the Makwane Village in Qwaqwa and Ntsu, had been recommended to be the benefici-

aries.

“It was very important to give back to the community even though we are an insurance company. We have done this before and we are hoping to do it again,” he said.

Masiteng said they were happy to be the recipient of the money and added that it came at the right time to the school.

“This is one of the black institutions which strive for

excellence. The outstanding academic performance of the institution speaks for itself. Ntsu is also a home of sport, in particular soccer. Our soccer teams are featuring in many school competitions like Sanlam Kay Motsepe, Metropolitan, the School League and McDonald’s Cup,” he said.

He has given the assurance that the money would be used for a good cause.

‘They have been with the team at the time when everybody had ruled us out last season and we felt it was time that we say thank you to them.’

– Lebohang Maketa

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EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 13 AUGUST 2014

NEWS

Powa talks of abuse } Nkareng Moloi QWAQWA. – The People Opposing Women Abuse (Powa) in partnership with the Thusanang Advice Centre (TAC) hosted a community dialogue last Friday on issues affecting women on a daily basis at the Namahadi tribal office.

Over 100 women attended the dialogue, mostly elderly women.

Only a few young people showed up to the event to celebrate Women’s Day. Chris Maseko, project assistant of Powa, said they celebrated Women’s Day by empowering women with information.

“We are here to celebrate Women’s Day with the women of Namahadi and surrounding areas,” he said.

When asked how people who are abused can celebrate, he said: “No, they can’t. Hence we are here to capacitate them to know where to report domestic violence, rape, emotional abuse and child abuse.

This country needs women with knowledge who can’t be victimised.”

Maseko said they were also working on helping them to understand the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), hence they brought experts on it.

Pontsho Miya, a community member who took part in the dialogue, said they were happy to be remembered.

“I am happy that there are

FROM the left are Puseletso Mofokeng (member of the Community Policing Forum), Kekeletso Moabi (facilitator at the Save the Children South Africa), Const. Sifiso Bucibo (Namahadi police), Kgomotso Vuma (social worker at the Department of Social Development), Botha Komako (Thusanang Advice Centre counsellor), Chris Maseko (People Opposing Women Abuse project assistant) during the Women's Day celebration. Photo: Nkareng Moloi organisations that still value women.

This dialogue is very important to us; we were made aware of things we didn’t know; like the process of reporting abuse. Being familiar to these processes makes it easy to report abuse,” she said.

However, Botha Komako, the Thusanang Advice Centre counsellor,

said he was satisfied by the number of people who attended and participated in the dialogue.

“I am happy with the dialogue, but I am more worried about the young women who were not here. I just hope those who are here, can share and preach the message to their mates,” said Komako.

FROM the left are Matshediso Senkhane, Andile Mbuli and Lebo Mokoena, who won Qwaqwa Campus’s Got Talent competition.

Photo: Supplied

UFS students have got talent QWAQWA. – The University of the Free State (UFS) Qwaqwa Campus Health and Wellness Centre truly believes in the total well-being of all Kovsies and that laughter is the best medicine.

This was evident when the centre hosted the first ever UFS Qwaqwa Campus’s Got Talent eliminations where students and staff showcased their various talents.

Competing acts provided an excited crowd with a variety of singing and dancing repertoires, rhyme and words of wisdom from poetry and laughter from comedy.

A panel of judges selected the top ten acts that will be competing for the ultimate crown in September.

Topping the selected acts was a modern dance trio called Happy Feet. This refreshing student act truly mesmerised the crowd with their excellently

choreographed moves that left everyone in awe and asking for more.

“I am so excited and we knew that we were going to win because we believed in ourselves and we also prayed. We are really happy as people are already expecting wonders from us and we can’t wait for the finals since we have already built a name for ourselves here on campus,” said Happy Feet member Matshediso Senkhane.

Senkhane also said that their recently found popularity has enabled them to create a Facebook page where they already have over 100 followers.

Cebelihle Mtshali, an Industrial Psychology student, said the response of the crowd during the show and when the winners were announced proved just how much fun everybody had.

“We surely are talented on this campus,” said Mtshali, who was one of the judges.

Seeking divine intervention THE Free State Stars management, players and technical team paid a visit to the Methodist Church of South Africa St Peter’s in Bethlehem to seek divine blessing ahead of the 2014-’15 season.

Photo: Free State Stars management

Women invited to join association

LERATO MOFOKENG, chairperson of the Thabo Mofutsanyana Mining Association: THE Thabo Mofutsanyana Mining Association women would like to wish all women a happy Women’s Month.

We wish them success and urge them to stand up and work hard.

We would love it if they could come on board and join the association because we really need them. We don’t really need those who know about mining, but those who are interested would be

THE Thabo Mofutsanyana Mining Association members. They are from the left Disebo Sephoko (treasurer), Lerato Mofokeng (chairperson), Mantwa Mofokeng and Nellie Tshabangu (deputy secretary).

Photo: Tladi Moloi assisted with training.

They should not think mining is for men only. We would like to remind them that it is time to stand up and never rely on their

husbands.

Our motto is O zo ithola ka njani ohlele khoneni, meaning “how will you get it while sitting on the street corner?”.

EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 13 AUGUST 2014 3

NEWS

Colleges inform kids about trades } Tladi Moloi QWAQWA. – The shortage of artisans in South Africa is a big concern and Mduduzi Manana, the deputy minister of Higher Education and Training, wants this issue to be addressed.

According to him, they are currently producing 12 000 artisans a year. He said they were aiming at increasing that number to 13 000 during the 2014-’15 financial year and to 14 000 a year after.

He spoke at the launch of the Decade of the Artisan campaign at the Ekurhuleni East Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College in KwaThema near Springs early in February.

Manana instructed the TVET colleges, formally known as Further Education and Training (FET) colleges, to dedicate the first week of August to the 2014 National TVET College Open Week.

In this week, the colleges were expected to invite high school learners to their campus and teach them more about artisanship and engineering.

Last week, the Maluti TVET College had a day-to-day programme for a week with all the schools in Qwaqwa as part of the programme.

Makgala Moloi-Labase, the Maluti marketing and communication unit manager, said she was happy with the response they got from the learners that had attended the open week.

She said the open week was only for learners who were taking Mathematics and Physical Science.

“We took them to our workshop to teach them more about engineering and artisanship,” she said.

Moloi-Labase pointed out that most of the students had shown interest in following those careers but the problem was the selection of subjects in high school.

“Most of our learners don’t like pure

THEMBA TSHABALALA (Electronics lecturer at the Itemoheleng Technical and Vocational Education and Training College teaching the gr. 10 learners of the Shagane Senior Secondary School about electricity during the National TVET Week.

Photo: Tladi Moloi Maths and they end up taking Maths Literacy, so in the end they do not qualify for these courses,” she pointed out.

Thokozane Sithole (15), a gr. 10 learner at the Shagane Senior Secondary School, said she had learnt that one had to be focused

and dedicated when working with electricity.

“This is a career that I have dreamt of and I am happy today that I have learnt something from it,” she said.

Mpho Nhlapho (18), a gr. 10 learner at

Shagane, said he had learned how to fix a car.

He said even though he was thinking about becoming a technical sound engineer, his second option would be to become a mechanical engineer.

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EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 13 AUGUST 2014

NEWS

Chicken gives Lindiwe

wings

LINDIWE RAKOTO (43) is the beautiful, humble owner of the Barcelos Flame Grilled Chicken Restaurant which is situated in the Setsing Shopping Centre in Phuthaditjhaba, Qwaqwa. She is also the principal of the Katleho Public School.

She is one of the many South African women who have ventured into the business world. With just two years in business, she is making her presence felt. It is unbelievable that Rakoto bought the franchise after she was inspired by her love of the Barcelos delicious grilled chicken. Tladi Moloi of Express Eastern Free State interviewed her.

ON THE MOVE: Lindiwe Rakoto, owner of the Barcelos Flame Grilled Chicken Restaurant and a principal of the Katleho Public School, captured preparing her favourite grilled meat – chicken.

Photo: Tladi Moloi

Mme Rakoto, can you tell us more about yourself?

I am Lindiwe Margret Rakoto.

I like my first name. I am the first and last born of the late Maria and Samson “Clour” Mofokeng.

I am married to Refuoe Rakoto and we were blessed with three children: a boy of 22, and two girls of 16 years and 20 months respectively.

Where did you grow up and how was it growing up in that area?

I am a “kasi” girl. I was born in Phuthaditjhaba between Koffi and Roman Street. It was not easy even though I grew up in Phuthas.

Everybody would think living in town was perfect, but for me it was not the case as I was raised by a grandmother because my mother was working. It is now a funny story when I tell my children that after school we had to eat porridge with peaches, but anyway, that made me strong.

You have just mentioned Koffi. Isn’t that street one of the notorious streets in Phuthaditjahaba and has it always been like that?

Yes, it is notorious, but it is a new thing. We did not have tsotsis (criminals) and gangsters in those days.

Take us through your school days.

My first day at school was at the Phuthaditjahaba Junior Primary School, now Mamello Primary.

I then went to the Phuthaditjhana Higher Primary and after that to Selelekela Secondary where I finished my matric.

I furthered my studies at the Tshiya College where I competed a diploma in teaching.

From there I had to find work and start a living.

Where did you start working?

I started working at the Namoha Primary School as a gr. R teacher in 1995.

In 1999 I applied for a senior post at the Machaya Primary School where I was the foundation phase head of department (HOD).

In 2007, I became the principal of the Katleho Public School where I am still teaching.

Did you always want to be a teacher?

No. I wanted to be a nurse but unfortunately I couldn’t study that because I did not pass well in Biology.

I hated being a teacher but that was the only option available.

I wanted to improve my marks but I could not because of financial problems.

You are a principal venturing into her own business.

How did it come about?

It is a strange story. I was a customer of this restaurant before and I loved their food.

There was a time when we came as a family and it was always closed. I then asked people who were working there what was happening and they told me about the challenges that the management had.

I could not wait to eat there again and decided to buy the business.

Strange indeed. Did have any business experience?

Nothing at all. The only “experience” I had, was selling sweets while I was a learner in the foundation phase.

You obviously enjoy running a business. Share

some of the challenges, especially those you experience as a woman.

A business of this nature has more challenges than other businesses. You can imagine, I am running a business and a school at the same time.

I always give instructions but sometimes they are not executed the way I planned them to be. I wish I could always be here because I have a vision for the business.

My husband is the manager and you know cooking is for us women. I am a perfectionist and I want everything to be perfect but believe me, he is doing his best.

In the past, women stayed at home raising the kids while the husband went to work. Do you think it was good?

No, it was not good because husbands would go away for a year and didn’t come back with the expected money. That is why women stood up. However, they will always remain our husbands, we just came on board to help them. Life is good when both partners in a relationship make a financial contribution. I don’t know if that is nature, but behind

every successful man there is a woman. We always thought that someone working at the mines would come back with millions in six months but it never happened.

August is Women’s Month.

What message do you have for women?

They should stand up for themselves. Those who are married, should respect their husband. Those who do not have a husband, should know that it is not a necessity to have one. They should work hard and soon things will come their way.

Do you believe work in a relationship should be divided 50/50?

I don’t believe in 50/50 as such.

I believe that men are the head of the family. Even the Bible says so and I am a firm believer in God’s ways. Men need our support to be a head with eyes, ears and nose so that they can see when danger comes. We still need them.

We can’t share things 50/50, because when we go on the road and encounter problems, we still call them to help. Women just want to be heard and not be treated like children – end of the story.

EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 13 AUGUST 2014 5

NEWS

Women build up their way to nationals } Teboho Setena THREE Free State women are set to receive recognition for their footprints in the construction industry at this year’s national Govan Mbeki Human Settlement awards to be held in Johannesburg tomorrow.

The trio, Maria Mohlahleli (Mohlahleli Construction), Mofedi Nkabinde (GT Molefe Construction) and Rachel Tladi (Uvuko Civils), will be among the scores to be acknowledged for their work in housing construction.

They made it through to the national final by virtue of being winners of the Free State leg of the Govan Mbeki awards held recently in Welkom.

Mohlahleli Construction was chosen as the best woman contractor, GT Molefe as the best rural housing project and Uvuko Civils as the best priority project.

Uvuko Civils also received a prize for the contractor of the year in the Free State.

Mohlahleli Construction, based in the Free State town of Viljoenskroon, has two managing members, Maria Mohlahleli and Daphne Khoabane.

Mohlahleli Construction was founded by Ramothibe Mohlahleli who died in 2005. Maria Mohlahleli said she and her managing member, Khoabane, had been running the company in partnership since 2005 after the death of her husband.

The GT Molefe Company, based in Qwaqwa, is exclusively run by the Molefe family – all of whom are women. They are the four daughters, Sejo, Mothiba, Mpho

MOFEDI NKABINDE

RACHEL TLADI (left) with the MEC of Cooperative Governance and Human Settlements, Olly Mlamleli.

MARIA MOHLAHLELI

and Mofedi Nkabinde, as well as Winnie Molefe. The company was founded by the late Toko George Molefe, husband of Winnie and father of the four daughters.

The surviving daughters and mother took over the reins in

Month, paying homage to women who played a role in the liberation of South Africa.

This is the eighth year the ceremony is held named in honour of the freedom fighter Govan Mbeki who was a teacher by profession.

Photos: Teboho Setena

2005 after the death of Molefe.

The company received two awards provincially, one for the best rural housing project and another for the runner-up of the best woman contractor project.

Uvuko Civils, based in Mogale

City (Krugersdorp) in Gauteng, is wholly owned by Tladi, who founded the company in 2002 and now boasts a 70% core of women.

The Govan Mbeki awards ceremony coincides with events marking National Women’s

Impounded vehicles scrapped } Sidwell Guduka ABOUT 200 impounded vehicles in the Free State were compacted and converted into scrap metal.

This happened after motorists, whose cars were impounded and held by the police, had failed to pay the required fees to have them released.

The province’s Department of Police, Roads and Transport published a notice in the Goverment Gazette on 28 March last year and advertised the same notice on different media channels, pleading with owners t to recover

READY: This car just seconds before it was crushed.

Photos: Sidwell Guduka

CRUSHED: One of many impounded cars that were scrapped in Bloemfontein last Wednesday.

their vehicles within 30 days from the date of publication of the notice.

However, the department’s plea fell on deaf ears as only a handful of them heeded the call.

“All the scrapped cars were those which were impounded and held by the police between 1999 and February 2013. Despite our call to the owners to pay the required fees and have their cars released, the majority of them failed to come forward. We gave then ample time to do so,” Mangaliso Xaba, director: Transport, Law Enforcement and Tracing Unit, told Express.

“Our initial decision was to sell those vehicles at a public auction, but we decided against it. With the exception of only four cars which were still in a good condition, the value of the rest of the other cars had deteriorated. Honestly, the value of those cars would not add up to what the owners owed, that’s why we decided to rather crush them instead of selling them,” he said.

“Before scrapping those cars, we followed all the procedures required by law to notify the owners to come and fetch their cars upon payment of required fees. We also made announcements to the motorists through the local and national press and radio stations,” he added.

Xaba said his department charged an impounded fee of R2 000 per vehicle and that it levied a R40 storage fee for each day a vehicle remained in its custody.

“I think the amount to have the cars released became too much for the owners, hence they failed to pay up,” the director explained.

“In future we’ll no longer keep impounded cars for a longer period in our custody. It is costly to the government, because we are forced to hire security to guard them,” Xaba concluded.

The scrapping of impounded cars began in Bloemfontein where 52 cars were destroyed last Wednesday.

More vehicles were compacted in Qwaqwa (40), Welkom (35), Sasolburg (30) and Kroonstad (13). ) For more photos and to watch a video, visit www.express-news.co.za.

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EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 13 AUGUST 2014

NEWS

Took part in netball league

THE Dihlabeng netball team took part in the friendly league of the Old Scholars Club on Saturday. They played against Frankfort and Old Scholars.

They lost against Frankfort 22-23 and won against Scholars 30-28. The team members are from left, front: Lydia Mosia (captain), Puleng Vilakazi, Khosi Miya, Thandiwe Mokoena, Ulyzer Mofokeng, Sibongi Khumalo, Topi Motloung and Hloriso (Marsh) Mobima; back: Mapaseka Mosia, Palesa Mokoena (team manager), Lindiwe Mokoena, Nthabiseng Leseme and Lerato Mokoena.

Photo: Lynda Greyling

Enter your best brews PROFESSIONAL CRAFT BREWERS are invited to enter their best brews into the second annual South African National Craft Brewers Championship sponsored by the SAB World of Beer.

The competition aims to recognise the ever-expanding craft beer movement in the country and its contribution to the culture of beer in South Africa.

Craft brewing has seen phenomenal growth in South Africa and there are some great-tasting beers being produced by micro-brewers, said Martin Brooks, chief brewer at the South African Breweries (SAB).

“The SAB has supported the craft industry by sponsoring festivals, assisting brewers with information and access to raw materials such as malt and hops.

By extension, the World of Beer is a natural fit as main prize sponsor and awards host,” Brooks said. “We realised early on the role we, as a market leader, could play and that promoting the culture of beer and growing affinity for beer could only be good for the beer

industry as a whole.”

Brooks said as the craft beer market became more competitive, only brewers who delivered on quality consistently would remain viable.

“Last year’s championship was a pilot, this year we have heeded the learnings and evolved the competition to make it bigger and with better prizes,” said Sean Watts, convenor of the judges.

“The 2014 South African Craft Brewing Championship is more inclusive than previously as we have opened up the styles – a brewer can enter any beer they regularly brew, as long as it fits in the first 23 categories as laid out in the Beer Judge Certification Programme (BJCP) style guidelines.”

The competition is audited by Grant Thornton, making this the most rigorous and most credible beer awards in the country. The judging panel consists of experts from all corners of the country.

First prize for the winning brewery: ) R50 000 from the World of Beer; ) 100 kg malt from SAB Maltings; ) 2 kg hops from SAB Hop

Farms; ) R10 000 worth of consultancy or training from Global Beverage Solutions; ) R7 500 worth of speciality malts and dried yeast from the Brew Master.

Second prize: ) R30 000 from the World of Beer; ) 50 kg malt from SAB Maltings; ) 1 kg hops from SAB Hop Farms; ) R6 000 worth of speciality malts and dried yeast from the Brew Master.

Third prize: ) R10 000 from the World of Beer; ) 20 kg malt from SAB Maltings; ) 500 g hops from SAB Hop Farms. ) R2 500 worth of speciality malts and dried yeast from the Brew Master.

How to Enter: To enter go to http://www.sabstories.co.za/beer-culture and complete the entry form. The competition closes on Friday, 12 September, at 17:00. Beer samples must be delivered to the World of Beer between 1 September and 12 September. Judging will take place on 13 September. Winners will be announced at an event at the World of Beer on 3 October.

Boela July’s Sports Star

BETHLEHEM. – Boela Heinrich Delport (10), a learner of the Jordania Primary School in Bethlehem, has been chosen as July’s Express Eastern Free State SuperSport Let’s Play Sports Star of the Month for his accomplishments in golf, rugby and cricket.

Boela started 2014 on a fantastic note by winning the Northern Cape Golf Open for boys u.11 and came second in the Bloemfontein Golf Open in January.

He won both the Clarens Junior Golf Open and the Magersfontein Golf Open in February for boy’s u.11. He also came first at the Goldfields Golf Open in March.

Presently he is playing for the South African Little Kids Golf Club.

He was second at the Bethlehem and Maccauvlei Golf Open. At the Glacier Golf Open in May he was the nett winner in the B division.

He recently competed in the Sandrivier Golf Open and came third. In all these events he played in the category boys u.13.

One of his biggest golf highlights was representing South African Little Kids at the European Championships in Scotland where he achieved 42nd position out of 96 players for boys aged 10.

In 2013 and 2014, Boela also represented the Eastern Free State cricket u.11 team and Free State and Northern Cape Golf.

BOELA HEINRICH DELPORT, a learner of the Jordania Primary School in Bethlehem, has been chosen as July’s Express Eastern Free State SuperSport Let’s Play Sports Star of the Month.

Send your SuperSport Let’s Play Sports Star of the Month nomination for learners between the ages of 6 and 18 today (nominations received before the 20th of each month will be included in that month’s selection).

You can email your nomination to supersport@zpr.co.za or fax it to 086-552-4922.

For more information, please call Lynne or Juanré at Z PR on 051-522-9574.

EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 13 AUGUST 2014 7

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EXPRESS EASTERN FREE STATE, WEDNESDAY 13 AUGUST 2014

EASTERN FREE STATE

Super Eagles to hold trials } Tladi Moloi

ON THE BALL: Danny Venter fights for the ball with Robert Ngambi of Platinum Stars with Paulus Masehe watching from the far right.

Stars looking for redemption } Tladi Moloi

BETHLEHEM. – Free State Stars will be hoping to redeem themselves when they go on a date against Platinum Stars in the Absa Premiership League encounter tonight at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in Rustenburg. Kick-off is scheduled for 19:00.

Both Ea Lla Koto and Dinaledi come to this encounter with fresh wounds after they were both beaten over the weekend in their first games of the 2014-’15 season.

Free State Stars suffered a 1-0 loss at the hand of Kaizer Chiefs at the Charles Mopeli Stadium while Platinum Stars lost 2-0 away to the league rookies of Chippa United FC in the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

Tom Saintfiet, the Free State Stars mentor, is adamant that his side will bounce back tonight. However, he has pointed out that they would be facing a good side in Platinum Stars.

“We will have to plan our game very carefully. I saw them beating Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN 8 Cup. They have been performing very well since Allan Freese took over as coach, so it is not an easy team.

It will be a difficult task away to come back, but we will fight,” he said.

He said he was proud of the performance that had been displayed by his team against Chiefs even though they had lost the game.

“I am happy with the performance, but not the results.

We never started the game to

lose. I think we played well with composure in the first half,” he said.

He further said they had not created more chances during the game and added that a defensive blunder had cost them the game at the end.

“We had a few counter attacks in the first half, but we did not use them. They had two chances. Unfortunately, we had to pick a ball in the net because of our defensive mistake, that was not even a chance for them,” he said.

Saintfiet said it was sad that he had to change his goalkeeper, Dauda Diakite, who was taken off the field after he had been injured.

“We had to change the keeper, not because of the quality of the second keeper, but because of an injury.”

BETHLEHEM. – Super Eagles FC, a team campaigning in the Safa ABC Motsepe League, invites players to trials that will be held on Saturday and Sunday at the Baken Park Sports Grounds.

The trials will start at 08:00 and players are expected to bring their own outfit and identity document (ID).

The Eagles have been playing in this league for four seasons and are stronger than ever before.

Last season the Bethlehem-based outfit finished second behind Sibanye Golden Stars FC who were crowned the champions of the Free State, but failed to qualify for the National First Division (NFD) via the national play-offs.

For the past two seasons the Eagles were looking promising and their supporters were hopeful for their promotion. They enjoyed life at the top of the log for the better part of the season but dropped out when it mattered most.

At some stage last year the chairperson of the team, Strike Mabasa, put the team on sale, but he could not find a potential buyer.

At the time he told Express Eastern Free State that the parties involved could not agree on terms.

For the first time in a while Mabasa, who never comments on the team’s performance, wrote about their performance on the team’s Facebook page after supporters had been left in the cold as to who had won the league after their last game against no-show Welkom United FC. “We have indicated in our previous posts that Sibanye Golden Stars emerged as log leaders but the verdicts of the cases might put a different spin on this with third-placed Buchu United also standing a chance of winning the league in the boardroom.

“Fortunately – or unfortunately – for Super Eagles there are no cases that directly involve us.

Indirectly we might find ourselves being affected by the decisions because no less than four teams

face possible expulsion for missing more than four scheduled games.

“We’ll wait for the South African Football Association’s competition committee to make pronouncements on these cases and our supporters will be duly informed.

“Needless to say, we did well against the four implicated teams.

I don’t foresee the cases favouring us, not unless Safa’s intricate boardroom footwork fortuitously points in our direction. I am, however, not holding my breath.

“Looking back on the 2013-’14 season, one is filled with a tinge of sadness and regret because we led the pack for the better part of the season only to falter at the last hurdle.

“The pressure got to us as we dropped crucial points especially against fellow competitors Buchu United (having led by two goals only to be let down by desperate defence leading to an eventual 2-2 draw) and the title decider against Sibanye Golden Stars (even though the refereeing was dubious on the day, we made the job easy for officials by dropping our heads).

“The record number of draws as opposed to that of our closest rivals was also our undoing even though it could be argued that being number one all the teams wanted to put one over the pacesetters.

“What is worrying, is that we have been in this situation for the past four seasons.

“Either management or the technical team never learns or the players lack the requisite fighting spirit that normally separates winners from the rest or a combination thereof.”

Mabasa allegedly reached an agreement to sell the status to Free State Stars on condition that he would only do it if the Free State Development Academy, representing the Thabo Mofutsanyana Regional League in the play-offs failed to win the playoffs.

But the deal fell through because the Free State Stars Development outfit won the status during the recent play-offs which were held in Welkom.