FREE STATE NEWS MAY 24 2013 SAMPLE STORIES

FREE STATE NEWS MAY 24 2013 SAMPLE STORIES

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

Letshego Moeng
Sebedi Seroalo
Raselebeli Khotseng

Lay-out artist

Tumisang Takang

Contact number:

051 447 1655 051 447 1655 

AFRICA DAY TO BE MARKED WITH PANACHE

By Letshego Moeng

It is all systems go as another riveting edition of Africa Day beckons. This of course is the annual commemoration of the 1963 founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), presently recognized as the African Union (AU).

Here in the Free State, in partnership with Lesedi fm, PACOFS will be hosting an event in celebration of Africa Day in which two artists – namely, Ringo Mdlingozi and Kunle - will be performing. There will be an eclectic tinge to the event.

Free State News gathered that Lesedi FM has in store some acts which will be enjoyed by the audience; however this will be something of a surprise and will be a gripping prelude before the performances of both artists.  “Mamontha Modise from Lesedi fm will be the MC during that time for the event and will be presenting what Africa Day is all about.” said Rolihlahla Alexander, who is Acting Development Manager as well as Human Resource Manager at PACOFS.

“Africa Day is a celebration of 50 years of the AU and is even more significant to us as South Africans because the current chairperson of the union is a South African, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, who will also be honoured during the celebration. As regards any sceptics out there, they are going to miss out on some awesome African talent. For example, I think majority of people have not listened to the powerful Kunle” Rolihlahla added.

Indeed, on the whole, the African Union, comprised of 53 member states, has brought together the continent of Africa to collectively address the challenges it has faced, such as armed conflict, climate change, and poverty. It is day many observers believe is worth celebrating.

Free State News was informed that the reason behind just having two artists is that in a show of this magnitude, illustrious people don’t come cheap and the audience might also be reluctant to pay through their teeth. Again, PACOFS’s multi-faced programme schedule regularly organises many events and different occasions; additionally, every month they have artist(s) strutting their stuff.

“The important thing is that Africa Day will be marked on our shores,” well known Free State pan-Africanist and author, Ishmael Mzwandile Soqaga, told Free State News. “Our continent has witnessed so much carnage and pillaging, hence it is good to mark something positive,”

‘FS Literature is healthy and fecund’ – Pule Lechesa

By Regomoditswe Motsalane

There has been an astonishing output of published books in the Free State this year. Literary experts told Free State News this week that this phenomenon should not be considered as anything negative, but rather as a step in the right direction.

Works published thus far have embraced so many genres; including fiction, poetry, literary criticism, and general studies. Pundits say this further confirms the tremendous progress Black writing continues to make in the Free State. But what about others who are uneasy with this development?

“I think it is very much welcome,” renowned literary critic, Pule Lechesa, said. “We have come a very long way within a short time. “We must continue to move forward. I was a bit worried some years ago that the focus here was too much on poetry; but these days – especially this year - the process has become much more balanced and eclectic.”

Lechesa added that he was not worried about the possibility of some of these published works being “sub-standard”. He said: “It’s pretty much the same all over the world, even in advanced Eurocentric societies. Some very good books are published, some are average, and some not-so-good or of terribly high literary quality. But books must always be churned out…the wheat will be separated from the chaff in the course of time,”

“I am actually happy to see so many writers coming out and publishing. It is healthy and fecund,” he went on. “The confidence is there now. The sacrifices of the likes of Bolaji and Qoopane are bearing fruit now. Our people should read even more and more. It is paradoxical that book publishing is much more expensive now, yet more and more books are seeing the light of the day; this points to enlightenment on the part of the people,”

But Lechesa admitted that he is indeed a bit worried about escalating costs of bringing books out. “Yes, that is something we have to deal with. Fewer people can buy books now and it is a pity the whole thing might even be moving along elitist lines…the ideal thing is for books to be affordable to most potential readers. Many fine readers of books now do say that they might not be able to afford to buy as many books as they would love to…but on the whole the situation is vibrant in the FS, with perceptive reviews, interviews, and the positive role of the libraries,”

Poems of love

By THABANG LEBUSO

1.     Love feeling.

Falling in love with you is the best thing in this world to be done

Loving you is a feeling that no man can deny,

 Looking at you is like gazing thousand times at the sky,

 Missing you is like crying my tears till they dry,

 Wishing when will that day come for me to fly,

 To you and in you abide,

 That’s how loving you to me feels like

2. Love is skin deep.

 What haven’t thou known that love is skin deep,

 So not even man’s thoughts think,

 So colorful than rainbow’s beauty,

 It’s music so sweet not even a single bird can sing,

 Love is skin deep so deep that even a blind man can see so deep,

 Deeper than the deepest sea,

 Oh…And the sea is deeper than thee,

 That’s why sometimes we with eyes can’t see

See what love’s very beauty

And oh we all have it but not all can put it to its duty

Some when tasting love its bitter

But to same is sweeter

It comes to some very poor

To some it comes so rich.