Free State News March 8 2012 samples

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 has been published on a weekly basis since 1999. Regular items like “Feature of the week” have appeared here over the years.


Free State News crew

Publisher

Moses Vinger

Confidential Secretary/Manager

Maki Mohapi aka “Madam Maki” “H.C”

Editor

Kaya M

News Editor

Omoseye Bolaji

Contributors

Nthabiseng Lisele
Dineo Mokgosi
Sebedi Seroalo


Lay-out artist

Tumisang Takang

Contact number:

051 447 1655 051 447 1655


Mohai tables the FS provincial budget

By Nthabiseng Lisele

The development and transformation of the Free State economy will be a critical contribution to the inclusive economic growth and social development.

“Let’s do it together as government, business, labour and the community at large. This provincial budget is therefore a budget for development and economic growth,” said the Mec for Finance Seiso Mohai.

Mohai stressed “The South African economy has continued on a positive yet dull recovery, with recovery, with a GDP growth of 2.5% in 2012 and anticipated to be 2.7% in 2013.”

According to Mec for Finance, unemployment is the most serious issue confronting the Free State economy. He quoted the most recent labour force survey which indicates that unemployment in the 4th quarter of 2012 stood at 33.2%.

Mohai advised that the government must transform and develop the main industries in the province, namely, mining, agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and infrastructure.

“We must create and sustain the value adding production sectors in mining and agriculture through beneficiation and agro processing. We must develop and expand the manufacturing sectors beyond the dominance of petrochemicals to include textiles and food processing as large portion of the manufacturing sector,” said Mohai.

The total provincial fiscus amounts to R26.872 billion in 2013/14, R27.720 billion in 2014/15 and R29.551 in 2015/16, representing normal growth of 4%, 5.1% and 6.9%, respectively. Over the next three financial years the province will spend an estimated R84.143 billion.

Mohai stated: “our province’s ecquitable share is reduced by R 1, 430 billion over the 2013 MTEF. Additional funding of R1, 898 billion over MTEF has been received from National Treasury, of which R 1, 495 billion is earn marked for improvement of conditions of employment over the MTEF and the remainder is allocated to the province as a cushion for census 2011 changes.

The provincial revenue is projected to increase from R 820, 966 million in 2012/13 to R 850, 563 million in 2013/14.

Department of Education is allocated 40% of the provincial budget which is R 10,456 billion 2013/14. And the Department of Health is allocated and amount of R7, 895 billion in 2013/14.

Department of Social Development is allocated an amount of R 951,229 million in 2013/14 while the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs was allocated R450, 195 million for 2013/14.

Department of Public Works is allocated an amount of R 1,418 billion in 2013/14, allocation to the Department of Police, Roads & Transport amounts to R2, 260 billion in 2013/14.

Department of Human Settlements receives an allocation of R1,234 billion in 2013/14 while the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development receives R673,294 million in 2013/14.

Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation receives a total allocation of R515, 137 million in 2013/14 and Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs is allocated R348, 413 million in 2013/14.

The Department of the Premier received an amount of R279,956 million in 2013/14 and Free State Legislature is allocated an amount of R173, 698 million in 2013/14.

Lastly but not least Provincial Treasury is allocated R216, 355 million in 2013/14.


Court hears pregnancy policies

By: Sebedi Seroalo

Two Free State schools' pregnancy policies were set to be challenged in the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg.

This follows a challenge by the Free State department of education, which believes it is unconstitutional to not allow a pupil who has given birth to return to school in the same year, and that they must redo the year.

According to papers submitted ahead of the application, the issue arose as a result of the policies of Welkom High School and Harmony High School. In terms of their pregnancy policies pupils who fall pregnant may not be readmitted to school in the year that they give birth, and must repeat a year of schooling.

This is irrespective of the health of the pupils, and their and their parents' wishes, as well as their capacity to catch up on missed school work. The education department tried to intervene, on the grounds that the policies were in breach of Section nine of the Constitution and violated the pupils' right to education.

The head of the education department had issued instructions to the schools to readmit the pupils, in terms of the Employment of Educators Act and in terms of Section seven of the Constitution to “act positively to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the fundamental rights protected in the Bill of Rights”.

This saved the pupils affected by the application from exclusion from school for the balance of 2010, and from having to repeat their 2010 school year in 2011.

But the schools contended this infringed the powers of the school governing bodies.

The matter was taken to the Free State High Court, which ruled it could not consider the constitutionality of the pregnancy policies without a counter application from the department for an order declaring the pregnancy policies unconstitutional and invalid.

It also held that the head of department had no legal power to act as he did, and that his instructions to the principals violated the constitutional principle of legality.

The only remedy available to the head of department was to call on the governing body to change its policy. If the governing body refused, the head could apply to the high court for an order. The Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed the head of department's appeal.

The education department is challenging the matter in the Constitutional Court on four grounds: that the courts below assumed incorrectly that a governing body is competent to adopt a pregnancy policy at its school; that it fails to take into account the employment relationship between the head of department as employer, and the principal as employee; it ignores the obligation of the State not, through its employees, to act unconstitutionally; and that it fails to take account of the responsibilities of the courts themselves to protect fundamental rights.

Lobby group Equal Education is among the friends of the court that have been admitted to the case.

According to the court papers the respondents ultimately accepted that the pupils could return to their schools. The department however believes the case illustrates the unconstitutionality of the schools' pregnancy policies.


Meer as 'n held:

Saam met talle sport liefhebbers vanoor die wereld, bring ons hulde aan Ryan Giggs (van Man United) vir sy ongelooflike prestasie. Hy het 1000 senior wedstryde vir sy klub gespeel!

Giggs se konsekwensie, fiksheid en vasberadenheid oor twee dekades is n voorbeeld vir sportmanne wereldwyd. Sy professionele benadering en doelgerigtheid het hom oor die jare n buitengewone trofee-oes besorg.

Gedurende sy tyd by Manchester United, het hy 33 trofee ingepalm (12 Premier Liga titels, 4 FA bekers, 4 Liga bekers, 2 Kampioen Ligas, 1

Europese Super Beker, 1 Interkontinentale beker, 1 Fifa Klub Wereldbeker en 8 Liefdadigheids/Gemeenskaps Skilde). Dit kroon hom as die mees gevierde speler in die geskiedenis van
Engelse sokker.

Ons sien veels te dikwels, ook in Afrika, eiewyse, halfgebakte jongetjies wat hul loopbane vernietig selfs voor dit begin het, deurdat hulle meegevoer en verblind word. Vele van hulle beland op die geskiedenis se ashoop.

Mr Giggs verdien dus luide applous vir sy formidabele prestasie.

(Sien ons sport agterblad vir meer besonderhede)