FREE STATE NEWS OCTOBER 25 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
Free State News crew
Publisher
Moses Vinger
Moses Vinger
Confidential
Secretary/Manager
Maki Mohapi aka “Madam Maki” “H.C”
Maki Mohapi aka “Madam Maki” “H.C”
Editor
Kaya M
Kaya M
News Editor
Omoseye Bolaji
Omoseye Bolaji
Contributors
Letshego Moeng
Raselebeli Khotseng
Letshego Moeng
Raselebeli Khotseng
Lay-out artist
Tumisang Takang
Contact number:
051 447 1655 051 447 1655
Tumisang Takang
Contact number:
051 447 1655 051 447 1655
MASSIVE DOOR TO DOOR
CAMPAIGN
By Letshego Moeng
“Our volunteers should be taken into consideration when
opportunities come up. If comrades are so patient to do door to door and thus
if work comes up they should be first priority especially those that work
hard”.
This was said by the Premier of the Free State Ace
Magashule who was speaking during the door-to-door campaign at the Batho
Location community hall where he pointed out that these people are the reason
for the occasion and they should not be forgotten as the aim is to ensure that
they don’t lose heart.
He also said that he is happy with the way the comrades
have done and what they did, doing massive door to door.
Free
State News gathered that the reason for the door to door campaign
was to find out the difficulties and challenges faced by their residents; such
as the bucket system, dilapidated houses of which people are free to decline if
they want to build themselves a house leaking water, those who have been using
candles and are without electricity and the roads. Service delivery was on
roads and the issue that there is nowhere to walk at times when it is raining.
Addressing some of the issues he pleaded for counselors
to do their work. Magashule said:
“The elderly should be taken care of with regards
to their indigent and counselors should decrease their electricity and water
accounts so that it will be affordable for them.
To conclude the matter emphasized how the elderly should
also be taken care of and be given first priority as they are the vital voters
in the country. He said that it pains him that contractors don’t finish their
job but he will do his best to address these issues.
In talking about education he said that children who have
finished school and still want to further their studies should know that his
office is open to giving out bursaries and that in Bloemfontein there are lack
of engineers.
During the address he put emphasis on how being educated
is such an important endeavor and how the parents should encourage them to go
to school. The youth was also encouraged
to join the ANC youth league organisation.
The people present at the occasion were the volunteers
and the entire premier’s executive.
“I am happy with the cooperation of comrades and that the
leadership should forget the comrades”, concluded Magashule.
One of the volunteers proudly said how much she loves the
premier and that they love being involved with the communities as it keeps them
in touch of some of what is happening in our communities and she is glad to be
of assistance and trust that these people’s challenges will be addressed.
Interfaith prayers geared towards
solving corruption
By Raselebeli Khotseng
The Public
Protector of South Africa office in the Free State this week organised an
inter-faith prayer for the Free State good governance 2013 in Bloemfontein at
Bram Fischer building (Bunga Hall)
The purpose
of the event was to pray for good governance in the Free State province so as
to eradicate poverty. The occasion is a kick-start for the next week’s national
good governance week initiated by the national public protector Thuli
Madonsela. Organisations, government officials were supporting this venture
together with inter-faith denominations and their religious leaders.
The event
was opened with a national anthem and short prayer. Thereafter the programme
director Mr Morgan Mashinini, a senior investigator for public protector in
Free State introduced guests who included Ms Griessel, a provincial
representative of public protector [Free State] and Mr Lehlohonolo Manama also
an official in public protector’s office. Meanwhile Rev Mary Lebopo, a convener
of Mangaung Metro Regeneration Movement was also introduced.
In her
opening remarks, Ms Griessel told the participants that their inputs and
participation are of paramount importance as they will contribute towards the
government resolution to eradicate poverty. As she talked about strengthening
good governance she said, “Good governance reflects good values and ethical
principles”
Moreover Mr
Mashinini asked civil organizations and government departments to be part of
good government week as Madonsela requested. “We need to insure government that
is accountable to identify problems that perpetuate poverty’ he said. He called
upon participants to visit malls and tell people about good governance.
Madonsela felt that we should engage faith denominations as a way of seeking
divine intervention’. He finally asked faith organizations to pray against
maladministration and said officials must know that corruption does not rob the
government only but also the poor.
“Let’s pray
for that so as to enjoy the fruits of our democracy,” he concluded
Rev Lebopo
conducted an inter-faith prayer together with other FBO’s believers from
African Religion; Christianity, Rastafarism, Bahai, Islam,Koranas [Khoisan],
and Traditional healers. This interfaith prayer was conducted though
candlelight.
(LETTER)
Racism is abhorrent in a democratic South Africa
By Ishmael Mzwandile Soqaga (pix above)
The apparently racist behaviour of one of
the teachers in Wilgehof School towards innocent black pupils reminds me of the
catastrophically racist period of apartheid.
The whole period of apartheid was egregious and disastrous for all South
Africans.
For instance the Soweto uprising was caused by
elusive racial policy of apartheid. And
the announcement of FW De Klerk to un-ban all opposition parties in South
Africa on the other hand was heroic.
However, there are important lessons to be learned from racial
apartheid. Firstly racism in nature is
not presentable in society as its effects are greatly detrimental. Secondly another disadvantage of racism is
that it only regards only one racial group in a diverse society as superior
than others.
Simultaneously there is more phenomenal lesson
we should continuously learn from a democratic South Africa. Since its inception democratic South Africa
has done very well to create a constitution that provides human rights for
all. Democracy promotes equality for all
and equal opportunities for all.
Enormously democracy is growing and is gaining more experience, trying
hard to build the nation where man is free from all forms of racial prejudice
and suppression of human rights.
However, as cosmic progresses are made certain hiccups of racial
prejudice are materializing.
I am content with the action of the
visionary white person who openly reported the racist conduct of a white
teacher in Wilgehof School. A teacher
contravenes the education code of conduct and acted in the manner that has
neither interest for professional teaching nor committed to the constitution of
South Africa. It must not be a
staggering surprise that people of the same color disagree on issues of
race. Absolutely, it is evident that
democracy is sufficiently enough to change the societal perception. The standard which it has set has made an
extraordinary impact in a new country with a new society which is resolute to
live racially together. By this stage no
one will wish to see apartheid again.
Personally, I am greatly awesome with the
decision of Human Rights Commission to find Mr. Mac Kay guilty of his racial
conduct towards black pupils in the school.
The commission has proven itself beyond a doubt that is the true
exponent of human rights in South Africa.
Human rights violation is daunting and incongruous. Any person who commits and displays such
indecorous obsolete ideas is a threat in society and to democracy.
The South African Human Rights Commission has
found that the conduct of Wilgehof Primary School teacher Mr. Lenard Mac Kay
and his crude racist remarks perpetrated against black learners amount to
racism and hate speech of unfair discrimination.
Significantly Mr. Craig Theim is the
groovy-caring parent who understands how important education for all children
is. His non-racial commitment
illustrates clearly that he is a committed citizen of South Africa who believes
in human rights and diverse society. For
South Africa to achieve a complete outstanding outcome of non-racial society it
needs prodigious parent like Mr. Craig Thieim.
Constantly we need to remember the charismatic
leadership of the protagonist of non-racial South Africa, Mr. Nelson
Mandela. As the first black president of
South Africa he ensured that racial atrocities committed by erstwhile white
apartheid government are forgotten and forgiven. In his inaugural statement in 1994 he said
"We must therefore act together as a united people, for national
reconciliation, for nation building, for the birth of a new world.” It is almost the second decade since the new
nation begun and South African society is racially healthy and halcyon. Nevertheless it is difficult for certain
people to change their misleading axiom of racism.
On the 14th of January, 2008, Jozef Johannes Nel drove to the Skierlik
informal settlement, where he shot and killed 4 people, including a two month
old baby, wounded eight and shot and missed 3 others. He was arrested and found guilty of a
racially motivated murder; and he was sentenced on the 21st of November, 2008. Furthermore, on the sixth of March 2008 the Commission received a complaint following
an international dissemination of an extremely offensive racist video produced
by four of the UFS students. The video depicts four white male students making
the African employees (complainants) swallow a bottle of beer, run a race, play
rugby and kneel and eat what looks like mincemeat which had been urinated upon.
It is unfortunate for Mr. Mac Kay to act
contrary to the constitution of South Africa; for him to display a full size of
the historical apartheid flag in front of his classroom was pathological. And again for him to put a poster in the
class that depicted black people as having monkey-like noise and primate brains
who could only make confusing noise was fallacious and absurd. Such teaching and behavior takes our country
backward, the results will be malady.
Equal treatment for all children in school is paramount. The onus rests on our shoulders to value the
democratic foundation which was laid under the stewardship of Nelson Mandela.
Therefore our responsibility is to commit
ourselves for building a non-racial society coupled with the attainment of
reconciliation. We should continue to
build a better South Africa which will protect and invariably safeguard the
rights of all people especially of children.
To be a successful nation we must always act for the interests of the
country and at all time respect the rule of law of the country. Schools are important institutions to groom
and nurture the minds of children. In
multiracial schools it is very imperative for teachers to be good exemplars and
desist from promoting anything that intend to psychologically harm the
impressionable minds of the children.
Schools must be an inspiration to
children, not pursue baseless ideas of racism.
I have a firm belief in South African Human Rights Commission which is
keen for the advancement of human rights.
But I am also of the opinion that more national racial campaign
awareness programmes need to be initiated and fully established in schools. The day of reconciliation is much more
popular and is fundamental. Let also
racism get the same attention for the achievement of a non-racial South Africa.
* Mr Soqaga is an author, essayist and sports lover
