FREE STATE NEWS MARCH 28 2013 samples

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 

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.”