Home » Horse Racing » Hennenman: 37 Years On – We Remember… Tuesday 12 April 1988 was a dark day for South African horseracing A United Airways charter flight crashed near the Free State town of Hennenman on its return from a racemeeting in Bloemfontein The meeting was due to have been held the previous week with the racing party booked to travel on a scheduled South African Airways flight But when rain forced the postponement of the meeting SAA couldn’t accommodate a booking change and a plane was specially chartered to transport jockeys and officials to Bloemfontein and back again The Hennenman Memorial at Turffontein Racecourse (Pic – Ashleigh Hughes) the logbook of the aged United Airways Dakota revealed that it had not been properly serviced and maintained Fuel leaked and a fire started in the starboard engine The subsequent inquiry failed to pin blame for the disaster on anyone with United Airways having gone into liquidation in the interim Many of the riders were under the age of 22 and the tragedy resulted in an enormous pool of talent lost to the industry overnight Twenty-four people died in the tragedy.  Ginger Masterton and Johannes van der Linden Owners: Jacobus Viljoen and Neville Blignaut The Sporting Post will not publish comments submitted anonymously or under pseudonyms.Please note that the views that are published are not necessarily those of the Sporting Post The Rafeef purple patch continued in the 2025 Champions Season opener at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday with another crackerjack performer in the shape of Mon Petit Cherie who won the World Sports Betting Gr2 Fillies Guineas A Transkei-born horseman who started as a Groom the groundbreaking Lunga learnt the ropes from top men like Mitch Wiese Better known as having raced iconic legend of the turf Pocket Power the affable Marsh Shirtliff is fast making a name for himself in the breeding fraternity On the eve of the launch of the 2025 Champions Season this coming Saturday South African horseracing awoke to a brand new chapter in its history on the Workers’ Day public holiday The 3yo Great Plains was in need of the run and recorded the fastest 400m to finish time of the afternoon Progressive four-year-old Bundle Award might have earned a start at Group 1 level after displaying impressive staying talent with victory in the HK$4,2 million Gr3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup Handicap A longstanding racing man makes a case for four horses he feels should be in the Hollywoodbets Durban July entries Four accused: Nicolette Sybil Godeffroy (48) briefly appeared in the Hennenman Magistrate’s Court on fraud and money laundering charges following their arrest on the same day Bloemfontein Courant reports that according to Warrant Officer Fikiswa Matoti from the Hawks two Hennenman-based establishments – Mohau Child Care Project and Mamello Day Care Centre – represented by the accused applied for the Covid-19 Temporary Employee Relief Scheme with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) on behalf of 19 purported employees who were never actually employed by these establishments “Their fraudulent applications were approved by the UIF the Department of Employment and Labour suffered a financial loss of more than R615 000 to both entities,” says Matoti She adds that a court docket was registered and referred to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit and the case was postponed to March 31 for legal representation Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal Read original story on www.bloemfonteincourant.co.za © 2025 Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd Reg No 2002/015527/30 All rights reserved  |  Terms of use Home » Horse Racing » Hennenman Tragedy Remembered Today Today’s Turffontein racemeeting is run in honour of the memory of those who perished in the tragic plane crash near Hennenman on 12 April 1988 in which 13 jockeys two owners and three crew members lost their lives returning from a race-meeting in Bloemfontein The passenger log included 13 of South Africa’s leading riding lights of the time – Keith Basel Eskom restores supply to Hennenman and Whites 11:45: Supply to Hennenman and Whites in the Free State was restored at 10:20 and 10:50 respectively after a fault on the Eskom network resulted in a loss of supply to these areas this morning Eskom apologises for the inconvenience caused by the supply interruption and thanks electricity users for their patience Further enquiries can be directed to the Eskom Contact Centre at 08600 ESKOM / 37566 Raceday dedicated to remember fallen heroes Home » Horse Racing » Hennenman Disaster Marked At Turffontein a United Airways charter flight crashed into a field outside the Free State town of Hennenman Those lost were members of the racing community returning from a Bloemfontein race meeting and numbered jockeys Keith Basel Johannes “Rooies” Fourie (leading Transvaal Jockey at the time) Simon Rahilly and Gordon Sterley; trainer Hennie van Wyk; owners Jacobus Viljoen and Neville Blignaut; racing officials Graham Kent Ginger Masterton and Johannes van der Linden and 3 air crew This year the racing community again paid a special tribute with its annual commemorative race meeting gathering at Turffontein to remember their loved ones The day’s races were named in honour of those who lost their lives and 4Racing CEO Fundi Sithebe which donated by Mr Emmanuel Cambouris and Dr Hilda Podlas at the main entrance to the course Ms Sithebe noted that it was 4Racing’s first opportunity to pay tribute to the victims of the tragedy and said that it was done in the spirit of Ubuntu Home » Horse Racing » Horse Racing News » Hennenman : 26 Years On The racing industry will honour the memory of those who perished in the Hennenman air disaster at Turffontein on Sunday It is 26 years since the worst tragedy to hit South African horseracing devastated the lives of so many people involved The Turffontein raceday is held annually in memory of those who died on Tuesday 12 April 1988 when a United Airways charter flight crashed near the Free State town of Hennenman on its return from a racemeeting in Bloemfontein Rooies Fourie was the Transvaal Champion Jockey at the time On Sunday 13 April the R150 000 Listed Spook Express Handicap will be run over 2600m and the R120 000 Hennenman Memorial Pinnacle Stakes is the supporting feature Phumelela’s Clyde Basel confirmed that the Hennenman air disaster would be acknowledged again this weekend: “The day remembers those killed in the crash whilst on duty Phumelela and the RA invite the family of the deceased to come racing it is the one time of the year that the families get together and engage with one another and share memories Races on the card are named after those who passed away and the day is in honour of the air disaster’s heroes One of the most visited sites on the day will be the memorial statue that Mr Emmanuel Cambouris and Dr Hilda Podlas donated at the time of the accident which now stands at Turffontein race course’s main entrance,’ said Basel Families who have not already made arrangements to attend the day may still do so by contacting Angie on 011 683 3220 🟥WATCH🟥 The community of Hennenman in the Free State have invited Ace Magashule to honour and pay tribute to him as the former Free State premier on Wednesday Magashule says the ANC is in trouble and Municipalities have collapsed He further said Black Entrepreneurs no longer receive business from the Freestate Provincial Government DO YOU HAVE A NEWS STORY OR AN OPINION FOR CENTRAL NEWS: E-mail us : newsroom@centralnews.co.za or Whatsapp us on 0833989119 and website in this browser for the next time I comment Home » Horse Racing » Hennenman – A Deep Scar On SA Racing History the anniversary of the tragedy will pass remembered by family and friends It is usually marked by a Turffontein race meeting The passenger log included twenty-four people NATIONAL NEWS - The two suspects arrested in connection with the murder of 56-year-old Swartpan farm owner abandoned their bail bid on Monday in the Hennenman Magistrate’s Court National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in the Free State said the matter was postponed to 9 December for further investigations Shuping said according to the defence lawyer of the two accused – Patrick Bochedi and Mojalefa Modise – he only received the instruction to represent the pair on Monday morning and consulted them for the first time on Monday morning The bail application was abandoned because there was outstanding information which the defence lawyer needed to verify The NPA intended to oppose the bail application on Monday and would do so once it was brought before the court Police initially arrested four suspects in connection with Hill’s murder the one suspect allegedly committed suicide while in the holding cells Shuping said the charges against accused number three were withdrawn because the state was not convinced that there was enough evidence for them to be charged The spokesperson of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) Ndileka Cola was yet to confirm whether the directorate was investigating the alleged suicide in custody of the one suspect Source: Caxton publication, The Citizen Home » Horse Racing » Horse Racing News » Hennenman : 25 Years Today The racing industry will honour the memory of those who perished in the Hennenman air disaster at Turffontein today It is 25 years since the worst tragedy to hit South African horseracing devastated the lives of so many people involved The Turffontein raceday is held annually in memory of those who died on Tuesday 12 April 1988 when a United Airways charter flight crashed near the Free State town of Hennenman on its return from a racemeeting in Bloemfontein recalls what happened: “I recall that the plane departed from Bloemfontein Airport at around 19h00 At approximately 19h45 the pilot made contact with the control tower and told them that there was smoke on board the plane the owner of the Hennenman farm where the plane ended up crashing said that he saw a ball of fire in the sky shortly before the disaster It is assumed the pilot was overcome by the smoke,” he said Basel continued saying that he remembered arriving home that evening about 21h00 after a visit to the Rand Show: “I walked into a teary home my mother and my aunt were crying whilst praying the rosary I asked what was wrong and my mom said that they can’t find Keith’s plane Of course I thought nothing of it at the time and suggested that they do not worry as I was sure it was a mistake “At this stage my late father was at the Jan Smuts airport trying to find answers He returned at about 22H30 with no further information as well as some other worrying family members awaiting the arrival of their loved ones when we were all sitting watching TV in anticipation it came up on what was then known as the teledata You may recall that after SABC were done broadcasting they switched over to teledata which gave almost text type updates of information “The headlines read something about NO SURVIVERS IN DAKOTA CRASH you can just imagine what happened thereafter,” he recalled sadly “When getting to the bottom of what caused the crash Despite a judge ruling that this was an act of God In fact it was rather obvious that this plane should never have been allowed to fly “It was discovered that the right fuel pump was withered away which resulted in a fuel leakage that may have instigated the crash The log book also showed that the aircraft was well overdue a service (it wasn’t serviced for thousands of flying hours) and it also became apparent that the company This was the same plane that was used in the movie “The Wild Geese” in 1941,” he said Basel added that many of the riders were under the age of 22 He said that there was an enormous pool of talent that the industry lost overnight we once again honour those who lost their lives whilst on duty I know the few families that still attend this race meeting appreciate the fact that Phumelela and The Racing Association remember their loved ones on this day.” On Sunday 14 April the R150 000 Listed Spook Express Handicap will be run over 2600m and the R115 000 Hennenman Memorial Pinnacle Stakes is the supporting feature run over the same trip Families of the deceased who would like to attend the race meeting are asked to contact Angie at the RA on Tel: 011 683 3220 Police confirmed the situation is still tense as angry residents of Sekoti-mpate Hennenman threatening violent action against pitbulls owner Public Order Policing (POP) unit officials are deployed to the area as the situation is tense Pitbull owner has been whisked away by police officials for safety reasons Hennenmanpolice were called to Sekoti-mpate with reports that a child had been mauled by a dog members found a large group of community members already outside the yard The 3-year-old toddler was certified dead at the scene with severe injuries to the head The dog was removed by its owner and is locked away at a place known to the police,” said police spokesperson Sgt Mahlomola Kareli Hennenman police have opened an inquest for further investigation A source indicated to Free State Central News the two dogs were attacked by angry residents after the incident One of the dogs was approached with stones and burnt to death The other pitbull survived after being taken to the SPCA centre for safekeeping the executive mayor of the Matjhabeng Municipality Thanduxolo Khalipa indicated that they are planning to impose stricter by-laws for the removal of aggressive animals from the community “The Executive Mayor visited the bereaved family to pay homage He expressed his condolences to the family and committed support with funeral arrangements of the late Koketso He further registered his worries about ownership of Pitbulls in the communities of Matjhabeng and calls for tight by-laws which will ensure safety of our people from these monsters” At least 49 pitbulls have been surrendered to various SPCA centres in the Free State following Olebogeng Mosime’s attack 🟥BREAKING NEWS🟥 Two pitbulls kills a three-year-old boy in Hennenman Keketso Saule was bitten by the dogs in his neigbour’s yard. DO YOU HAVE A NEWS STORY OR AN OPINION FOR CENTRAL NEWS: E-mail us : newsroom@centralnews.co.za or Whatsapp us on 0833989119 First of all these are animals not humans and therefore they don’t know what they have done the angry people that have burnt and stoned the dog to death should go to jail for animal cruelty at the least showing our community that its okay to hurt animals who don’t know what they were doing what were the circumstances why are these animals in the hands of people who cannot take care of them WHERE WAS THE CHILDS PARENTS FOR NOT WATCHING HIM AS HE ENTERED A PREMISSES THAT WAS NOT HIS !!! SHAME TO THOSE PARENTS THEY SHOULD HAVE WATCHED AND PROTECTED THEIR CHILD … but now as a result a poor baby boy is dead and stupid people think to stone a dog will make them feel better . 49 Pitbull’s have been surrendered to the SPCA what about don’t breed what you cant handle folks Home | South Africa Residents of Hennenman in the Free State have closed down the Phomolong Clinic They are demanding that the Health MEC must urgently attend to the ailing state of the clinic Residents are holding placards and picketing outside the clinic They say it has been without running water since last year cleanliness is a major challenge; and that a lack of medication and health services are also lacking Arrangements have been made for chronic patients to receive their medication from health workers who are also outside “Doctors and dentists cannot come to the clinic because there is no running water so the people of Henneman if they have a problem with their teeth they must go to Welkom to take out their teeth and get proper services because the doctor cannot work here; because the situation doesn’t allow them We are only using one toilet used by men and women There are no cleaners both inside and outside the clinic Jaco Minnaar always knew that he wanted to farm and he became an award-winning farmer Now his children is following in his footsteps Love for the land runs through the veins of third-generation farmer and agri-leader Jaco Minnaar (42) He has spent his entire life dedicated to his first love – farming Minnaar is a former Free State farmer of the year and is currently serving as chairperson of grain producers’ body Grain SA It seems like Minnaar was destined to work the land his father and both his grandfathers were life-long farmers “I was raised on the farm and did a lot of stuff with my dad I loved the farm and always knew that was what I wanted to do.” Minnaar speaks with pride about his parents They have definitely passed some of these characteristics down to Minnaar and his brother and younger sister He says the greatest lesson he learned from his parents is: “Determination to finish what you started and carry on no matter what.” Minnaar would find a way to escape other responsibilities just to spend time outdoors on the farm so I loved to spend the holidays with them farming [I would] close my bedroom door so mom thought I was studying And then I slipped out the window to farm.” In 1994 he matriculated from Hennenman Secondary School According to Minnaar he realised that he could not begin to the farm right away So he went on to study agricultural engineering at the University of Pretoria and obtained his degree in 1998 The following year he travelled abroad to gather experience on a farm in North Dakota and learn how American farmers think and operate I immediately resigned and started farming full time [here] in September 1999 I’ve carried the responsibility of the farm for 20 years,” says Minnaar The sudden death of Minnaar’s father weighed heavily on both him and his brother as they had to resume all farming operations on their own He emphasized that mentorship during this painful time was important to them “The biggest challenge to date for me was coping with my farming business after my dad died All the practical stuff me and my brother knew who to trust that could give honest opinions It might have been the hardest thing for him to face but his father’s death taught Minnaar to stand on his own and pursue his dreams He has since ventured into various types of farming One in the Hennenman district where I have the mixed farming unit and the other is in the Bothaville area with mainly grains The soil types and geography are such that in the wetter rainfall years the Hennenman unit performs better and in the drier years the Bothaville unit performs better brings more stability and risk mitigation to my business This coming season I will be planting about 3500 hectares of grains and have about 450 head of cattle.” Although Minnaar does not consider himself to be a very driven person Giving his best and never giving up is what motivates him In 2011 he was named Free State farmer of the year “Being able to do all that I can to the best of my ability because success is not always in my own hands Minnaar’s first-hand experience as a farmer has helped him immensely, in his task, to represent other grain farmers as the chairperson of Grain SA. He also sits on the board of Senwes A daughter Henke (12) and a son Daniël (7) Both already know they want to farm – Henke with cattle and Daniël with game,” says Minnaar Sometimes he uses it to attend meetings or inspect fields and cattle from the air In my second life I would become a fighter pilot,” says Minnaar He adds that he loves spending time alone and is also a tech junkie Minnaar is committed to the ideal of unity in Mzansi.He says South Africans have a lot to learn from each other and should continue to do so to ensure a better future for all Grain SA is a Food For Mzansi partner. Our work is supported by the contributions of our partners, who have no right of control over editorial content. Read more on our Partners page This week's agricultural events include Food For Mzansi's Nampo Bothaville lunchtime conversations Deloitte's conversation with agricultural experts With 21 global awards in the first six years of its existence Food For Mzansi is much more than an agriculture publication unashamedly saluting the unsung heroes of South African agriculture We believe in the power of agriculture to promote nation building and social cohesion by telling stories that are often overlooked by broader society Contact usOffice: +27 21 879 1824News: info@foodformzansi.co.zaAdvertising: sales@foodformzansi.co.za Jack Beresford is a Newsweek Senior Internet Culture & Trends Reporter His focus is reporting on trending topics on the Internet he covers viral stories from around the world on social media Jack joined Newsweek in 2021 and previously worked at The Irish Post You can get in touch with Jack by emailing j.beresford@newsweek.com either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content A three-year-old boy was mauled to death by two pit bulls outside a house in South Africa The fatal attack sparked anger in the local community with one of the dogs then reportedly stoned Free State police spokesperson Captain Stephen Thakeng told Eyewitness News the child was killed outside a house in Sekoti Mpate Phomolong in Hennenman at around 8:15 a.m "Two pit bull dogs attacked a three-year-old boy and mauled him to death Hennenman Police arriving on the scene reportedly encountered a large group of community members who had gathered around the yard where the deadly attack is thought to have taken place the young boy was pronounced dead at the scenek Thakeng told News24 that some of the local Phomolong residents present at the scene attacked one of the dogs in apparent retaliation hitting it with garden spades and stones before setting it alight "The angry residents wanted to kill both dogs and attack the owner of these two pit bulls Members of Welkom Public Order Policing were summoned to the scene and removed the owner to a safe place," he said a member of staff from the National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) also told News24 they were attacked by the angry crowd while attempting to remove the two dogs from the scene "We had to vacate the place because we were attacked Thakeng said more police were deployed to the scene to try and calm the escalating tensions "We can confirm that the staff of SPCA was attacked by angry residents "Members of Welkom Public Order Policing and Hennenman SAPS managed to rescue them." 🟥LATEST DEVELOPMENTS🟥Free State Pitbull owner has been whisked away by police officials for safety reasons.This is after angry residents of Henneman threatening violent action against pitbulls.. Thakeng also confirmed an investigation is underway to determine the circumstances that led to the boy's death "An inquest was registered for further investigation and there will be an additional charge under the Animals Amendment Act A thorough investigation will be conducted regarding the circumstances which led to the two pit bulls killing the boy," Thakeng told News24 Thakeng also expressed concern that a video of the attack is being shared on social media and urged users to refrain from circulating any alleged footage "We have noted with concern a clip that is making the rounds on social media platforms where the two dogs are seen killing the deceased," he told the news provider This gesture must stop with immediate effect." the Pit Bull Federation of South Africa hit out at the government and law enforcement for not doing enough to regulate domestication of the breed you as the owner – you are the one who caused this Then we need to look at how properties are A spokesperson for the executive mayor of the Matjhabeng Municipality, Thanduxolo Khalipa, told Free State Central News they are eager to impose strict new by-laws to allow for the removal of aggressive animals in the local community They told the outlet: "The Executive Mayor visited the bereaved family to pay homage He expressed his condolences to the family and committed support with funeral arrangements of the late Keketso "He further registered his worries about ownership of pit bulls in the communities of Matjhabeng and calls for tight by-laws which will ensure safety of our people from these monsters." This latest incident comes a week after the funeral of 8-year-old boy, Olebogeng Mosime, who was killed after being attacked by a neighbor's pit bull in Vista Park Newsweek has contacted Thakeng for comment Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all SAPeople.com is a division of Blue Sky Publications Ltd Reproduction without permission prohibited Home » One Suspect in Hennenman Farm Murder in Court The first of four suspects arrested for the murder of Free State farmer Pieter Hills last week appeared in Hennenman Magistrates Court today and the police said more arrests were imminent One of the suspects died by suicide in jail over the weekend Tshidiso Patrick Bochedi (36) appeared in court briefly today on […] Tshidiso Patrick Bochedi (36) appeared in court briefly today on a charge of conspiracy to commit murder The second suspect is to appear on Wednesday A third suspect reportedly died by suicide while in police custody by hanging himself in his cell Pieter Hills (56) and his son Eddie (26) were reportedly attacked on their farm early on 6 November while his son was badly stabbed and taken to hospital in Welkom in critical condition (He has since apparently been transferred to Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg.) The police arrested four suspects shortly afterwards was released because she could not be positively linked to the crime “Investigation continues and more arrests are imminent,” the police said in a statement on Monday afternoon According to Netwerk24 a source informed them that one of the suspects had worked for the Hill family for many years and had allegedly distracted the dogs so that the suspects could gain entrance to the home PLEASE CONTACT: Suicide Crisis Line on 0800 567 567 The May 2025 SASSA Older Person Grants may face delays this week due to targeted verification procedures currently underway by the agency Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi insists that taking a strong position on illegal immigration should not be misinterpreted or misrepresented South Africans could soon apply for passports and smart ID cards directly through their banking apps Kelly Smith’s mother has publicly criticised her daughter for failing to reveal the whereabouts of her missing granddaughter Cape Town residents in certain areas should brace for a 12-hour water outage on Wednesday as the City carries out essential maintenance work The proposed ceasefire remains uncertain as South Africa pushes for peace talks and Ukraine dismisses Russia’s offer