Free State News (April 2009 editions)

FREE STATE NEWS (April 2009 editions)

This web page(s) regularly focuses on the leading Free State (South Africa) newspaper – Free State news – the first regular newspaper to be orchestrated fully by black people in the Free State province (the paper celebrates its 10th year anniversary this year). The paper has been published on a weekly basis since 1999. Regular items like “Feature of the week” have appeared here over the months.

Free State News crew

Publisher
Moses Vinger

Confidential Secretary/Manager
Maki Mohapi

Editor
Kaya M

News Editor
Omoseye Bolaji

News Desk
Flaxman Qoopane
S Botsime

Sports Desk
Michael Tlhakudi

Adverts Consultant
S Botsime

Lay-out artist
Tumisang Takang

Photographer
Fresh Pix

Contact number:
051 447 1655


APRIL 24 - APRIL 30 2009 edition

FEATURE OF THE WEEK:

“IEC in FS orchestrates smooth elections”. (By J Stuurman). Front page

IEC IN FS ORCHESTRATES SMOOTH ELECTIONS

By J Stuurman

Free Staters came out in large numbers on Election Day this week, enduring the chilly weather as they enthusiastically queued to cast their votes.

According to the Provincial Electoral Officer (PEC) Chris Mepha, about 80% of the voting stations in the Province opened in time on election day for eligible voters, except those stations which could not open because they were waiting for the police escort to the stations.

However, the Free State Office of the IEC experienced some challenges that caused delays in some of the voting stations in the region. On the day some of the voting stations ran out of ballot boxes, as well as paper.

“The Centre was not aware of the situation but it has established that there are more people in some of the voting stations than the number of the ballot papers,” Mr. Mepha explained.

This was attributed to the number of people who went to vote where they were not registered and this weighed heavily on those stations. By 11 o’clock on the morning of elections 202 000 voters had already cast their ballot in the province. The overall voter turn out was one million two hundred sixty three.

Mepha explained further: “Our ballot boxes are small and they can not carry the number of the papers, and due to this, 145 boxes have been distributed and we will also use ordinary brown boxes”

The stations that were affected by this dilemma included President Brand station, Fichardtpark primary school where people had to wait for an hour for the ballot papers. This challenge was the main contributor to the extension of voting time on election day where ultimately 80% of the voters cast their ballot.

Other stations that experienced this problem outside Bloemfontein were based in Moqhaka Municipality and Maluti A phofung. Free State news learnt that there was an incident in QwaQwa where a presiding officer was shot in the morning when he was about to open a voting station, and the Deputy Principal of a school at Letsha le madukle had to act as a presiding officer. “The police responded very quickly and Mr. Makubu (the man shot) was taken to the hospital where he is now recovering,”

“I think elections went on very smooth because of the stable history in the province, there was no report of political violence. It was very peaceful though there were some complaints about running out of ballot papers and we accept the blame for that,” Chris Mepha acknowledged.


APRIL 17 – APRIL 23 09 edition

FEATURE OF THE WEEK:

“Fun-filled day at UCT” (page 2). By S. Botsime

(reproduced here)

Tomorrow (Saturday, April 18) will witness a potpourri of soccer games and sexy car washes at Central University of Technology (CUT). Three soccer matches will be held, all competing for the Indigo CUT Cup. The Bloemfontein Celtic women team will be playing against the Local Free State team.

The occasion is expected to feature mouth watering events and sights. To add to the sports menu, Mangaung local media are also billed to play against the department of sports art and culture.

The publishing director of indigomag, Mr. Dennis Akulay in an exclusive chat with Free State news revealed that it was an occasion nobody should miss. He stressed: “I urge people to bring their cars, since the money that will be made will help in supporting the CUT netball league.”

Dennis added: “We have gone out of our way to make it a superb occasion people can revel in, have fun with a competitive yet entertaining edge. The car washes will be done by sexy young ladies who will be giving satisfaction, with unbridled charm and courtesy,”
The games will begin at eleven o’clock and they will run concurrently with the sexy car washes. “Miss this at your own peril!” Dennis rounded off.


APRIL 10 – APRIL 16 09 edition

FEATURE OF THE WEEK:

“It’s time to question” (A poem by Skietreker)

“It’s Time to Question”

My version of depression is when I don’t feel like writing or rhyming
But spitting revolution in your face
And giving birth
Creating purity on this earth
Eating food from the mud
For we planted the roots
Now we seek healing
By fooling death
And beating his name with the back of a spoon

I feel like my hands are maroon
So I plant flowers on the moon
In the middle of June
You can do the maths
Clearly through these veins
My blood is rude
Dig my grave
And leave me space for the truth
I apply but you always get the stupid job
This is not a stupid joke
I hate the word “Connection”

Sentences like I know people in “High Places”
If we could trade places
Heaven knows I would expose you
Disgrace you and destroy you

In the meantime they smile
While sitting in their big offices
Carrying hidden rifles on their backs
Making promises yes
Delivering wrongs and bombs
In my eyes looking through your lenses
Only a few are blessed with great opportunities


When we looking for that stupid job
They act as if we not qualified
So they undermine underrate & discriminate
They give what we could have had
To those who already drive in the lines of power
Wearing fancy dresses and pink ties
They pretend as if they care
“Bakene jwale wena o Skatana”

Hate me and see if I care
Faith is written on my chest
With time and ink
I will destroy life on so many pages
With my tongue I direct my words to those who are listening
I’m not forcing you
My rhymes are free of charge
My anger is just freestyle
We hoping to see Tenders displayed in Newspapers
Jobs created & corruption defeated
Opportunities given fairly
And not by favour

One day when I find the only True God
My version of depression will come to an end
That time will only come
When things are done right.

Yours truly …

SkietReker


APRIL 03– APRIL 09, 2009 edition

FEATURE OF THE WEEK:

“Uhuru: Freedom is coming”. A poem by Raselebeli “Magic” Khotseng

(reproduced here)

UHURU: FREEDOM IS COMING

By Raselebeli “Magic” Khotseng

I feel the wind of change that waves my invisible tail in jubilation
Being a servant transformed to a master of my own destiny
I listened to the music of its independence
Uhuru! Uhuru! We’ve overcome our democracy

I was a nation of beggars queuing for butter-bread upon the heat of the soil
My children died in untarred roads without electricity
My daughters gave birth in households enveloped by curling smoke of a coal fire
Under Bantu Act they celebrated their humiliation on Kruger’s Day
But now they’re celebrating a new dawn of a rainbow nation
Uhuru! Uhuru! Freedom has come

I was a nation of marginalized working class of domestic workers and farm slaves
Whose blood and sweat spilled on building bridges and digging trenches
With hands dark as their pigmentation they carried soil buckets
Those are African diamonds of our economy whose mouths sing
Song of freedom Uhuru! Freedom of democracy has come

I was a nation of brutalized families whose defiant mouths
Remain voiceless during interrogation and torture
For fearing a cloud of death, prison and exile
Since their oppression reaches heavenwards they now speak
Like a man free from steamy room Uhuru! Freedom has come

It was a desperate nation longing for chewing boerewors in rugby match
Yearning for privileges of a long hair and light complexion
Nor a right to complain and give praise
Alas that right has long been buried and given way to propaganda
Propaganda, a freedom to befriend the devil under Suppression Act
But now they whisper in harmony: “Uhuru; freedom has finally come!”