About 1,392 students at the Central University of Technology (CUT) Welkom Campus are set to receive their accommodation allowances directly from the university.
This commitment was made during an intervention meeting by the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Yusuf Cassim who visited t...
Public anger is reaching a boiling point in Mangaung as residents prepare to descend on the Batho Magistrate's Court this morning, demanding justice for a 21-year-old student teacher who was allegedly assaulted in a shocking road rage incident that has sparked nationwide outrage.
A 22-year-old man is expected to appear before the court in connection with the attack, which was captured on video and went viral on social media. The footage, showing the young woman being verbally and physically assaulted by members of a family, has reignited debate around gender-based violence (GBV) and the treatment of women in South Africa.
The growing public outrage was evident on Thursday when activists, survivors, and civil society organisations marched through Rocklands, Bloemfontein, in a demonstration against GBV. While the march formed part of ongoing efforts to raise awareness about violence against women, participants said the attack on the student teacher had intensified calls for action.
According to police spokesperson Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli, the alleged perpetrator was briefly detained before being released with a warning to appear in court on June 12.
"He was briefly detained and released with a warning to appear in court on June 12. The law does not allow police to arrest anyone for common assault unless it is related to domestic violence," Kareli explained.
Community activist and march organiser Donny Ntai said many residents were angered by the decision to release the suspect.
"The march today is about raising awareness of gender-based violence for our women. Everyone was upset about the video circulating yesterday of the assault on Masego. This is a peaceful march to highlight that no man should lay his hands on a woman," said Ntai.
The incident has triggered widespread discussion about the safety of women, particularly students and young professionals, and renewed concerns about violence in public spaces.
GBV ambassador for the Free State, Rozane Hugo, said the attack highlighted the persistent challenges facing women.
"As GBV ambassadors, we stand against the abuse of females. The fact that a man was the perpetrator and other men watched the girl being abused without intervening illustrates that GBV and femicide remain significant problems in our city and country," she said.
Hugo added that the march was also intended to amplify calls for justice in unresolved GBV cases.
Thoko Nogabe of Buang Basadi stressed that peaceful demonstrations remain a powerful tool for demanding accountability.
"We must remain non-violent during these marches; otherwise, we risk mirroring the perpetrators. We refuse to let our girls live in fear of being attacked. We are standing up against GBV; we demand justice for Masego," she said.
Social worker and GBV ambassador Zandile Shezi said the march was also aimed at encouraging victims to report abuse and assuring communities that justice can be achieved.
Political leaders have also condemned the incident.
Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae described the attack as barbaric and said it was a stark reminder that the fight against GBV remains far from won.
"I join the people of our province in condemning this barbaric attack on a defenceless woman by a violent man. There is absolutely no justification for such violence. We appeal to our law enforcement agencies to bring the perpetrators to justice and impose severe sentences on them," she said.
MEC for Community Safety, Roads and Transport Jabu Mbalula also condemned the assault, expressing concern that women were among those involved in the attack instead of protecting the victim.
He called on the police to ensure that all those responsible are held accountable.
As the court appearance approaches, community organisations say they will continue to mobilise residents, insisting that the case must serve as a clear message that violence against women will not be tolerated.
Months of uncertainty surrounding the controversial Bodulo Mothong housing project could come to an end today when the Free State High Court delivers judgment in a closely watched legal battle that could determine the future of hundreds of vulnerable families awaiting relocation to safer living conditions.
The fate of Mangaung Metro Municipality’s housing programme now rests in the hands of the court after arguments in a dispute between the municipality and the Democratic Alliance (DA) were heard on Thursday, 4 June 2026.
At the centre of the matter is land in Lourier Park earmarked for the relocation of residents currently living in informal settlements situated in hazardous areas across the metro.
After hearing submissions from both parties, the court reserved judgment and announced that its ruling will be handed down at 10:00 on Friday, 5 June.
Mangaung Metro MMC for Planning and Human Settlements, Councillor Ntombi Nhlapho, said the municipality remains confident that the court's decision will support efforts to provide safer living conditions for vulnerable residents.
According to Nhlapho, the Bodulo Mothong programme was established to relocate families living in dangerous environments, including flood-prone areas, wetlands and beneath high-voltage electricity infrastructure.
"The primary objective of the programme is to save lives," she said, adding that many residents remain exposed to significant risks during severe weather conditions and that the municipality has a responsibility to provide land that is safe for human habitation.
The DA, however, has challenged the municipality's actions, arguing that the proper legal processes were not followed in the allocation of the Lourier Park land.
Despite the legal dispute, several residents who support the relocation programme attended the court proceedings and voiced frustration over delays in securing permanent housing.
Thabang Moabi, a resident of an informal settlement in Naledi, said political disagreements should not stand in the way of people accessing safe housing.
"We are hurt when political parties oppose the allocation of municipal land for housing. We just want a place where we can live safely," he said.
Another resident, Joseph Makae, described the difficult conditions faced daily by families living in informal settlements.
He said many residents live near quarries, dams and illegal dumping sites, while basic services such as electricity, sanitation and proper road infrastructure remain unavailable.
"There are dangers everywhere. Children can fall into the dams, the roads become inaccessible when it rains, and we have no toilets or electricity. We need to be moved to a better place," said Makae.
The court's ruling is expected to determine whether Mangaung Metro can proceed with the Lourier Park relocation project or whether additional legal processes will be required before the programme can move forward.
Eight Free State government employees face immediate retribution. At the same time, a senior provincial official has been dismissed after a damning Special Investigating Unit probe exposed a multi-million-rand bursary fraud syndicate.
Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae confirmed that the axing forms part of decisive internal sanctions taken after the investigation exposed severe oversight failures within the Office of the Premier.
The dismissed official and his colleagues systematically bypassed established procedures, ignored regulations, and approved funding for ineligible individuals.
They allegedly enabled widespread irregularities in a bursary programme intended to give disadvantaged young people an opportunity to further their studies.
“One senior official who unlawfully awarded bursaries to himself and members of his family has already been dismissed from public office,” Letsoha-Mathae confirmed.
Beyond internal dismissals, the SIU has recommended disciplinary action against a total of 36 officials linked to the multi-million-rand scheme.
Evidence against seven individuals has already been referred to the National Prosecuting Authority for possible criminal prosecution on charges including fraud, theft, and money laundering.
The broader three-year probe examined allocations made between 2017 and 2023 during Sisi Ntombela’s tenure as the Premier of the province. The investigations revealed how millions of rands were diverted through policy violations and abuse of public trust.
Among the discoveries facilitated by the officials was that the Office of the Premier paid R34 000 to the University of the Free State on behalf of a student who had already died.
The corrupt system also allowed seven foreign nationals to receive bursaries despite provincial policy strictly limiting the funding to South African citizens residing in the Free State.
Investigators found no evidence that the required approvals were obtained by the implicated staff to justify these severe policy deviations.
The compromised oversight further allowed failing students to extend three-year qualifications for up to seven years while continuing to draw government funds.
The province also contributed almost double the agreed amount towards an international study programme, driving irregular expenditure up by approximately R8.5 million.
Acting SIU Head Leonard Lekgetho stated that the actions of the employees represented a collapse of civic duty and ethical leadership.
“The SIU's investigation has exposed not just maladministration, but a moral failure, a collapse of civic duty and ethical leadership. Officials turned opportunity into exploitation and service into self-interest. They violated the trust of the people and the vision of our democracy,” Lekgetho said.
The SIU is currently pushing to recover the lost funds, with R6.3 million already clawed back from various universities.
The decisive action against the eight employees has reignited intense public interest regarding accountability in government programmes intended to uplift vulnerable communities.
The ANC in the Free State has thrown its weight behind Letsoha-Mathae, calling for her to be given the space to implement the recommendations of the report.
Speaking at a party media briefing on Thursday, ANC deputy provincial secretary, Dibolelo Mance, advised that the provincial administration must be allowed to manage the bursary scandal.
“The SIU report was brought to us just like you have received it as members of the media. We would really like to give the Office of the Premier space to deal with issues relating to the outcomes of the report.
“I am sure that the Premier in her own interviews has shown commitment that no stone will be left unturned and that is what we are expecting from all our deployees of government,” Mance said.
The ANC in the Free State has strongly condemned what it describes as alleged patronage practices linked to Mangaung Metro Speaker Lawrence Mathae, warning that the organisation will not tolerate the abuse of power to settle political scores or undermine party unity.
The comments follow allegations that Mathae dismissed five municipal employees for allegedly supporting his rival during the ANC’s fiercely contested Mangaung regional conference, which was later nullified.
Speaking during a media briefing at the party’s provincial offices yesterday, ANC Free State Deputy Secretary Dibolelo Mance said the organisation had taken note of the matter as it is seized with the regional leadership.
“The ANC has taken note of the matter. However, it is seized with the region at this time,” Mance said.
He reiterated the party’s opposition to patronage and factional retaliation, stressing that political preferences should never be used as a basis for employment decisions.
“The ANC has reiterated its position around this issue that patronage can never be the order of the day in the ANC. It does not mean that if somebody might not have supported you, or whatever the case might be, therefore they should be removed from office. It can never be allowed and can never be agreed to by the ANC. We do not subscribe to patronage,” he said.
Journal News previously reported that the affected employees are Dineo Motlhabane, Tsietsi Tekete, Mangi Shounyane, Tseliso Mokoai and ANC regional spokesperson Nqamile Nxangisa. They were allegedly dismissed with immediate effect after supporting Vusi Soqhaka during the regional conference, which was later abandoned and subsequently declared invalid.
The employees, who have yet to return to work, subsequently wrote to ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula seeking urgent intervention.
In correspondence seen by Journal News, Mbalula instructed that the matter be treated with urgency and that a report be submitted to his office by 10 May.
The letter was also circulated to senior ANC leaders, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, Deputy President Paul Mashatile and ANC National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe, signalling the seriousness with which the party’s national leadership is treating the allegations.
In South Africa, approximately 500 000 abortions are performed each year, with over 50% of these being illegal, this according to research by the School of Public Health at the University of Witwatersrand.
Despite three decades of strong legal protections, illegal abortions disproportionately affect poor, rural, and immigrant women, as well as adolescent girls who face heightened stigma and confidentiality barriers.
The research indicates that facility-based stigma, resource constraints, insufficient provider training, and inconsistent application of conscientious objection provisions hinder equitable access to safe abortion services.
The Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1996 guarantees safe, legal abortions up to 12 weeks, and under specific conditions up to 20 weeks.
However, systemic barriers such as stigma, overcrowded clinics, lack of provider training, and poverty continue to push women into the hands of unregistered doctors and the dangerous use of pills sold through posters and social media.
Sister Malebeko Rantsho, owner of Karabo Clinic in Bloemfontein, a termination of pregnancy center that performs between 70 and 80 abortions per month, explains that the easy access to illegal facilities and abortion pills on social media is the root cause of the high number of illegal abortions.
Rantsho warns that these illegal pills can lead to fatal bleeding or permanent infertility.
“There are posters advertising these illegal abortions that provide young women easy access to these services and fake doctors, resulting in an increase in recorded illegal abortions.
“These illegal doctors give girls pills obtained from unregistered pharmacies, which sometimes do not work.
“They are highly dangerous, as women may bleed to death, she said.
Charmain Swart from the Pregnancy Crisis Centre in Bloemfontein says poverty and unemployment contribute to young women resorting to illegal abortions or abandoning their infants.
“The fear of parents and guardians plays a role, as young women are afraid to talk to them about an unexpected pregnancy,” she explains. “We need to educate parents to understand that an unexpected pregnancy is not the end of the world and that their children can still pursue their studies and have bright futures.
“Fear drives young women to take drastic measures, said Swart.
To combat this issue, the House of Hope Community Life Development Centre in Welkom has initiated the Baby Safe program, where women can safely surrender unplanned babies.
The baby box is in a discreet passageway with high walls, ensuring the privacy of women depositing their babies.
Centre manager, Tseleng Molefe, explains that once a baby is placed safely in the baby safe, the box locks automatically, and an alarm alerts ER24 and the care workers.
“The baby will then be placed in an exclusion room for a health examination by medical personnel, she said.
Molefe says, since its inception in 2021, the center has received up to ten babies through its door of hope.
“Previously, we would open a case of abandonment with the police, but they often cited insufficient information.
“Now we refer the matter to the Department of Social Development for a case to be opened.
“The box is not used as frequently as before, but we still hear about children being abandoned.
“Even though we strive to create awareness during our outreach in Thabong, we are told that abandoned foetuses and newborn babies are frequently found at dumping sites, Molefe said.
Spokesperson for the Free State Department of Social Development, Thembile Ngabeni, stated that the department offers free support services for unplanned pregnancies.
“We provide free social workers who can offer psychosocial support to women.
“Communities can also play a role by being trained and screened as temporary safe care parents.
“They should be educated about reporting procedures and raised awareness of alternative care options for babies and children when parents are unable to care for them, Nqabeni said.
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