FREE STATE NEWS MARCH 28 2013 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
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
Forgiveness is possible-Prof Gobodo-Madikizela
By Dineo Mokgosi
How do
you, as a mother who lost her only daughter, forgive the man who claimed
responsibility for the attack that killed her? How do you forget his crime
while travelling with him across the world? These were some of the questions
that came up at the recent dialogue between Science and Society at University
of the Free State (UFS) that looked at forgiveness and reconciliation.
Present
at the dialogue was Jeanette Fourie whose daughter Lyndi was killedin an attack
on the Heidelberg Pub in Cape Town in 1993. Fourie was one of the people
sharing their stories of pain and forgiveness.
“Don't
ever think you can forget, because that’s not possible. What you do with the
pain is to find peace, and that's what forgiveness does. Forgiveness allows you
to stop all the dialogue in your head on why he did it. You don't forget, you
confront it and you deal with it,” said Fourie.
The
man who killed Fourie’s daughter Letlapa Mphahlele, Director of Operations of
Apla, the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) at the time of
Lyndi's death, spoke about dealing with the response to his crime.
“"Sometimes
you wish that you were not forgiven, because now you have the great burden of
proving that you are worthy of forgiveness,” said Mphahlele.
Also
telling her story of forgiveness was Olga Macingwane, a survivor of the
Worcester bombing of 1993 in which four people were killed and sixty-seven
others injured. Four people were sent to prison. In 2009 Olga met one of the
perpetrators, Stefaans Coetzee, and what came out of that meeting, is her
story.
“When
I met Stefaans I was very angry, but when you sit down with somebody and listen
to him or her, you find out what the reasons were that made him or her do
something. I can say that I forgave him,” said Macingwane.
Facilitating
the conversation was Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Senior Research
Professor on Trauma, Forgiveness and Reconciliation at UFS. She said the
seminar was meant to get in touch with the truth that forgiveness is possible.
“Before
we had the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in South Africa, the
experts always said that forgiveness was not possible in these stories of the
past. The TRC came into life as a response to mass atrocities. For the first
time in the history of these traumatic experiences, of political traumas, we
witnessed something that we have never seen. Even us on the TRC, although it
was framed as reconciliation, we never imagined there would actually be stories
of forgiveness emerging out of that process, and then we witness that this too
is possible,” said Prof Gobodo-Madikizela.
Charmaine
makes history
By R
Khotseng
Charmaine
Kolwane Mrwebi became the first Black woman in the Free State to launch two books at
one occasion, this week.
The
venue, the Afrikaans (and Sesotho) Literary Museum in the heart of the city of
Roses throbbed with excitement on Wednesday (March 27) as the occasion
unfolded; witnessing some of the most accomplished writers, intellectuals and
educators.
Among
those who graced the occasion were Mathene Mahanke, Flaxman Qoopane, Kgang Abel
Motheane, Tseliso Masolane, Nthabiseng “Jah Rose” Jafta, Skietreker (Richard
Seape) Raselebeli Khotseng, hector Kunene, Doctor Cool. Those who could not
make it in person, like critic Pule Lechesa sent positive messages. Even the normally reclusive outstanding
writer, Omoseye Bolaji, was present at the excellent book launch.
The
two books launched were Poetry Commando, and Omoseye Bolaji: Channelling One’s
thoughts onto paper (Revised edition). It was an occasion which witnessed many
pupils basking in poetry readings; alongside inspirational speeches and
exhortations.
Charmaine
herself went down memory lane, touching on her pedigree as a writer; and her
literary journey thus far. She was delighted to sign copies of her work as
copies were snapped up later.
Magashule
to be responsible for the maintenance of 38 IT systems
By
Nthabiseng Lisele
Premier Magashule went to Vredefort where he
tabled the budget vote of office of the premier for the financial year of
2013/14.
Office of the premier was allocated an amount
of R279 956. This amount is set to be allocated into programmes which is
administration relating to the provision of executive support to the premier,
provincial executive council and the direct general.
Magashule promised to continue to strive to boost
platforms to close the communication void which is set to be created by factors
like inaccessibility and resource constraints.
“The platform such as Hlasela TV, Hlasela news
and slots in SABC and Etv, have reached a large number of people who lacked access
to information due to their location in rural areas,” said premier Magashule.
According to premier, government’s commitment
to implement effective service delivery requires competent managers to apply
policies successfully.
“To capacitate senior managers in the
provincial government, next month we will develop a database for all senior
managers and political leaders in the local and provincial government to enable
us to identify their competencies and training needs,” Magashule.
Magashule also promised that this year there
will be an improved and better coordination of campaigns. He said that all
campaigns plans for events such as moral regeneration, verification of
completed MIG projects, clothing and food banks, and others will be submitted
to EXCO by mid-April for consideration.
“My office will be responsible for the
maintenance of 38 IT systems. The re-engineering of the bursary system was
finalised and 13 new systems were developed,” Magashule said.
He further said that: “The development of 5 new
systems and the conversion of 3 current systems to web base will be
implemented”.
Last year, more that 600 youth delegates drawn
from a broad spectrum of political, cultural, social, students, sports and
business youth formations across the province took part in the indaba.
“Amongst resolutions adopted, my office will
facilitate SMME development, experiential training, 50/50 gender representation
in employment, implementation of roughquity policy to accommodate the
efficiently able people and development of integrated youth development
strategy,” said premier Magashule.
He concluded that: “public participation and
direct interactive communication with people of the Free State through
Operation Hlasela and other platforms such as Hlasela news will remain a permanent
style of governance for the remainder of this term of office.”
