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WEDNESDAY 4 FEBRUARY 2015
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Party takes ward with nine votes
Dismayed with narrow margin } Tladi Moloi BETHLEHEM. – Although happy with the result in the ward 9 by-election in Bethlehem, the ANC is dismayed with the narrow margin with which they won. The party won by gaining only nine votes more than the opposition. The ANC secured 675 votes while the DA received 666 votes during the by-election which was held on Wednesday (28/01). Other parties which were in contest were the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). They got 37 and 43 respectively. Bereng Francis Mokoena is the new councillor for that ward. He comes in to replace Rasehlomeng Mofokeng who resigned last year. Job Tshabalala, the election team coordinator of the ANC in the Thabo Mofutsanyana region, said the ANC were happy to secure that ward. He added though, that they were not satisfied with the number of votes obtained. “The results show that there was stiff competition between us and the DA. We
would have loved to win the ward with a bigger margin. “People who voted in that ward were not more than 50% and that is a big concern to us. We have done everything possible ahead of the election. “We spoke to all the people in the ward and asked them to come and vote,” he said. Tshabalala said he thought the time at which the by-election had been called did not favour them because some people were working outside of town and some had already left for school. “We are going to talk to the voters now and then. We have also made the new councillor aware that he should have meetings with the community every month. We are going to encourage other councillors to do the same. “We are also going to make sure that we pay serious attention to service delivery,” he said. Tshabalala said they would also keep on knocking on people’s doors with their door-to-door campaigns because that was where they were able to get access to sick people who could not attend meetings. ) Visit Express Eastern Free State to read more stories.
JOB TSHABALALA, the ANC Thabo Mofutsanyana regional election team coordinator. Photo: Tladi Moloi
Man sentenced to life in prison after rape } Tladi Moloi BETHLEHEM. – Bali Zacharia Rampai (40) has been sentenced to an effective life term imprisonment by the Bethlehem Regional Court last Monday, 26 January. The heavy sentence comes after he was found guilty of raping a 32-year-old woman who hails from Kgubetswana near Clarens. The incident occurred in June 2013.
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The victim was walking in the street alone in the early hours of the morning when she met the accused. He was known to her. The man forced the woman to a nearby donga and raped her. He was arrested the day after she had reported the incident to the police. During the hearing, it was provisionally withdrawn while the court awaited results
from forensic laboratories. The outcome of the case in regional court with positive results from laboratories linked the accused to the crime scene. He was found guilty and sentenced. Det. WO Aye Dlamini of the Bethlehem Family, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit was on cloud nine after the sentencing. “The sentence is appreciated and the good
work by the investigating officer is appreciated. “But the fact remains that walking alone at night still creates problems and an unnecessary increase in crimes against women and children,” Lt. Gen. Thabethe Mpembe, the Free State police commissioner, said. “We urge people to be aware and create a safe environment for themselves.”
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