Home | South Africa Police in the Free State are searching for a suspect following the murder a woman in Manyatseng township near Ladybrand The 44-year-old woman’s body was discovered inside her bedroom Police Spokesperson Mmako Mophiring says they received a call from community members about the murder Mophiring says the suspect fled the scene in the deceased’s vehicle The Free State has been experiencing a spate of killings and gender-based violence three women were killed in one week in Bloemfontein and Botshabelo A 23-year-old woman’s body was discovered near a stadium in Botshabelo a 42-year-old man allegedly killed his girlfriend VIDEO | GBV in the Free State – Three women killed in one week:  Ladybrand Magistrates Court is set to hear a R600 million fraud case involving current and former South African Revenue Service (SARS) employees apprehended by the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation detectives on 6 and 7 June 2024 which include four females and three males were arrested in various provinces including Limpopo confirmed that the suspects are accused of fraud and several contraventions of the Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011 and the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998 The arrest of the remaining two suspects on the wanted list is said to be imminent the implicated employees were stationed at strategic border locations including Ficksburg Bridge They reportedly facilitated 333 fraudulent transactions amounting to R653,500,455.28 These transactions involved imported consignments moved in bond from Durban’s port of entry to be exported via the Free State Border Post (Maseru Bridge) SARS has confirmed that a rigorous internal disciplinary process has been followed for the implicated employees Five of the employees were found guilty and subsequently dismissed while two others resigned before the completion of their disciplinary proceedings One employee received a final written warning and the remaining two are still undergoing the disciplinary process Lieutenant Colonel Mohobeleli emphasised the collaborative efforts between the Hawks and the Anti-Corruption Investigation Unit of SARS in presenting a robust case to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) “The NPA welcomes the arrests of the accused and it envisages that these arrests will send a clear message to other perpetrators of corruption and fraud-related offences.” Central News Weekly Edition 056: Download the latest special edition of Central News Print and Digital Newspaper. Top Story :  “Government of National Unity: Ramaphosa Announces ANC Strategy Post-Election” https://www.magzter.com/ZA/Central-News-Pty-Ltd/Central-News/Newspaper/All-Issues Central News also offers Sponsored Editorial Content To place your advert on our platforms (Print Newspaper or Digital Platforms) : Please email : sales@centralnews.co.za For Business Related:business@centralnews.co.za Newsroom:Send your Stories / Media Statements To: newsroom@centralnews.co.za Office Administrator:admin@centralnews.co.za Whatsapp / Call: 081 495 5487 Social Media Platforms (@centralnewsza) : Linkedin and website in this browser for the next time I comment Please check your email and enter your one time pin below:   Open in Gmail Sorry there was an error loading the audio The 2021 elections: The DA beat the ANC by more than two votes to one It achieved this by getting 80% of the vote in the two Ladybrand town voting districts The ANC won the voting district of Mauersnek when tallying up the three voting districts in the ward on the provincial ballot This suggests that the ward councillor’s popularity was key for the DA in this ward The seat allocation in 2021 was very similar to that of 2016 The council increased by one seat (17 to 18) with the DA bagging that additional seat to move from three seats to four the EFF held onto its two seats and Congress of the People (COPE) also returned with the same single seat The by-election: DA ward councillor Tania Halse became a member of Parliament. The DA, ANC and EFF were joined by Cape Town activist Mehmed Vefa Dag’s new party, the Truth and Solidarity Movement (TSM), on the ballot. This was TSM’s electoral debut. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads The DA retained the ward but lost some ground to the ANC The DA breached the 80% mark in the two Ladybrand town voting districts At the Ladybrand Town Hall voting district The ANC made some inroads at the Yeshua College voting district The turnout was down slightly at Yeshua College It was quite different at the Ladybrand Town Hall where it shrunk from 49% to 41% The ANC’s gains were centred on the Hermana Primary School district in Mauersnek It went from 53% to 61% while the DA dropped from 39% to 34% There was another significant turnout differential in the ANC’s favour as 62% of registered voters turned out here It all but matched the 2021 turnout for the district Read more in Daily Maverick: EFF beats ANC for major upset in Saldanha Bay, but ruling party wins big in KZN, North West The DA will be satisfied that it started this national election year with a win while the ANC will be assured that there are signs in the Free State that its turnout machine is well oiled and ready to run The next by-election will be on 31 January when the ANC will go head-to-head with the EFF in Bushbuckridge It would be more helpful in understanding the trends if this report mentioned the actual number of votes in recent and current elections and the percentage of eligible voters who voted in each case too but that’s the way the wind is blowing…don’t shoot the weatherman My annual donations to DM show my active support for your fine service Too many “incomers” from other provinces to WC that don’t vote for DA because they are brainwashed by other fools ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Three members of the Orange Free State Security Branch namely Anthony Jagga, Robert Shaw and Mike Jantjie and Daniel Thulo, an apartheid-era police informer and a member of the Ladybrand Security Branch police unit, applied for amnesty from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) for the abduction of the Ladybrand Four Their TRC hearing took place on 12 October 2000 They all admitted to abducting the four MK cadres from Lesotho in 1986 but claimed that they released them after they became askaris or police informers the families of the victims did not believe their testimonies as none of the four MK cadres were seen after their abduction.  All Africa (2000),  South Africa: Ex-Police Informer Applies for Amnesty, Available online at: www.allafrica.com/stories/200011130181.html Iol News (2000), TRC to hear fate of four ANC activists, Available online at: www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/trc-to-hear-fate-of-four-anc-activists-54831 TRC Final Report, Enforced Disappearances, Available online at: sabctrc.saha.org.za/reports/volume6/section4/chapter1/subsection5.htm TRC Final Report, The fuel depot bombing suspects, Available online at: sabctrc.saha.org.za/reports/volume2/chapter5/subsection23.htm?t=%2Bngono+%2Bmbulelo+%2Balfred+%28%2Baka+%E2%80%98%2Bkhaya+%2Bkasibe%E2%80%99+%2Bor+%E2%80%98%2Bkk%E2%80%99%29&tab=report. Accessed [27/03/2020]. Please see pictures here, here, here and here The DA in the Free State welcomes the assurance made by the MEC of Police Kwekwe Bulwane that the R26 between Bethlehem and Ladybrand will be fixed after years of lobbying by DA members of the Free State Provincial Legislature and protests by community groups The R26 is the economic artery of the region the agricultural community and the Cherry festival lost millions as tourists could not reach it because of the state of the road We are encouraged by the announcement that negotiations between the provincial government and SANRAL are at an advanced stage The DA will ensure that Mr Bulwana keeps his promise for construction to start as soon as possible The road will become an extension of the national N8 when it is completed The DA will continue to work with the people of the Free State to hold the ANC-led government accountable for the delivery of infrastructure and services registered non profit organisation in South AfricaReg No: 011-895 NPO SuperSport Schools Plus leaving their Bloemfontein opponents still chasing a first win of the season after they sneaked a thrilling 17-12 victory in Tralies’ backyard Relive all the action on SuperSport Schools – Register now – Link to the game but the “Hatties” slowly gained the ascendency thanks to their dominance in the set pieces Neo Mothibeli‘s accuracy in the lineout gave his side a weapon to chip away at the Tralies’ defences the Louis Botha forwards outmuscled the hosts making it difficult for them to launch attacks without a steady platform the visitors made their own lives difficult by failing to exit effectively which allowed Tralies to gain territory every time they were in possession They also caught out the Louis Botha defenders with a trick play at a 5m lineout The visitors were fast asleep to the danger which allowed Steven Smith to stroll in for the easiest try he’s likely to score in his rugby career Louis Botha earned a reward for their efforts when their big lock stretched over for the first of his two tries The home team rustled up a response after the break stormed over for their second five-pointer The Hatties could sense they were close to scoring and they kept up their intensity throughout the match reaped the rewards of his tireless work when he grounded the ball for his second try after a period of relentless pressure by the visiting side levelled the scores by putting the conversion between the uprights and it was game on for the final 10 minutes Tralies found themselves under pressure on their goal line in the dying seconds wing Refilwe Motelung was there to collect the ball and score the winning try Ficksburg also pulled off a stunning last-second win over their visitors from Ladybrand A charge-down try after regulation time had run out saw the hosts break the deadlock against a valiant Ladybrand team HTS Louis Botha 17 (5) – Tries: Mogomotsi Mokunyane (2) Sentraal 12 (7) – Tries: Steven Smith Ficksburg 24 – Tries: Xander Myburgh Ladybrand 17 – Tries: Katleho Ramakone (2) Related News Junior Springboks rotate team for Australia clash SA Rugby 2025-05-05 Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote has made several rotational changes to his starting line-up and included four players who played Hilton College captured a hard-fought 25-20 victory over their arch-rivals Glenwood fullback Joshua Kopp kicked the Durban side to a tense one-point victory over Marlow Landbou in a low-scoring thriller Die Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool se Wit Bulle is vanjaar van stoetgehalte Affies het vir Boland Landbou met 74-14 gekarnuffel The third and final day of the 2025 Absa Wildeklawer kicked off with three emphatic victories on the B-field at Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote has made several rotational changes to his starting line-up and included four players who played EXPERT OPINION BY SUZANNE LUCAS, HUMAN RESOURCES CONSULTANT, EVIL HR LADY @REALEVILHRLADY I’ve worked under the “Evil HR Lady” brand since 2006. On Tuesday, I changed it to “Improve Your HR.”  “Evil HR Lady” and “Improve Your HR” are both about HR but my approach to HR has changed over the years my goal was to write an advice column that would explain human resources to non-HR people I wanted to give regular employees (who often see HR as “evil”) an inside view But about 90 percent of my work is now focused on two groups: I write and speak about how to be better at HR I speak at conferences and give webinars to HR professionals new technology like artificial intelligence I also write and speak about how to better carry out HR functions and politics on the people side of your business I focus on guiding business owners through the basics so they don’t make costly mistakes Understanding employment laws and best practices is hard “Evil HR Lady” was meant to be tongue-in-cheek It’s a funny and catchy name that I knew nobody would take seriously I’ve also noticed that what began as a joke name has become a serious issue: I keep seeing such anger and vitriol from people toward their HR department HR people respond by directing anger toward their peers and employees When a New York Times reporter couldn’t find a single happy HR person at a huge conference the reporter didn’t want to talk to anyone who was happy (I know a lot of people in HR who are very happy) There’s also the fact that the U.S. hit an all-time low in happiness in 2024. And a recent Gallup poll showed that, overall, the United States is a “glum” nation, with only 18 percent reporting satisfaction with the direction the country is going I never meant to contribute to unhappiness and I certainly don’t want to perpetuate this sense of anger And while I don’t think changing my brand will end unhappiness (not even HR can do that) I definitely have strong opinions and am not scared to share them but I’m not at all interested in dividing the world I firmly believe that most people are good people trying their best I wanted a brand that focused on the good rather than on division The name “Improve Your HR” focuses on making things better HR should make both business owners’ and employees’ lives easier–that’s what good HR does I want to make HR people’s lives easier so they can make your lives easier Focusing on positive things helps with that “Improve Your HR” combines my other brands I wear three hats under three brands. “Evil HR Lady” was my core brand, and I’m grateful for it. My secondary brand is “Improv Your HR,” where I teach the principles of improvisational comedy for team building and leadership development purposes The close proximity of the names “Improv Your HR” and “Improve Your HR” creates brand unity My third brand, HRLearns, is a collaborative venture with Victoria Purser, a respected leader in the HR field. Victoria brings a wealth of experience from running ConquerHR We’ve created HRLearns to fill a critical gap: Our platform curates top-tier training from experts across all HR disciplines HRLearns is about leveraging our collective strengths to provide HR professionals with the knowledge and skills they need to excel in a constantly evolving workplace “Improve Your HR” better embodies that than “Evil HR Lady” did “Evil HR Lady” pokes fun at HR and people’s negative attitudes toward it but I don’t want people to take that as a sign of my lack of love for the field and its professionals I want every business to have excellent HR advice and a great HR team–and switching to “Improve Your HR” will help illustrate that aim The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own The super early-rate deadline for the 2025 Inc. Power Partner Awards is Friday, May 30, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now Refreshed leadership advice from CEO Stephanie Mehta Learn More About 500 law enforcement officers have been deployed throughout the Free State province for the Easter long weekend Roads and Transport Department launched its Easter Road Safety campaign on the N8 intersection between Ladybrand and Maseru border post MEC Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae says that they expected high volumes of traffic from holidaymakers and worshippers She also reassured motorists that repair work on the pothole riddled R26 road near Ladybrand that is in the pipeline that is the main one because of our roads.”  Home | Business who have business interests in neighbouring Lesotho are unable to cross the border to operate their businesses Some say this is despite them conducting business that is regarded as essential services They say the COVID-19 lockdown is hitting their operations hard “I don’t think there’s fairness to cross the border security is an essential service but I can’t get to cross the border But drivers delivering goods are able to cross daily with challenges whereas if I get to cross I will be quarantined,” says Mantja Hlalele who runs a security services company in Lesotho “Fortunately my business is going on in a way but there is a lot lacking because I’m not there But I think there’s a lot of unfairness when it come to drivers crossing the border because my drivers goes in an out,” some traders say Tsholo Kalake is employed in Lesotho and says he is unable to go to work “I reside here in Ladybrand with my family but I work in Lesotho it means I’m crossing the border on the daily basis You might be able to cross the border to Lesotho but the problem is that I will not be able to come back home because I will be quarantined,” says Kalake Tim Elliott also shares his frustrations over the lockdown “I have about 700 staff members and because of lockdown it is becoming impossible for us to open our businesses Lesotho is operating but because we are South Africans we can’t cross daily into Lesotho We are unable to cross the international border,” says Elliott Businesses are hoping that there will be communication between the two countries that will help to see regulations being eased for movement A meno di due settimane dal via del Mare Nostrum Tour a Monaco il cast si arricchisce con campioni olimpici e medagliati iridati Nicholas Santos nuota 23.26 nei 50 m farfalla M45 LCM limando di 1,70 s il precedente record mondiale e superando il minimo “A” per i Mondiali we are discussing the madness that occurred at the Ft Lauderdale Pro Swim Ledecky’s world record in the 800 free proves that age is seemingly just a number for her but it also makes the Rio 2016 swim she beat out more memorable Marchand has a few areas of improvement to work on if he hopes to return to his Paris form at the World Championships this summer in Singapore July 23rd, 2017 Europe, Industry, International, News Hungarian superstar Katinka Hosszu‘s ‘Iron Lady’ brand has opened its own store at the 2017 FINA World Aquatics Championships with whom Iron Corporation is partnered on a suit deal this trailer-style store is full of exclusively merchandise themed for Katinka Hosszu and her husband and coach Shane Tusup The list of items for sale include thunder sticks, hats, cups, stickers, Iron Lady comic books and – our personal favorite – Katinka and Shane dolls SwimSwam photographer Mike Lewis stopped by to snap some pictures of the store Katinka Hosszu store 2017 World Championships Budapest, Hungary (photo: Mike Lewis) Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Branding like this creates an image that hopefully extends well beyond the relatively small fan base of competitive swimming we need more forward thinking athletes like Katinka who create excitement outside of the normal Olympic cycle Think about it for a moment: We have an aging population swimming is probably the best lifelong activity for people We need little girls who dream of being the next “Iron Lady” and then decide to take up swimming We need masters swimmers that all know exactly who is the Iron Lady and are… Read more » But what this means is all excellent swimmers need to grab a copy of the Periodic Table of Elements ASAP because this branding style is going to be like claiming land I suspect names like “Chlorine Chica” and “Oxygen Goddess” will get scooped up quickly All of the fun elements will be colonized early Those late to the show will be stuck making nicknames like “Mendelevium Guy” or “Rutherfordium Man” Imagine those phrases on a t-shirt and being sold at World Champs 2019 consider the following: Ask any random person you meet (here in the states) to name some famous competitive swimmers Beyond Michael Phelps and maybe I think we agree you would get blank stares ask that same person to name some famous football baseball or (…..gasp) MMA fighters and I’d bet you’d get several names we need name recognized athletes that have built a brand image The Iron Lady brand is a great… Read more » taco truck at every single FINA sponsored meet with menu item names that spoof FINA oligarchs The problem is that you are making joke from a country and a nation I wish her the best in and out of the water The athletes union is also a great need for all Too bad she is not in the USA as she might be able to shake some sense into the NCAA With new World Cup rules FINA made a huge dent in this family budget Can you imagine Sarah Sjostrom selling t-shorts immediately after medal ceremony so we started to introduce slow and friendly sharks to Lake Babaton No one says that about Ledecky or Phelps…quit hatin She’s as likely to be doping as Sjostrom So hopefully you’re making this accusation equally Gotta give them the benefit of the doubt until we have some proof Margaret ‘Iron Lady’ Thatcher was the trailblazer 🙂 More from Braden KeithSee All Subscribe to our newsletter and receive our latest updates SAPeople.com is a division of Blue Sky Publications Ltd Reproduction without permission prohibited Home » Planning a Free State winter getaway Winter getaways in the Free State are a special affair the area offers loads of picturesque spots complete with soaring mountain ranges and sometimes even a bit of snow Here are a few fantastic spots to consider… CLARENS FREE STATE Golden Gate Highlands National Park in Clarens Here are a few fantastic spots to consider… known as the “Jewel of the Eastern Free State” picturesque scenery and thrilling activities for the whole family ALSO READ: Seven snowy locations to see snow in SA this winter Here you can stay at an actual castle or visit the Golden Gate Highlands National Park Temperatures in Golden Gate can drop to an icy -9 to -15 degrees Celcius ALSO READ: Lift Airline Premium passengers to get ‘MasterChef’ meals that straddles the borders of South Africa and Lesotho sleepy and picturesque town in the eastern Free State and is a must visit for a proper South African winter getaway ALSO READ: Lesotho’s Afriski slopes to be closed this winter 2023 Ladybrand also dates back more than 50 000 years so the area is one of the world’s prime rock art regions where the San left thousands of paintings on rock about their lives – incredible to see ALSO READ: Revitalizing! Travel can stimulate your creativity is a town in Xhariep District Municipality in the Free State of South Africa you can stay at Forever Resorts Gariep – a holiday resort which offers unparalelled views of the dam and incredible mountain ranges Be sure to also visit the Gariep Nature Reserve which covers an area of 13 500 hectares and is filled with game Some animals that you may encounter on the 25 km long tourist roads are Black and Blue Wildebeest CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES BY SUNDEEKA MUNGROO 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