F

ree State MEC for Health Mathabo Leeto marked Freedom Day (April 27) at AME Church in Virginia.

Freedom Day is commemorated every year to honour those unsung heroes and heroines who fought for freedom and paved the way for an equal, representative non-sexist, non-racial society.

The 2023 commemorative event marked the 29th anniversary of South Africa’s first democratic elections.

These celebrations offer the nation an opportunity to reflect on progress made in transforming the South African society, while also examining the challenges.

Leeto said this year’s Freedom Day celebrations under the theme “Consolidating and Safeguarding Democratic Gain’ coincides with the 27th anniversary of the enactment of the Constitution as the supreme law of our country.

She said the national day also honours the masses of South Africans who suffered under apartheid, faced death, injury and repression from the security forces.

“Many others who were denied access to basic human rights such as access to health care, education, citizenship and economic participation battled forced removals, discrimination and other injustices, which the global communities classified as a crime against humanity.

Even though we are here today to celebrate our freedom, we are also celebrating the lives and times of the struggle icon Mama Charlotte Maxeke,” Leeto said.

She added that Maxeke is one of the struggle icons who dedicated her life to the total freedom of Africans from the bondage of oppression.

“In her early years, she became politically active with the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) in which she played a part in bringing to South Africa.

While in the church, Maxeke was heavily involved in teaching and preaching the gospel and advocating education for Africans and the church later elected her as President of the Women’s Missionary Society,” said Leeto.

She said they recount Maxeke’s selfless struggles for the emancipation of African and they recall that education was her passion and a non-racial, non-sexist, free and democratic society was her lifetime mission to be accomplished.

“In her absence, we are free and yet we have our own mission to accomplish as this generation, we have to consolidate and safeguard democratic gains,” said Leeto addressing the masses in the church.

Leeto who was recently appointed has from the first day set her mission as that of ensuring that in this year of Decisive Action to advance people’s interests and to save lives, her department does everything that it can to reduce mortality and curg the rising scourge of the burden of diseases.

“We must take every opportunity to talk about how we break the barriers that limit access for our people to a ‘Long and Healthy Life’.

We must remember our struggle icons and honour their works but never lose sight of the fact that every generation has its historical mission and whilst Mama Maxeke lived to pursue hers, her efforts won us this freedom,” Leeto explained.

She unfortunately never enjoyed the fruits of her lifetime of struggle, ours as this generation is to ensure that we consolidate and safeguard these gains and advance the course of our people for freedom and democratic participation,” said Leeto.

T

he 35-year-old serial rapist from Bloemspruit will spend 117 years of his life in jail after he was found guilty for violating innocent young girls and women. 

Letela Makhetha was sentenced by the Bloemfontein High Court on 19th April.

According to the records, Makhetha raped his victims aged between 12 and 45 years-old dating back 15 years.

The court heard that the convict would break into the victim’s house while they were asleep and rapes them.

In other cases he would follow his victims on their way to work, overpower them and rape them.

It was also indicated tht for quite some time,he managed to hide from the law until he was arrested in the vicinity of Mangaung in February 2022, following the DNA results that linked him to a number of about 12 cases all opened at Bloemspruit Police Station.

His sentence was done in accordance with the old Sexual Offences Act 2016 amendment where the maximum sentencing for rape was 10 to 15 years imprisonment.

Not only will Letela Makhetha be serving such a hefty sentence, but his name will also be placed on the Sexual Offences Register and he will never be allowed to work with children in the future.

The case was investigated by Captain Bez Bezuidenhout formt he Free State Provincial Serial and Electronic Crime Investigation (SEC) under the Mangaung Family Violence and Child Protection and Sexual Offices Unit (FCS).

Ex-husband of Lesedi FM Presenter Mackenzie Ratselane,41, was sentenced to nine years imprisonment for stabbing her multiple times.

He was sentenced by the Bloemfontein Regional Court on Wednesday 19th April.

He was convicted for attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed gun and illegal possession of ammunition.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli said the attempted murder took place on February 11th in 2021 in Bloemfontein following a domestic dispute.

He said Ratselane was arrested six day later in Ennerdale, South of Johannesburg after being on the run from the police.

“He was sentenced to nine years for attempted murder of his then wife Dimakatso Folotsi, of which two years were suspended, three years for possession of an unlicensed gun and two years for possessing ammunition.

The sentences were ordered to run concurrently with the nine year-imprisonment,” Kareli said.

Folotsi’s attack sparked an outcry at the time with the Commission for Gender Equality saying they would want the commission’s court monitoring processes of various gender-based violence (GBV) and intimate partner violence cases convinced them that a speedy conclusion of cases of GBV can be realised.

Mme wa Katlego Bereng, Monica Matsie, o itse moya wa mora hae o tswelepele ho lwanela nnete ya hore na o hlokahetse jwang, le hore bohle ba molato ba tlameha ho senolwa.

Matsie o buile mantsoe ana ka voice note e bapaditsweng tshebeletsong ya lepato la mora wa hae mane Leslie Monnanyane Hall Bloemfontein ka.Sontaha.

O ile a re o qetile selemo a ntse a mo batla mme a mo fumana a se a sa phele.

“Ke batla hore moya wa hao o hlophe ba o bolaileng, moya wa hao o ke o lwele toka jwaloka ha e se e qadile, lefu la hao ha le bolele letho haese bohloko bo ka pelong ya ka,” ho rialo mme ka lentswe la seriti nakong ya tlotla mora hae.

Batshehetsi ba Bloemfontein Celtic, ba kopane le batshehetsi ba Kazer Chiefs, boholo ba bona ba tswang Tembisa moo ntate wa Katlheho a dulang teng, ba ile ba fana ka sethabathaba sa ho qetela nakong ea tshebeletso.

Pule Mabena, modulasetulo wa naha wa batshehetsi ba Bloemfontein Celtic o re ba lahlehetsoe ke setho se mafolofolo se neng se dula se tla ka mohopolo le ho qapa dpina.

“Ba obolaileng ba o chesa ba ne ba nahana hore ba tla phonyoha polaong empa mollo oo o ba fetohetse ’me re batla hore lelakabe leo le ba chese, ke utlwile bohloko ke hore re lahlehetsoe ke lesole e seng setho feela.

Re tla piketa kantle ho lekhotla ha babelaellwa bohle ba nyewe ena ba hlaha ka pele ho lekhotla, ha re batle hore babelaellwa ba lokollwe ka beile, Dr Nandipha Magudumana o tlohile ka hara  naha ho sa tsebe mang kapa mang kahoo ha a tlo fuwa beile hoba e kaba monyetla  wa hore  a baleha hape,” Mabena a rialo.

A re Katlego o hlahile ka la 18 Motsheanong 1991, setopo sa hae sa fumanoa se chele teronkong ka May 2022 ’me a patoa ka May 2023.

Modulasetilo wa mokgatlho wa Community Anti-Crime, Zamile Stuurman, a re Katlego ke mongwe wa maloko a bone yo le ene a neng a lwantsha borukutlhi mo kgaolong ya bone ya Ippeng.

“E ne e le mohlankana ya mahlahahlaha a bile a tletse mahlahahlaha a hloileng botlokotsebe bophelong ba hae, leha a se a lahlehetswe ke mosebetsi mme a hloka mosebetsi o ile a tswela pele ho hloya botlokotsebe mme re ne re tlwaetse ho paterola le yena,” ho boletse Stuurman.

Sebueledi sa lelapa, Poppie Bereng, o re ho thwe Katlego o ile a tswa ho ya nwa le metswalle kae-kae mme ha qhoma qabang moo a ileng a lemala teng.

“Ka mora moo o ile a iswa sepetlele seo nke keng ka bua ka sona hajoale ’me hore na o hlokahetse joang ho na le potso e ’ngoe.

Re ile ra makala hape ha lelapa kamora hore National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) e hlakole qoso ea polao khahlanong le baqosuoa bohle, hobaneng ke potso e ‘ngoe ho rona re le lelapa, ho na le lipotso tse ngata tseo re ipotsang tsona, leha ho le joalo, Katlego phomola ka khotso. ,” ha rialo Poppy.

Setopo sa Katlego se ile sa sebelisoa e le leqheka la ho tšoasa motho ea betang le ’molai Thabo Bester a baleha Chankaneng ea Mangaung selemong se fetileng ka Motšeanong ’me o ile a tsejoa ka DNA ka Hlakubele selemong sena.

Ho tloha ka nako eo batho ba robeli ba kenyeletsang Bester, moratuoa oa hae Dr Nandipha Magudumana, Senohe Matsoara, Teboho Lipholo, Motenyani Masukela, Tieho Makhotsa le Nastassja Jansen.

Ntate oa Magudumana Zolile Sekeleni o ile a fana ka beile ea R10 0000 ka la 17 Mmesa mme o tla hlaha hape ka la 16 Motšeanong hammoho le Bester ea hanneng ho etsa kopo ea beile mme a ntse a le litlamong, ka bobeli ba tla hlaha Lekhotleng la Maseterata la Bloemfontein.

Magudumana, Matsoara, Lipholo, Masukela, Makhotsa mmoho le Jansen ba tla hlaha ka pela Lekhotla la Maseterata la Bloemfontein ka Labone le Labohlano la la 11 le la 12 Motšeanong.

Lumella moea oa hau hore o tsoele pele ho loanela ‘nete

‘M’e Katlego Bereng, Monica Matsie, o itse moea oa mora oa hae o tsoelepele ho loanela ‘nete ea hore na o hlokahetse joang, le hore bohle ba molato ba tlameha ho senoloa.

Matsie o buile mantsoe ana ka voice note e bapalitsoeng tšebeletsong ea lepato la mora oa hae Leslie Monnanyane Hall Bloemfontein maobane (Sontaha).

O ile a re e se e le selemo a ntse a mo batla ’me a mo fumana a shoele.

“Ke batla hore moya wa hao o tshwenye ba o bolaileng, moya wa hao o ke o lwele toka jwaloka ha e se e qadile, lefu la hao ha le bolele letho haese bohloko bo ka pelong ya ka,” ho rialo mme ka lentswe la seriti nakong ya tlotla.

Batšehetsi ba Bloemfontein Celtic, ba kopane le batšehetsi ba Kazer Chiefs, boholo ba bona ba tsoang Tembisa moo ntate oa Katlheho a lulang teng, ba ile ba fana ka sethabathaba sa ho qetela nakong ea tšebeletso.

Pule Mabena, molulasetulo oa naha ea batšehetsi ba Bloemfontein Celtic o re ba lahlehetsoe ke setho se mafolofolo se neng se lula se tla ka mohopolo le ho qapa lipina.

“Ba u bolaileng ba u chesa ba ne ba nahana hore ba tla phonyoha polaong empa mollo oo o ba fetohetse ’me re batla hore lelakabe leo le ba chese, ke utloile bohloko ke hore re lahlehetsoe ke lesole e seng setho feela.

Re tla pikitla kantle ho lekhotla ha babelaelloa bohle ba nyeoe ena ba hlaha ka pele ho lekhotla, ha re batle hore babelaelloa ba lokolloe ka beile, Dr Nandipha Magudumana o tlohile ka har’a naha ho sa tsebe mang kapa mang kahoo ha a tlo fuoa beile joale ke be le monyetla wa ho baleha hape,” Mabena a rialo.

A re Katlego o hlahile ka la 18 Motšeanong 1991, setopo sa hae sa fumanoa se chele teronkong ka May 2022 ’me a patoa ka May 2023.

Modulasetilo wa mokgatlho wa Community Anti-Crime, Zamile Stuurman, a re Katlego ke mongwe wa maloko a bone yo le ene a neng a lwantsha borukutlhi mo kgaolong ya bone ya Ippeng.

“E ne e le mohlankana ya mahlahahlaha a bile a tletse mahlahahlaha a hloileng botlokotsebe bophelong ba hae, leha a se a lahlehetswe ke mosebetsi mme a hloka mosebetsi o ile a tswela pele ho hloya botlokotsebe mme re ne re tlwaetse ho paterola le yena,” ho boletse Stuurman.

Sebueledi sa lelapa, Poppie Bereng, o re ho thwe Katlego o ile a tswa ho ya nwa le metswalle kae-kae mme ha qhoma qabang moo a ileng a lemala teng.

“Ka mora moo o ile a isoa sepetlele seo nke keng ka bua ka sona hajwale mme hore na o hlokahetse joang ho na le potso e ’ngoe.

Re ile ra makala hape ha lelapa kamora hore National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) e hlakole qoso ea polao khahlanong le baqosuoa bohle, hobaneng ke potso e ‘ngoe ho rona re le lelapa, ho na le lipotso tse ngata tseo re ipotsang tsona, leha ho le joalo, Katlego phomola ka khotso. ,” ha rialo Poppy.

Setopo sa Katlego se ile sa sebelisoa e le leqheka la ho tšoasa motho ea betang le ’molai Thabo Bester a baleha Chankaneng ea Mangaung selemong se fetileng ka Motsheanong mme o ile a tsejwa ka DNA ka Hlakubele Monongahela.

Ho tloha ka nako eo batho ba robedi ba kenyeletsang Bester, moratuoa oa hae Dr Nandipha Magudumana, Senohe Matsoara, Teboho Lipholo, Motenyani Masukela, Tieho Makhotsa le Nastassja Jansen.

Ntate oa Magudumana Zolile Sekeleni o ile a fana ka beile ea R10 0000 ka la 17 Mmesa mme o tla hlaha hape ka la 16 Motsheanong hammoho le Bester ya hanneng ho etsa kopo ya beile mme a ntse a le ditlamong, ka bobeli ba tla hlaha Lekhotleng la Maseterata la Bloemfontein.

Magudumana, Matsoara, Lipholo, Masukela, Makhotsa mmoho le Jansen ba tla hlaha ka pela Lekhotla la Maseterata la Bloemfontein ka Labone le Labohlano la la 11 le la 12 Motsheanong

C

hief Leeuw Foundation (CLF) from Bloemfontein remembered Dr Rantlai ‘White Head’ Petrus Moelema by celebrating his 10th annual day.

The foundation celebrated in conjunction with Miss Mangaung Metro finalists on April 15 at Bloem Plaza Shopping Mall in Bloemfontein.

The CLF founder Chief Leeuw said they celebrated in style by donating sanitary towels to Kopanong High School from Turflaagte in Mangaung.

He said Molemela if he was still alive he would have turned 90-years-old on Sunday 16th April.

“We started Molemela Day 10 years ago to honour him because of his contributions in sports especially to Bloemfontein Celtic FC.

The purpose of Ntate Molemela Day was to keep his legacy alive forever, his efforts in sports cannot go in vain,” said Leeuw.

Molemela family was represented by Zamakuhle Molemela who appreciated what CLF is doing in the community especially in Mangaung.

An educator at Kopanong High Zanele Teatea appreciated what the CLF has done for their school.

The 2023 Black Excellence Cocktail Mixers coordinated and owned by FS Online Channel and TeamzDynamics Consulting, celebrated Freedom Day in style at John Williams motors in Langenhoeven park.

The event was graced by business owners both men and women including former Bloem Celtic owner Jimmy Augusti and Finance MEC Gadija Brown who were amongst the panel.

Many suggestions and success stories were brought to the fore by youth who attended the successful event.

The FS Online Channel manager Fifi Mafisa, said the programme is composed for the sole purpose of celebrating black people that are driving change and are inspiration

She said these are black people operating in both economic and social sectors.

“It was the first time we held the event and our wish is for the programme to run annually and become home to the black entrepreneurs, professionals and the social sector activists from all the corners of the Free State,” said Mafisa.

She alluded that the 2023 Black Excellence Cocktail Mixers was an interlude to the annual Free State Black Excellence Awards, a programme that will co-hosted in partnership with the Black Management Forum and other progressive organisations advancing an agenda for black excellence.

“We would like to thank the following sponsors, Garden City Motors and FS Online Foundation, they made it possible for us to have successful event,” said Mafisa.

Municipality

Mayoral Committee appointed 

The acting Mangaung Metro executive mayor Gregory Nthatisi, has appointed his mayoral committee on Wednesday 3rd May at the municipal headquarters, Glasshouse.

Before handing announcing his MMCs, Nthatisi said his team will serve as advisors to him and assist greatly in their efforts to lead an efficient and effective government in the city.

When tabling the 2023/24-2025/6Medium-Term expenditure framework (MTEF) budget in council on Tuesday for noting, “I stated “Together we must improve and implement effectively, the current financial recovery plan and find more reasons why it has been so difficult to it implement successfully.”

“I also noted that our primary focus should be on the intensification of efforts to fast-track increased levels of revenue collection, reduce expenditure, increase, diversity additional revenue streams and attend to the management of surplus, cash, and its equivalent.” Said Nthatisi.

He said in order to achieve this, he is well aware that they need a strong team that is equal to task and ready to tackle the challenges the City is dealing with. 

“I am pleased to announce this team of seven women and there men, which is not only competent but ready to serve residents and all state holders on Mangaung Metro,”.

The members of interim Mayoral Committee are: 

Zuri and Kariba cane home to Naval Hill (Pic)

Naval Hill is home to two new giraffers, Zuri and Kariba.

The female giraffes were released at the nature reserve on Tuesday 11th April and are registered in the municipality’s asset register.

Natural Resorce manager, Rhulani Shivambu said over the years there hast’t been any inbreeding amongst the herd of giraffes at Naval Hill because the female giraffe died two years ago.

He said after the female giraffe died, only two male giraffes were left and they are closely related to each other.

“We work closely with Friends of Franklin and they have been isturmental int hew upkeep of the rewserve.

A few years ago they approached us with the concen pertaining to the number of giraffes in the reseve and they wanted to add two female giraffes to promote inbreeding,” said Shivambu.

Friends and Franklin Chairperso, Andri Grobbelaar said the aim of the organisation is to work closely with the City to conserve and enhance wildlife on Naval Hill.

“we are happy to welcome Zuri and Kariba home, this is a dream come true for the organisation and we hope that they will be happy here.

We engaged the municipality three years ago about adding two giraffes and then days ago we got approval,” Grobbelaar said.

She said she would like to thank everyone who shared their dream and added that the commitment that people have in conserving Naval Hill shows that residents know how special it is.

“ this is a place where people can come and enjoy the environment, whether they are running or just catching the breath-taking sunset,” said Grobbelaar.

Parks manager, Dawie Coetzee said this is a step in the right direction as I completes the family of giraffe in Naval Hill and it gives hope of inbreeding.

“the addition of Zuri and Kariba will enhance ecotourism in the city and I believe that people will flock into the reserve with the hope of spotting the giraffes.

I believe that the giraffes will adapt well since the veld is in good condition,” Coetzee said.

Mangaung Metro spokesperson Qondile Khedama said, “This is a positive gesture that will fill the gap for animal and nature lovers, whilst the municipality is pursuing the matter of the zoo.”