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FREE STATE | NORTH WEST | GAUTENG
FRIDAY
5 MAY 2023 | WEEKLY
www.centralnews.co.za | newsroom@centralnews.co.za | WhatsApp 081 495 5487
NEWS
Acting Mayor
announces
interim MMC’s
The Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality
acting executive mayor Nthatisi Gregory has
announced the interim Mayoral Committee
Members (MMCs) on Wednesday, 03 May.
NEWS
Ronald Lamola
dumps G4S for
Thabo Bester
The Department of Correctional Services
(DCS) announced on Tuesday that it has taken
a decision to terminate its concession contract
with the Bloemfontein Correctional Services
(BCC).
Magashule’s
legacy
troubled
as SCA
dismisses
appeal
against
Asbestos
charges
SCA dismissed former ANC secretarygeneral
Ace Magashule’s application for
leave in the asbestos roof removal case.
STORY PAGE 2
Photo Supplied
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02 News | 05 May 2023
Magashule’s legacy troubled as SCA dismisses
appeal against Asbestos charges
By Thys Khiba
The Supreme Court of Appeal
(SCA) in Bloemfontein dismissed
former ANC secretary-general Ace
Magashule’s application for leave in the
Asbestos roof removal case on Tuesday.
The court dismissed the appeal
applications lodged by Magashule and
other accused who are facing more than
70 charges which include corruption and
money laundering relating to the alleged
unlawful awarding of the 255-million
rand asbestos roof removal tender in the
Free State.
This comes after Magashule, former
human settlement director general
Thabani Zulu and bussinessman Edwin
Sodi sought to challenge the High
Court judgment which dismissed their
application to have charges against them
dropped.
The National Prosecuting Authority
(NPA) has welcomed the SCA’s dismissal
of application for leave to appeal by the
accused.
The SCA dismissed the leave to appeal
on the basis that there are no reasonable
prospects of success in an appeal and
there are no other compelling reasons
why the appeal should be heard.
“This decision is a vindication of our long
held view that there is no merit in their
application.
“We hope that the case can now proceed
on a trial date to be arranged by both state
and the defence,” said NPA spokesperson,
Adv. Mthunzi Mhanga.
The State alleges that Sodi and his coaccused
essentially embarked on a “rentseeking”
scheme that ultimately resulted
in only R21 million worth of work being
done.
The State’s case suggests that
Magashule’s alleged cut of this corrupt
scheme took place in the form of school
tuition for Gupta ally Refiloe Mokoena’s
daughter. This includes electronic tablets,
and R250 000 for the travel expenses of
a delegation to Cuba.
Magashule maintained there was no case
nor evidence against him and embarked
on unsuccessful litigation to have the
charges against him dropped.
The accused are expected to appear Free
State High Court for a pre-trial hearing
on 05 May 2023.
The State is expected to argue that the
case against them should get going.
North West
Former Acting
Municipal
Manager to get
a bail
Photo Supplied
By Central News Reporter
The former North West acting Municipal
Manager of Ratlou Local Municipality,
Cassius Sejake is expected to be out
on bail of R5000 on his next court
appearance.
The Specialised Commercial Crimes
Court sitting in Mmabatho has postponed
the case against Sejake to 12 June 2023,
for legal consultation and pretrial.
This comes after the 46-year-old
man was arrested by the Hawks in
September 2020, on charges related to
the contravention of Section 173 of the
Municipal Finance Management Act
(MFMA), after allegedly flouting tender
processes to the value of R7,8 million,
between 2018 and 2019, when he was
acting municipal manager at Ratlou
Local Municipality.
It is alleged that he failed as the then
accounting officer, to take reasonable
steps to ensure that procurement
processes were followed and observed.
Service providers were allegedly
appointed without a competitive bidding
process.
“A presiding officer has been appointed
to preside over the case and Sejake’s bail
of R5000 was extended until his next
court appearance,” said North West NPA
spokesperson Henry Mamothame.
Mamothame confirmed the NPA intends
to file a notice for the court to investigate
the numerous delays resulting in a series
of postponements, attributed to Sejake
withdrawing the services of his attorneys
and appointing new ones.
“The NPA deems these delays to be
unreasonable and hopes the court
will make a ruling to halt further
postponements on the matter.
“Investigations have long been
completed and the state is ready to
proceed with pre-trial conferencing
for the trial to commence,” said
Mamothame.

05 May 2023 |
By Central News Reporter
News 03
City of Mangaung acting Mayor announces interim MMCs
The Mangaung Metropolitan
Municipality acting executive
mayor Nthatisi Gregory has
announced the interim Mayoral Committee
Members (MMCs) on Wednesday, 03
May.
This comes after the African National
Congress (ANC) in the Free State has
welcomed the election of Nthatisi as
the new acting Mayor of Mangaung
Metropolitan Municipality.
“The ANC is pleased that Comrade
Gregory Nthatisi was successfully elected
as the Acting Executive Mayor,” said ANC
Free State spokesperson JabuMbalula.
His election follows a High Court
judgement interdicted the African Alliance
of Social Democrats (AASD)’s President
PapiMokoena, from executing his duties
as the mayor.
Mbalula confirmed the party is also happy
that ANC’s VumileNikelo has retained his
seat council as council whip of the City of
Mangaung.
“We want to reiterate that his voting out
by council was flawed.
“We are therefore happy that Comrade
Nikelo has been correctly retained to
his position, as is the preference of the
ANC and the people of Mangaung,” said
Mbalula.
The members of the interim Mayoral
Committee is made up of seven women
and three men.
The interim MMCs are as follows:
1. Economic Development and Spatial
Planning - Cllr. Nthabiseng Jonas
2. Infrastructure and Engineering - Cllr.
VusiSoqaga
3. Rural Development - Cllr. PaniTwala
4. Corporate Services - Cllr. Logan Kruger
5. Social Services - Cllr. TheodorahMosala
6. Human Settlement - Cllr. MotshewaTladi
7. Waste and Fleet management - Cllr.
ManthuseLetawana
8. Public Safety - Cllr. SibongileTsoleli
9. Finance - Cllr. LulamaTiti-Odili
10. IDP and Performance - Cllr.
MolefiMorake
Nthatisi wished all the appointed
MMCs the best as they execute their
duties diligently, ethically and lead
theirrespective departments to ensure that
the core needs of Mangaung residents are
attended to.
The ANC has expelled seven councillors
including the City’s deputy mayor
Mapaseka Mothibi-Nkoane for voting
with opposition parties.
For defying the party line and caucus
decision not to attend a council sitting
until certain issues were clarified.
Amongst those who have been expelled
by the ANC in Mangaung, the Deputy
Executive Mayor, Mapaseka Mothibi-
Nkoane and former Speaker Stefani
Lockman-Naidoo are also included in the
list of fired councillors.
“Nobody is bigger than the ANC. As per
the ANC constitution rule 25.35 these
expelled individuals have a right to appeal
this verdict, effectively from the day of
receiving this communication,” said ANC
Mangaung regional Secretary SabeloPitso.
During a press briefing,Pitso reminded
the public of the defiance of the caucus
decision by certain councillors not to
attend a council sitting until certain issues
were clarified.
This included their participation in the
alleged illegal removable of the then
Acting City Manager.
The ANC has accused its councillors
of voting with the opposition party, the
Democratic Alliance (DA) to ensure
that the party preferred candidate for
the position of the Council Speaker,
Lawrence Mathae is not elected.
“The outcome of that voting process to
elect the Council Speaker, as announced;
reflected that the opposition parties had
received more votes than they jointly hold
in the Council.
“The higher votes received by the
opposition means that certain ANC
members had deliberately colluded with
the opposition, to ensure that the ANC
preferred candidate for the position of
the Council Speaker is not elected,” said
Pitso.
The denied divisions within the ANC in
the region were full display when some its
councillors in the council on Wednesday
failed to follow the party line when they
voted for DA councillor Maryke Davies
to be the new speaker of the municipality.
The governing party, ANC received
51% outright majority in the 2021 Local
Government Elections and this places the
party as the majority party in the City.
According to Pitso, the ANC viewed
the behaviour of its councillors as
unacceptable and highest form of arson.”

04 News | 05 May 2023
Ronald Lamola dumps G4S for Thabo Bester
By Central News Reporter
The Department of Correctional
Services (DCS) announced on
Tuesday that it has taken a decision
to terminate its concession contract with
the Bloemfontein Correctional Services
(BCC).
Minister Ronald Lamola indicated that
the decision to terminate was taken after a
legal opinion that DCS sought.
“DCS has, this morning, served Mangaung
Correctional Services PTY LTD (a private
company) with a notice to terminate. The
notice to terminate follows a legal opinion
that DCS sought.
“It has been deemed that BBC is not
suitable to continue with the contract,”
said Lamola.
Departmental spokesperson Singabakho
Nxumalo confirmed that in line with the
concession agreement, a termination
notice for a period of 90 days has been
given to BCC, and thereafter, the contract
will cease to operate.
The department is expected to immediately
resume with an internal exercise for the
takeover process.
“The notice of termination follows the
announcement on 20 April 2023 by DCS
that it had referred its contract with BBC
for a legal opinion.
“It has been deemed that BBC is neither
competent, nor suitable to continue with
the concession contract. BCC is contracted
to operate the Mangaung Correctional
Services, a public private partnership
facility,” said DCS in a statement.
This comes after a controversial escape by
convicted murder and rapist Thabo Bester
from the Mangaung Correctional Centre
in May 2022.
The escape was reported and exposed
by media and Bester and his partner
Dr Nandipha Magudumana were later
arrested.
Dr Nandipha is expected to appear in
the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court
on Wednesday and Thursday for bail
application.
Meanwhile, Bester is incarcerated at the
Kgosi Mampuru C-Max Facility. He will
be appearing with his co-accused on May
16, 2023, in Bloemfontein.
Photo Supplied

05 May 2023 |
By Central News Reporter
The delegates of the Young
Communist League of South
Africa (YLCSA) in the North West
province have elected Mogale Matsose
as provincial secretary and Onke Xhinela
as provincial chairperson at the 6th
provincial congress over the weekend.
Provincial Office Bearers:
Provincial Treasurer – Kealeboga Dikole
Deputy Provincial Secretary –
Bogosibotsile Magele
Deputy Provincial Chairperson – Poloko
Bizza Paul
This comes after the league managed
to host its 6th provincial conference at
Ngwenya Lodge, Stilfontein in Matlosana
Local Municipality on Saturday, 29 April.
The then provincial committee
spokesperson Matsose confirmed the
elective conference will convene under the
theme of “Intensifying Youth Mobilization
in Pursuit of a Socialist Order” from
Saturday until Sunday.
The newly elected officials will take over
from the 5th provincial congress office
bearers.
Delegates reflected on the state of their
organisation in the province and access
the work that has been done.
The league will also formulated policy
positions and adopt resolutions.
“Moreover, the Provincial Congress will
make a through assessment of the state
of the revolution and receive a detailed
political report that will be amongst other
subjects reflecting on socio-economic
conditions of youth in our province,
state of governance and the Alliance,
and international balance of forces,” said
Matsose.
The 6th congress was attended by the
national committee members, 1st deputy
national secretary Tsietsi Letsebe, Julia
Mthethwa and Komanisi Ntsie.
This includes the South African
Communist Party (SACP) provincial
secretary Madoda Sambatha who
delivered a political message.
Provincial Executive Committee
members:
Nana Serunye
Kopano Khunou
News 05
YCLSA elects Mogale Matsose as provincial secretary
Zimkhitha Mtyobo
Avelile Maeka
Kgomotso Molotsane
Masontaga Hlalele
Lerato Bontes
Tshokolo Malebo
Peddie Mohlaula
Kabelo Maleke
Mmuso Lintoe
Matsidiso Gaeretse
Edward Ditshwele
Oarabile Monchusi
Maxwell Dyasi
Lefa Makgabo.

06 Classifieds | 05 May 2023
cnclassifieds

05 May 2023 |
Opinion 07
opinion
Why the government should turn Ithala into state-owned bank
At its 53rd National Conference,
held in December 2012, the
African National Congress
(ANC), a governing party in South
Africa since 1994, took a few progressive
policies, most notably create a stateowned
bank. However, over 10 years
later, the ANC-led government has not
created the bank, albeit the party reaffirmed
the policy at its two successive
national conferences.
The state-owned bank can be a very
effective mechanism to bring about
real, meaningful transformation in a
financial industry, more specifically, a
banking sector, which remains largely
untransformed nearly 30 years into the
hard-fought democratic order and, above
all, appears not to readily respond to
government initiatives.
For example, the South African banks had
been reluctant to lend money under the
government’s R200 billion Coronavirus
2019 (Covid-19) Loan Guarantee
Scheme, albeit both the National Treasury
(NT) and the South African Reserve Bank
(SARB) had taken a whopping 94% of the
risk should businesses fail to repay them.
"We had several meetings with
them, and they wouldn’t budge,"
revealed a visibly disappointed former
finance minister, Tito Mboweni, speaking
at last year’s PSG Annual Conference in
Sun City, North West province.
The banks have granted loans in the region
of R18 billion. Put differently, they have
approved a measly 27% of the Covid-19
loan scheme applications. This has, of
course, greatly impinged on the country’s
economic recovery from deleterious
effects of the global pandemic. Hence, the
government should play a leading role in
the financial industry through the stateowned
bank.
South Africans would have to wait for a
long period, if not forever, for the stateowned
bank to come into existence if the
ANC’s recent track record of a failure to
implement its own policies is anything to
by. Apart from the state-owned bank, the
governing party has failed to implement
yet another progressive policy, namely
alter the SARB’s mandate beyond price
stability to include job creation and
economic growth, also taken at the 53rd
National Conference, largely owing to a
failure to conduct a feasibility study prior
to their adoption.
To spare the country from either a
commission of inquiry and/or an expert
panel to investigate the state-owned
bank’s feasibility, as it happened with
fee-free higher education and land
expropriation without compensation, the
two policies taken at the 52nd and 54th
national conferences respectively, the
ANC should consider an existent and
progressive financial institution, such as
Ithala, and gradually turn it into the stateowned
bank.
Using a Leviathan model, be it as a majority
or minority investor, this
it can do by injecting financial
capital in
the KwaZulu-Natal-based
financier
the
Investment
Corporation
(PIC),
which man-
through
Public
ages assets
worthy
above R2
trillion.
In fact, given
that the government
has to exercise
a great deal of financial
prudence, it would
be less expensive to acquire the
ithala through the model than create the
state- owned bank from the scratch, as it
would require massive capital, human and
structural capitals. To the government’s
Molifi Tshabalala
is a political author
advantage, Ithala’s mission and vision
are already aligned with its overarching
objectives to address the triple challenge,
namely high levels of inequality, poverty
and unemployment.
As spelt out in its mission, for example,
the bank, which provides an array of financial
and property services
in KwaZulu-Natal, seeks
“[t]o reduce poverty
through im-
“South
Africans would
have to wait for a
long period for a
state-owned
bank”
plementing infrastructure
programmes,
providing
access to financial
services,
and
building the
economy
of KwaZulu-Natal,
with
a focus on rural
and township areas.”
More specifically, as
read its vision, it seeks “[t]
o create a more prosperous and inclusive
society where the previously disadvantaged
have an opportunity for better
life for all.”
editorial
By Thys Khiba
Government coalitions are a
potential nightmare for voters
By Thys Khiba – Editor-In-Chief
While the governing party,
African National
Congress
(ANC) of Oliver
Tambo, Nelson
Mandela, Walter
Sisulu, Thabo
Mbeki, Jacob
Zuma and Cyril
Ramaphosa has
disappointed
many of its
voters, governing
coalitions are
appearing as
a high risk for
service delivery and
stable public service and
administration.
Indeed the governing party has become
postcolonial disappointment and
“
South Africa is
a diversity
nation
with many
voters
frustration to the eligible voters.
Not so long, the ANC-led and the DAled
coalitions in the Nelson Mandela Bay
and City of Johannesburg metros are
a clear picture of a collapsed
coalition. The ongoing
change of mayors and
speakers in various
metros including the
City of Mangaung,
Ekurhuleni and
Tshwane are
another great
example of
political leadership
instability of
government
coalitions.
Before, we continue to
talk about more about this
governing approach, we can safely
say that coalitions are a nightmare for
residents of local communities.
With the ongoing political fights that these
metros suffers from and faces from time
to time, political sabotage and factions are
also delaying basic service deliveries such
as water supply, refuse removal, sewage
collection and disposal, electricity supply,
street lighting and municipal roads and
storm water drainage.
Also, given the fact that South Africa is a
diversity nation with many voters of the
governing party being disappointed by the
party, no political party will govern with
more 70% voters.
The same approach of governance could
be used for provincial and national
governments.
If politicians like Julius Malema, Cyril
Ramaphosa, John Steenhuisen and
Herman Mashaba really cared about the
future of this country, they should discuss
the impact of government coalitions that
creates political leadership instability.
Political instability is another subject
under macroeconomics that pushes
investors and private sectors away. The
absence of economic players harms the
potential of job-creating economy.
The same unemployed young and old
people are expected to vote for politicians
who are prioritising political contestation
in the of their political ideologies.
At least they should be a very thin line
between politics and bureaucracy. The
level of professionalism in the public
sector is more disappointing than level of
party affiliation.
The direction and direction of how
municipalities should be governed
shouldn’t be influenced by one political
party and leader.
In a matured government coalition
system, politicians would appreciate
that officials are qualified to do the job
of delivery services to the deserving
citizens.

08 Sports | 05 May 2023
sports
Manchester City
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By Thys Khiba
English Premier League (EPL)
champions Manchester City are
back at the top of the table, with
3-0 home win over West Ham United
giving City their ninth successive EPL
victory on Wednesday night.
This comes after Nathan Ake, top goal
scorer Erling Haaland and Phil Foden
scored goals for Pep Guardiola’s.
Manchester City are ahead of Arsenal
with one point and a match in hand and
five fixtures remaining.
West Ham went to Etihad Stadium
without four of their key players, with
Kurt Zouma ruled out with an ankle
injury. Captain of the team Declan Rice,
Tomas Soucek and Nayef Aguerd all
missing due to illness.
West Ham had a positive moment
when their five-man defence frustrated
Man City in the first half, but
reclaims EPL top spot
Guardiola’s team got the breakthrough
in the 50th minute as Riyad
Mahrez curled
an inviting free
kick to the back
post and Ake
arrives to head in at
close range. Man City scored
two goals in the 70th minutes as
Haaland ran on to Jack Grealish’s
through-ball and chipped a delightful finish
over the onrushing Lukasz Fabianski.
The talented Norwegian Haaland scored
his 35th Premier League strike of the
season, setting a record for goals in a single
campaign in the competition.
Former Manchester United footballer
Michael Owen said Haaland makes Man
City the world’s best team.
The last goal came from Foden who came
off the bench in the 77th minute and
scored eight minutes later, hitting City’s
1 000th goal under Pep Guardiola in all
competitions, in the Spaniard’s
404th match in charge.
The champions can go four points clear
of Arsenal on Saturday when they host
Leeds United. Arsenal will visit thirdplaced
Newcastle United in Sunday.
West Ham remain 15th, four points
outside the relegation zone.
Meanwhile, Liverpool edged closer
to European qualification with a fifth
straight Premier League win, their longest
run for 13 months, with Mohammed
Salah scoring the decisive goal in a 1-0
win over Fulham.
Royal AM’s number one supporter
finds no joy at Orlando Stadium
Drama ensued at Orlando Stadium
when Royal AM fan Mama Joy was
denied access to watch her team against
Orlando Pirates on Wednesday. Mama
Joy had proof of ticket purchase with
her but the tight security denied her
access as she was trying to enter the
match venue. Out of frustration, the
former Orlando Pirates fan recorded
the incident and shared it on social
media, in the recording she can clearly
be heard shouting “why am I being
denied access when I have my ticket”.
Mama Joy was finally allowed to
enter the match venue following the
FIXTURES
Nedbank Semi-Finals: Saturday 06 May 2023
Kaizer Chiefs v Orlando Pirates 16:00
intervention by an unnamed Orlando
Police Station colonel.
Mama Joy was not the first individual
to be denied access at Orlando Stadium.
Tim Sukazi of TS Galaxy was the
victim in December 2021
In September 2021, Bafana Bafana
boss Hugo Broos revealed that he was
not allowed to enter Orlando Stadium to
watch a league match between Orlando
Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns.
Both Pirates and Royal AM played to
a 1-1 draw with Elias Pelembe scoring
an own goal while Menzi Masuku
equalised deep into stoppage.
DStv Diski Challenge: Saturday 06 May 2023
Golden Arrows Reserves v Maritzburg United Reserves - 11:00
SuperSport United Reserves v Swallows Reserves - 11:00
Marumo Gallants Reserves v Stellenbosch FC Reserves
Orlando Pirates v Richards Bay Reserves - 13:00
Premier League: Saturday
Manchester City v Leeds - 17:00
Chelsea v Bournemouth - 17:00
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Aston Villa - 17:00
Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace - 17:00
DStv Premiership
Marumo Gallants FC v Mamelodi Sundowns - 20:00