COMMUNITY SETJHABA ENTERTAINMENT www.bloemfonteincourant.co.za ‘I am a gangster,’ Ngwana o Manyekathipa launched Failed cash-in-transit court hears lematswa ke pere at Macufe Wordfest PAGE 2 PAGE 4 PAGE 5 robbery outside Bloemfontein LENTSWE LA BATHO • VOICE OF THE PEOPLE WEDNESDAY 19 OCTOBER 2016 FREE Bloemfontein’s ‘white elephant’ to operate soon REFILWE GAESWE “We all came together and explained to them that we have solved and addressed The more than R400-million taxi rank in many of the challenges. The few that still Bloemfontein that has turned into a “white exist, are far less and we all came to an elephant” will apparently start operating agreement that they will address those before the end of this month. problems together with the municipality. The Mayor of Mangaung Metropolitan We are also at the stage where we feel that Municipality, Olly Mlamleli, made this the various taxi associations should utilise prediction at an event in Phahameng the taxi rank for the sake of the public. last Wednesday, where she signed a There are a number of shops inside the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) building, there is also cleaning that needs with various taxi associations regarding to be done and we are in the process of the completion of the Integrated Public fi nalising those issues to assign various Transport Network’s (IPTN) fi rst phase. responsibilities.” The rank was declared “non-operative” refi [email protected] after taxi owners had refused to operate from there. They claimed the taxi rank’s structure was defective and needed reworking before they could use it. Taxi operators also alleged that two taxis couldn’t simultaneously go in and out of the rank. They previously accused the Metro of Joe Solomon Primary gets new vegetable garden wasting millions of rands of taxpayers’ Joe Solomon Primary School in Heidedal last week received a brand-new vegetable garden nursery at money on a structure that is currently the school. This comes after Elne van Coller, second runner-up for Miss Earth, donated one of the prizes standing idle. Mlamleli pointed out that she won in the Miss Earth competition to the school. Nedbank gave her a vegetable plant nursery as some of the issues affecting the taxi rank Bloemfontein’s R400-million taxi rank will be operational before the end of this month, says the a gift and she thought it best to donate her nursery to the school. Here is a Grade 3 learner from Joe were, among others, control of traffi c inside Solomon helping to put the plant seeds into the fertilised sand. Read more on page 3. new Mayor of Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, the rank, the CCTV and its elevators. Olly Mlamleli. PHOTO: REFILWE GAESWE Audi Pre-Owned Sedan Sale 2 COMMUNITY NEWS • SETJHABA www.bloemfonteincourant.co.za • [email protected] • 19 October 2016 ‘I am a gangster,’ court hears ANDRÉ GROBLER explanation they were at a cultural Selebano, an apparent Grade 10 pupil, witnesses have also denied allegations by function at school on the day in question told him “I am a gangster” and that a Mafunda that he was assaulted by police, The murder and gangsterism trial of three when they and others were attacked by an few of them had stabbed the victim. The who allegedly pulled a plastic bag over his young men accused of killing a man in outside group of people. investigator accompanied Selebano to head at some stage. The court has heard Rocklands in August 2015 has started in Selebano submitted he was moving out of the crime scene where he pointed out that the victim was “just an old man” who the Free State High Court. the school yard when he met the deceased, matters of interest to the police. In cross- saw a fi ght and wanted to separate the The State alleges that Tumelo Selebano, who picked up a brick and started to attack examination, Selebano denied that he fi ghters on the day. The trial continues. 20, Tladi Mafunda, 22, and Nkwebe him. He took out a knife and stabbed the had told the investigator anything. State [email protected] Seatile, 21, murdered Lebogang Gaoboihi alleged attacker twice in self-defense in Mojatau Street, Rocklands. before moving on, leaving the attacker The three men are also facing a charge still standing. Mafunda also submitted he of taking part in criminal gang activities. met the deceased who threw a stone at him They have pleaded not guilty to both but missed. He then hit the man with an charges. iron rod in self-defense before leaving the The State alleges the men’s actions were scene. The third accused has an alibi for part of an apparent confl ict between the where he was after the cultural event was two rival gangs that had been terrorising interrupted. the community around August last year. The State has presented the testimony of The court heard that the area where the several policemen who were involved in murder took place is well known for gang the case. activities, mainly between two groups, The fi rst policeman on the scene testifi ed the Maroma gang and the BTK gang. The that he found a man, still alive, but full of three accused are apparently part of the blood in the middle of the road. The man Maroma gang. They have denied this in was asking for help. He was, however, court. seriously injured with some of his The legal counsel for Selebano and intestines hanging outside his body. Mafunda told the court in a plea A senior Hawks investigator testifi ed that Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality executive mayor, Olly Mlamleli, and Taxi Associations sign a memorandum of agreement regarding new transport plans for Mangaung. PHOTO: REFILWE GAESWE Mangaung makes history as metro and taxi associations partner PULANE CHOANE solely for the new bus transport system. Mlamleli added that she has seen the The 12th of October 2016 was marked as a successful implementation of this bus day of much celebration as a memorandum transport system in other metropolitan of agreement between the Mangaung cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and taxi and she is proud that it will soon be associations of Mangaung was signed. implemented in Mangaung. Mlamleli Speaking at the event, newly elected warned that illegal users of the road, such as executive mayor, Olly Mlamleli, announced “4+1” taxi owners not belonging to the taxi that she was elated that the day had fi nally associations, will be persecuted. She warned arrived when the two stakeholders came them not to try their luck in using these together and signed a memorandum designated bus routes after hours when no that will further the transport industry in buses are operating. Mangaung. Staying true to National Transport month, The agreement affi rms consensus and Mlamleli also announced to members of the mutual understanding between the public in attendance that the long awaited city and the taxi industry regarding the Intermodal Facility, more popularly known implementation of the Integrated Public as the Bloem White Elephant taxi rank, will Transport Network (IPTN). The IPTN is also be opened at the end of this month. a new transport system that includes the Mlamleli said all IPTN roleplayers will construction of bus ways, bus stations, new have to work together to ensure that the depots for buses and the procurement of transition between phase one and two is a buses that cater for people with disabilities. smooth one. The executive mayor added The implementation of this plan also means that if phase one is well-executed, it will that buses and taxis will be removed from boost confi dence in the project and attract routes that will solely be used by the buses. onlooking investors to the initiative. The event took place at Maphisa Road, Mlamleli said that given the challenges in Phahameng, Bloemfontein, which was faced, the signing of this memorandum befi tting as the fi rst phase for the roadworks was a “dream come true” and she is happy on that road were also completed. This road, that all things were fi nally coming together, along with several others in Bloemfontein, despite the criticism received from many. Thaba Nchu and Botshabelo, will be used [email protected] Editor - Maricelle Botha [email protected] SALES STUDIO REPORT NEWS: Annamarie Gentle - 082 516 2894 Calvin Mpuru Commissioning Editor - Sandra Mulder Corni Fourie - 082 780 7272 082 3701 268 General Manager - Christel Basson Izak Janse van Rensburg 051 5050 900 [email protected] Lee-Asha Dukhi - 078 429 7882 Jolandi Bezuidenhout Marelize Dunlop - 082 291 4124 [email protected] Sales Manager - Corni Fourie Kabelo Morwalle Distribution Supervisor - Ditaba Booysen Mitzi Noome - 082 575 0571 Mareta Botha Central Media Park. Production Manager - Joanita Lloyd Samantha Sauls - 073 914 1289 Monessa Holtzhausen 7 Christo Groenewald street. This newspaper is obligated to report news truthfully, accurately and fairly. All rights and reproduction material published in this newspaper are Wild Olive Estate. Bloemfontein. 9301. hereby reserved in terms of the Copyright Act. This publication is registered as a newspaper. Verifi ed Distribution: 20000 copies per week. 19 October 2016 • www.bloemfonteincourant.co.za • [email protected] COMMUNITY NEWS • SETJHABA 3 Seeds planted for tomorrow at Joe Solomon PULANE CHOANE light work” is proven to be true as the was because she was passionate about on development, animals, climate change second group of Grade 3 learners come to conserving the environment and also awareness, greening (planting of trees) Elne van Coller, second runner-up for Miss relieve those who came to work previously.