Free State – praag.org

Free State University launches racial equality campaign

The University of the Free State(UFS) launched a No-to-Racism/Yes-to-Equality Campaign in March 2015 and yesterday students and staff from the main campus came together to publicly pledge their support and commitment to equality and the eradication of racism at UFS.

Deputy director of the Institute of Reconciliation and Social Justice JC van der Merwe says the pledge marks the ongoing debates integrated in the campaign.

According to Van Der Merwe, students from each of the UFS campuses will have the opportunity to place their thumbprint on a canvas to physically endorse the campaign.

The Qwaqwa Campus will pledge tomorrow, while the South Campus will pledge on Friday April 17th.

China comes to the Free State

The Free State province in South Africa aims to hold China Week in April with the intention of strengthening business relations and to draw more investment opportunities into the province.

Spokesperson Makalo Mohale says China is well advanced in terms of technology and business growth and by having strong associations with them can lead to a positive economic influence on the province.

The provincial is set to spend R7million on the week long programme, which will be on April the 13th until the 19th.

Mohale says more than 500 Chinese delegates will be in the province during that period.

One white farmer killed every second day in SA

The killing-spree against white farmers continues unabated.

Two black men were arrested for the murder of an elderly white woman at Erfbloem farm near Theunissen, Free State police said on Tuesday.

The two blacks, aged 21 and 22, were accused of killing an Afrikaner woman Martie Bester, 68, whose body was found inside a burnt house on the farm, said Captain Harry Nagel.

“Police recovered three of the stolen firearms as well as ammunition, a computer, jewellery, compact discs and clothing.”

Bester’s Toyota Hilux was found burnt on the farm.

The pair would appear in the Theunissen Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

On Monday, too, another two black suspects were arrested for the murder of an elderly white couple on Kwaagakraal farm near Bainsvlei, Bloemfontein.

The bodies of the couple, aged 70 and 72, were dumped near the farm at Waaikraal, Nagel said at the time.

“The couple had been shot and killed during a robbery in which a television set, firearms and vehicle were taken.”

Nagel said they arrested the two blacks, aged 20 and 25, after receiving a tip-off about a suspicious vehicle in the area. The pair then showed the police where the bodies were.

A third black suspect, aged 19, was later arrested at Kelly’s View. He was in possession of a stolen television set and firearm.

The three would appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

Seven whites have been killed on farms by blacks since the beginning of the year, which means one murder almost every second day.

Three whites were killed in the past 48 hours on farms in the Free State province alone.

President Jacob Zuma recently warned white farmers about “living conditions” of black farm workers, but agricultural unions say the claims are unfounded.

Worryingly, the president who entertains his audience with singing “Kill a Boer, kill a farmer” and “Bring me my machine gun”, has remained silent on the scourge.

Harrismith ‘restored to barbarism’

Many other towns in the Free State province are being targeted for renaming in line with government policy of changing names of towns and streets that date from white rule.

A proposal to change the name of Harrismith in the Eastern Free State to Intabazwe is somehow a poignant reminder of history’s hard lessons.

The proposal is seen by some as an attempt by the ruling party to deflect valid criticism of its poor record of governance in the municipality.

The ANC launched an attempted name change for Harrismith in 2005 which was rejected outright the residents after thousands signed a petition to keep the original name.

The new focus on a black name for Harrismith is said to divert attention away from collapsed service delivery. The Maluti-a-Phofung Municipality allegedly owes Eskom R600 million.

The public participation meeting scheduled for 09 December 2014 is to be held in the black township Intabazwe and not in the town which is the subject of the name change, as required within the legislation.

A notice was placed in ‘Die Volksblad’ on 04 December 2014 indicating the intention to change the name, but the notice only allowed for a four day window period where residents could lodge objections which is illegal.

According to the provisions of South African Geographical Names Council Act (No 118 of 1998) and the relevant regulations governing name changes at least 14 days’ notice must be given.

Lieutenant General Sir Henry George Wakelyn Smith, 1st Baronet of Aliwal GCB (28 June 1787 – 12 October 1860), known as Sir Harry Smith, was a notable English soldier and military commander in the British Army of the early 19th century.

In 1828 Smith was ordered to the Cape of Good Hope, where he commanded a force in the Sixth Xhosa War of 1834-36.

After he had restored confidence among the whites by his energetic measures, he was appointed governor of the Province of Queen Adelaide, and “vigorously” set about “civilizing” the black tribes, according to Wikipedia.But the ministry in London reversed his policy and, to quote Smith’s own words, “directed the Province of Queen Adelaide to be restored to barbarism”.

Smith himself was removed from his command, his departure being a final blow to the Boers.

Many Boers, largely in consequence of this policy of Lord Glenelg, began the migration to the interior known as the Great Trek.

Black farmer’s shooting case postponed

A farm owner accused of attempted murder after he allegedly shot and wounded a teenager has appeared in the Ladybrand Magistrate’s Court, Free State police said on Wednesday.

The case against Motlalentoa Alfred Makoae, 53, was postponed on Tuesday to December 9, Sergeant Martin Xuma said.

Makoae, currently out on R1500 bail, owns a farm that borders Lesotho.

He was arrested on November 6. He allegedly saw five youths, aged between 13 and 15 hunting on the farm with sticks and dogs on October 28.

Xuma said the farm owner shouted at the boys to leave his property and they ran away. While chasing the boys away the man allegedly fired three shots in their direction. A 15-year-old was struck in the back.

The teenager and Makoae are both from Lesotho. – Sapa

Man appears for Meqheleng murder

A man alleged to have fatally stabbed another in the Meqheleng area outside Ficksburg was denied bail in the Ficksburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, Free State police said.

Captain Phumelelo Dhlamini said Liphaphang Ben Masilo, 25, was arrested in connection with the murder of Libetlele Ntshala.

Ntshala, 29, was killed on Friday.

“It is alleged that… the victim was walking alone in the street and met with the suspect. The suspect took out a knife and stabbed the deceased in the neck and he bled to death,” said Dhlamini.

“The police responded quickly to the scene. They found the suspect still holding a knife in his hand while the deceased was lying on the ground in the open field.”

Masilo’s case would continue on September 30. – Sapa

Free State metro cop held for murder

A Bloemfontein metro policeman has been arrested for allegedly shooting a man dead near a tavern in Smithfield, Free State police said on Monday.

Around 11pm on Sunday, a group of men were at the tavern when an argument broke out, Sergeant Yanga Ngcukana said.

“The suspect decided to run out of the tavern but he was chased and stones were thrown at him.”

The man fired several shots, and one of them hit a 35-year-old man, killing him.

Shortly afterwards, police found the metro officer running barefoot, and he claimed he was on his way to a police station to report the shooting.

The man will appear in the Smithfield Magistrate’s Court soon to face a murder charge. – Sapa

‘Racism’ at Free State school to be investigated

Racism is rife at schools across the Free State and requires an investigation, the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) said on Wednesday.

“We call on the department of education to investigate acts of racism beyond the issue of Wilgehof Primary School, as these practices are still rife in most of the schools in the province,” Sadtu Free State said in a statement.

The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) said on Tuesday it would investigate allegations of racism at the school, in Bloemfontein. It said there were complaints that some of the children at the school had been called kaffirs.

The old South African flag had reportedly been put up on a classroom wall, as had a picture of expelled ANC Youth League president Julius Malema alongside that of a monkey.

The SAHRC conducted an on-site inspection of the school after a white pupil’s parent laid a complaint.

Sadtu said it had previously complained to the department about alleged racism at the school.

“We have on numerous occasions called for the full investigation of allegations of racism at this school, but the department has always opted for defensive tactics claiming that the concerns and complaints raised by our members are baseless and unfounded,” it said.

Sadtu said the alleged racism undermined the dignity of black people.

“The conduct at this school is not just undermining the principles of a democratic non-racial South Africa, but is a clear disregard of the dignity of the black people when they are associated with baboons,” it said. – Sapa

School gang threatens Free State teacher

A teacher at the Louw Wepener High School, in the Free State, fears for her life and that of her family after threats by a school gang, the Volksblad newspaper reported on Tuesday.

According to the newspaper, the 666-gang threatened the teacher with death in a letter smeared with blood which was handed to her by pupils.

The letter was an apparent attempt to intimidate her because she was enforcing discipline and had too much power.

Local police confirmed to the newspaper that the teacher had received threatening phone calls.

The threats had been referred to the police’s crime intelligence unit.

“I would not allow that the threats stop me to fight for what was right,” the teacher told the newspaper.

School principal Johann Smit said the police were doing patrols on the school’s premises, but he wanted the school hostel raided for dangerous weapons.

Letters of complaints had been sent to the Free State department of social development, but no reaction had been received. – Sapa