Friday, February 27, 2009

Free State News (Feb 2009) editions

FREE STATE NEWS (February 2009 editions)

This web page(s) would regularly focus 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. Here, we shall have regular items like “Feature of the week”, which started in July, 2008.

Free State News crew

Publisher
Moses Vinger

Confidential Secretary/Manager
Maki Mohapi

Editor
Kaya M

News Editor
Omoseye Bolaji

News Desk
Julia Stuurman
Flaxman Qoopane
Neo Mvubu

Sports Reporter
Michael Tlhakudi

Adverts Consultant
Steve Sotyu

Lay-out artist
Tumisang Takang

Photographer
Fresh Pix

Contact number:
051 447 1655


FEB 27 – MARCH 06 09 edition

FEATURE OF THE WEEK:

“Reconnection of the unknown!” (from Poetry Corner) Page 7. By Kelebone Pitlele

(reproduced here)

RECONNECTION OF THE UNKNOWN!
(At least I know my mistakes!)
By: Kelebone Pitlele

Ignored for so long to be prolonged by my insanity
Programmed or shall I say brainwashed to believe life
Is not better without things we can buy or sell
This part I did not see nor hear about and yet it happened
And when I say I hate it, know that I mean it ‘cos I loved too hard…this part

Sailed to confront my demons as they played tricks with my mind
Laid my body down but my spirit still needed to understand Me
I don’t know this being that shows me things that I’ve never seen and yet I know we connect
Our hands hold each other as we see the future together and the mystery is still there, yet we connect.

Strengthen my wits to understand and have mercy on my mistakes
Guide my profound ability to always tell the truth
Be the way, life and stability to know who I am and where I come from
Because I know where I want to be
Utilise how I speak and not to forget the connection we have
Place me close and I will never forget the sight you showed me as I lived it with you in our mysterious life

Today I am Kelebone
Tomorrow may come with a new life but I can never be scared of my life
I look forward to every situation, challenge and pain that will make me grow to be the woman I am
Silently I gaze at myself and know that the mystery is now revealed that how I saw yesterday.

FEB 20 - FEB 26 09 edition

FEATURE OF THE WEEK:

“Congenial centre takes kids off the streets” (page 7). By Julia Stuurman

(reproduced here)

Congenial Centre takes kids off the streets

By Julia Stuurman

The sight of children in a group busy sniffing the glue on the street is not only an unusual sight, but a most unwelcome and unwholesome one. South Africa is amongst the countries that encounter the challenge of street kids. Arguably what makes this practice stand out here is that there is a spirit of Ubuntu amongst its citizens.

This has been demonstrated by a family at Phahameng Location in Bloemfontein who opened their home and hearts to over fifty vulnerable and abandoned kids in their area. The Williams’ family started taking in these children voluntarily in the early nineties and they then went on to be registered formally under the name Iphahamiseng Place of Safety in 1996 with the then Department of Welfare (which is now known as Social Development).

“We saw that we can provide a safe and secure home for these children of whom some were street kids while others were abused by their family due to dysfunctional homes” said the co-founder and the mother of this institution, Sanna Williams. These children needed a family structure that will guide them into being responsible adults and Sanna and Aubrey Williams were geared for this responsibility.

However, raising children does not only need love and care but it also requires one to be able to provide them with an opportunity for schooling. “Taking them to school was also a struggle for us but we were also blessed in this area of our life because we were able to receive social assistance to enable them to attend school”

Currently, this centre houses 55 children and the youngest of them all is a boy of seven years. Remarkably, twenty one of them are at high school, two have already obtained their grade twelve and are hoping to further their studies.

Litlhare Marake is sixteen years old and she is in grade ten at Sehunelo High School and she has spent most of her childhood in the centre. “It is my home and I am very comfortable here. I don’t imagine myself anywhere else” she told Free State news.

Bongane Jantjie and Setjhaba Makoko arrived at this place in 1997 and they have been here since then. They are now at high school and they don’t want to see themselves anywhere other than here at Iphahamiseng. “We are very much happy here and this is only the home we have known in our lives” they said.

The centre prides itself on the achievement it has had in “decreasing” the number of street kids in their area. They have also created jobs for the community adjacent to it. Dieketseng Mafa, a mother of two started working at this centre in 1993 and she has seen it growing “We used to cook outside using firewood but now we have stoves which are making our job easier” she said.

Even though this centre is doing well due to the assistance they get from the Social Development and Department of Justice, they still welcome any help from willing individuals and the community “ I thank God for making us realize that we have to love our neighbor and we will continue” they concluded.

FEB 13 – FEB 19 09 edition

FEATURE OF THE WEEK:

“American Black history month celebrated in Bloem” (Page 2)

(reproduced here)


AMERICAN BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATED IN BLOEM

By S. Botsime

The city library in Bloemfontein city came alive at the weekend as “American Black History Month” was celebrated with some aplomb. Heather Thompson, a black American lady did the honours personally, introducing and guiding guests through this historical excursion.

This event is celebrated every February in America. Heather Thompson patiently held sway at the Bloemfontein library with the highlight being a movie shown called Laakwanna Blues. This movie took us back down memory lane as far back as 1956.And the movie was written by Robbin Sentiego. Mercy Gray stars as an actor here, and it was pointed out that it was originally done as a play.
The presentation was quite impressive. There were displays on the wall of gurus like Malcolm X, Rosa Park, Martin Luther King, and Oprah Winfrey, just to mention the few. The movie begins with the end, all about the hardship, trauma, good times and not forgetting the romance. Viewers were much impressed by the setting of the movie, the tuxedos, the ball gowns and the black & white shoes. Part of the movie was done before the segregation and after.With impressive detail, the movie highlighted the romance, vagaries, point of raising children in a not too conducive environment where it’s a constant battle for survival. I have to admit that I found myself reminiscing on the stories of Sophiatown and district six where people like Kippie Moeketsi and Abigael Khubeka made one to dance the night away!

This special event was more of an eye opener for me and I wonder how far have we preserved and documented our history as South Africans? I had to conclude that although this was an American film the similarities between there and here are marked. Truly, this is just a small world, we are the same just divided by oceans!

FEB 06– FEB 12 09 edition

FEATURE OF THE WEEK:

“Gratifying reunion at Thaba Nchu School” (Page 6) By Charmaine Mrwebi

(reproduced here)

Gratifying Reunion at Thaba Nchu School

By Charmaine Mrwebi

As a child growing up you spend almost twelve years of your life in a school environment. So it’s evident that whatever the type of adult you become, it’s because of the influence by the particular school. This truism assumed great dimensions with me recently as Goronyane High School (Thaba Nchu) celebrated its 40th anniversary!

Schools like this instilled the love of reading widely, especially for leisure in people like myself. Indeed most of the readers became enamoured by the wider ramifications of literacy and literature thanks to the vision of their teachers who had a talent of narrating novels in a very practical manner; that you can almost see the characters! Today some of us are contributing to literature because of our school background when the foundation was laid.

Yet after Matric most of us forget our school and just watch as such alma mater rot and deteriorate. We need to recognize and applaud these institutions that made a lot of impact in out lives as the former learners in these institutions.

The survival of Education in the South African soil should be restored by former learners who appreciate what education has done for them individually.

Goronyane High School in Thaba Nchu is celebrating its 40th year anniversary as a well as having a reunion for its former learners. The aim and purpose of the celebration is to honour the late teachers who have passed on and made a difference in our lives; another motive for the celebration is to find means of investing back into our local schools through a collective effort of donating money as well as our time to the progress of the school.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Free State News (January, 2009 edition)

FREE STATE NEWS (January, 2009)

This web page(s) would regularly focus 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. Here, we shall have regular items like “Feature of the week”, which started in July, 2008.

Free State News crew

Publisher
Moses Vinger

Confidential Secretary/Manager
Maki Mohapi

Editor
Kaya M

News Editor
Omoseye Bolaji

News Desk
Julia Stuurman
Flaxman Qoopane
Neo Mvubu

Sports Reporter
Michael Tlhakudi

Lay-out artist
Tumisang Takang

Photographer
Fresh Pix

Contact number:
051 447 1655

JAN 30 - FEB 05 2009 edition

FEATURE OF THE WEEK:

“Chocolate Soul album unveiled” (page 2) By Michael Tlhakudi
(reproduced here)


Chocolate Soul album unveiled

By Michael Tlhakudi

Finally, the long awaited album of the Lesotho born artist is out and available in all good stores in and around Bloemfontein. Refiloe ‘Chocolate Soul’ Thoahlane (23) took just over a year to work on this project of House Music after three years of creating Hip hop Instrumentals.

This comes after Chocolate Soul initially wanted to become a Hip hop artist but all this changed after a hectic exposure to the Bloemfontein night life, influenced mainly by Deep House music. After four years of building a name for himself in the Free State, he met business partner and best friend Teboho Rankae better known as Tza who is also an Executive Producer in this offering. Together they decided to work with Chocolate Soul in preparation for molding him into a House Musician. They invented a new genre of Music called Crunch House, a combination of Hip hop instrumentals and House Music.

The 15-track album comprises a mixture of Sesotho and English tunes. City of Roses is the first single that is receiving airplay in various radio stations in the Free State. The other songs that deserve mention include Maseru Strawberries featuring Ntsiki and Erik, Eternal Love featuring Erik and Live another Day.

“This album has been an eye-opener for me and I experienced challenges nevertheless. Working with DJ Christos has certainly helped me a lot to grow as an artist,” he said.

Chocolate Soul will also be performing in different places across the country to promote the album.
To book Chocolate Soul call 072 874 4210/076 318 1285

Jan 23 – Jan 29 2009 edition

FEATURE OF THE WEEK:

“Ministers light torch of peace” By Neo Mvubu (Front page)

(reproduced here)

MINISTERS LIGHT TORCH OF PEACE

By Neo Mvubu

The Torch of Peace was lit at Nkgopoleng Secondary School in Sasolburg by the Minister of Education, Naledi Pandor together with the Minister of Public Safety and Security, Jeff Radebe.

The ministers arrived at the school earlier than all the other people, and then started their surprise visits to schools. Later that day, they returned to Nkgopoleng Secondary School and the formal torch of peace ceremony began.

The torch was lit to encourage learners as well as all the other road users to remain safe and secure in the roads. According to the Minister of Public Transport Safety and Security, Jeff Radebe, the level of collisions on our roads has decreased and that this is due to road safety campaigns that have been implemented so far.

The significance of lighting the torch was to combine the need for 16 days of Activism against women and children campaign with the need for safety and security on our roads and in schools.

The Minister of Education, Naledi Pandor said that the department is committed to, “deliver books, process appointments, pay salaries…and to ensure schools have resources,” She also added that the torch of hope should act as a reflection of the commitment both the educators and the students have for the year ahead.

The learners from various schools, in and around the Free State welcomed the encouraging messages from the ministers, and one representative of the students stood up from her seat and commented on the realities surrounding road safety.

JAN 16 – JAN 22 2009 edition

FEATURE OF THE WEEK:

“Seleke’s day of glory” (Front page)

(reproduced here)

SELEKE’S DAY OF GLORY

By Neo Mvubu

Free State news columnist, Seleke Botsime (who writes the Silhouettes column) was named this week as “The Free State Columnist of the year” (2008) at a successful occasion hosted by Phoenix Literary Press and Club. Venue was the Cuthberts Building in Bloemfontein. The event will take place annually to celebrate the hard earned work of columnists in the Free State.

“I am blessed to be here and receiving this award today, it is but God who should receive the ultimate recognition,” an ecstatic Seleke told Free State news.

The Chairman at the auspicious occasion was Ntate Kgang Abel Motheane, well known prolific author and publisher. Also present was the Chief Executive Officer of Melodi Productions, Tebogo Seseane, the MD of Josh 158 Recording Studio, Urbain Tila, commentator and critic, Jerry Seekoei, among others. There were performances and deliveries from notable bards, “Icebound” and Charmaine Kolwane. The press was amply represented too.

Phoenix Press operative Mr. George Rampai explained how the firm continues to boost literacy and literature in the Free State, including through the publication of books. In a most illuminating Citation delivered by literary icon Mr. Lebohang Thaisi, the reasons why Mr. Seleke emerged as “the Columnist of the year” were lucidly explained.

Seleke is a man of wisdom, his works reflect on traditional values that are but day by day disintegrating. His column is known by many as Silhouettes and taps into the daily lives of the spiritual. He won the award in the midst of impressive column writers from publications such as Mangaung Issue as well as The Way.

According to Lebohang Thaisi, “The profundity of the column (Silhouettes) has to be specially commended. These are not articles we can just pick up and read quickly. We have to savour slowly the special language and intellectualism that bedeck them; we ponder over them, re-read and appreciate.”

Seleke Botsime was presented with a special Certificate, the sum of R1000 00, and other gifts.