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COMMUNITY ENTERTAINMENT SPORT INCORPORATING Rankie Square residents 20 years of great moods TKO fi nal defeat motivates baffl ed by sudden eviction and exceptional fl avors Bloemfontein Celtic PAGE 2 PAGE 5 PAGE 7 LENTSWE LA BATHO • VOICE OF THE PEOPLE WEDNESDAY 6 DECEMBER 2017 FREE Family traumatised by inmate’s death SEITHATI SEMENOKANE mortem to determine the cause of death, but the day before the funeral, when we went A Heidedal family is seeking closure after to dress his body for the funeral, there were their brother died while in prison. Ben no marks on his body indicating that a post Jacobs was doing time at Grootvlei Prison in mortem had been done. However, there was Bloemfontein and would have been released bruising on his right side and his back. We on 15 December 2017, but now Jacobs will wanted an explanation because we had to wait never see that day come. three weeks before we could bury him,” said On 31 October, his family received the Jacobs. chilling phone call that Ben had died on his The cause of death on Ben Jacobs’s death way to hospital. “When I got the tragic news certifi cate was stated as “natural causes”. “I all I asked was if he had been sick. They said called Majola to tell him that I was unsatisfi ed Elias Jacobs and Anna Jacobs want to know what really happened to their brother, Ben Jacobs, who only had a month and a half left before being released from Grootvlei Prison. no, but they explained that they take inmates with the way they handled the situation. PHOTO: SEITHATI SEMENOKANE to the clinic every week to check their blood Why did they make us wait so long to bury pressure and sugar levels. I asked where he my brother, and why did they not do a certifi cate, but the sisters said a post mortem he should come forward with what he knows. had died and they explained that they were on post mortem? We also received a call from had to be done fi rst. Once the body arrived at “The family is welcome to bring the prisoner the way to Pelonomi Hospital when he took someone who was in the same cell as Ben the government mortuary they stated that a who called them to tell their side of the story, his last breath. They tried to resuscitate him to who said that he had died in the prison cell, post mortem wouldn’t be done as the prisoner but he must not call the family and traumatise no avail,” explained his sister, Anna Jacobs. which is not what the prison had told us,” she had been sick fi ve days before his death and them further by spreading false allegations,” On 2 November, the family made their way further explained. had been treated for chest pains,” said Majola. he said. to the prison and met up with Sandile Joseph Majola said that he had informed the family He added that post mortems are only done in Majola encouraged the family to visit Majola, who is a security warden and was that they were more than welcome to come to situations where a prisoner hanged himself or Grootvlei Prison and have a meeting with the assisting them with burial arrangements. the prison to talk to the prison head if they felt was found dead in the veld the for instance. acting head, who will answer any questions “They told us to wait a while to arrange they needed more information on the matter. Majola added that if a prisoner had a different they have regarding their brother’s death. the burial as they were going to do a post “The hospital doctor wanted to sign the death statement as to what happened to Ben Jacobs, [email protected] 18 ALL 2 COMMUNITY NEWS • SETJHABA www.bloemfonteincourant.co.za • [email protected] • 6 December 2017 Rankie Square residents baffled by sudden eviction SEITHATI SEMENOKANE “We’ve been living here for about 30 years now, and we know that this place has been A few weeks ago residents of Rankie approved for us to live on. Councillors Tswellopele Branding Enterprise together with Help Us Help Them Foundation and learners at Square in Phelindaba were told to pack always have funny excuses of how we Mokae Primary School. PHOTO: LEBAKENG NKABI up their belongings as they were being are situated on a rock and that blasting moved to another informal settlement in is causing problems for the municipality. Turfl aagte. Baffl ed by the sudden move, Four sites in this area have already been Thaba Nchu commemorates World Aids Day a few residents packed and got ready to approved, but now our councillor wants LEBAKENG NKABI the ages of 15 and 25 years get infected move, while some refused as they did not to put our lives in danger and take us to a daily because they are easily preyed on by understand the reasons for the relocation. strange place,” added another anonymous The community of Seroalo in Thaba Nchu, infected older men. “This usually occurs Residents say a few hours later, the vans resident. in conjunction with Tswellopele Branding because their fathers did not play a role that were hired to help them move came Residents allege that the current councillor Enterprise, commemorated the millions in their life, which leads them to seeking back, with the residents’ belongings still has not been truthful with them as to why of lives lost due to HIV/AIDS infection attention and affection from older men that loaded. When they enquired they heard she suddenly wants them to relocate. “The or related diseases that have left many give them money,” she said. horror stories about how the residents of area in Turfl aagte has no services, the children without their biological parents. Keamogetse Ngakatsi told Voice that the Turfl aagte chased them out with stones. councillor told us we must share one tap The commemoration took place at Mokae event had been sponsored by Twizza, Boxer, “They were shocked that we are moving between sixteen homes and three toilets Primary School. Residents were educated Bon Hotel and the Central University of in while they are still waiting for sites situated at a nearby church. But she is on blood pressure and sugar diabetes and Technology. “The purpose of the event themselves. Some threatened us by saying not telling us why she wants us to move encouraged to stand together in the fi ght was to create awareness in our community. that we can put up our shacks during the from the square when the municipality against HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB) in We also donated toiletries to 50 school day, but at night no one will be sleeping,” has already said it will be developing this the province. learners,” she said. said a resident who wished to stay place for us. She arrived here with papers One of the organisers, Ntswaki “I would like to encourage everyone to be anonymous. telling us to sign them, but they only had Tsatsinyaneng, told Voice that the event was tested regularly. It is important to know What has shocked the residents the the municipality’s letterhead on them and very successful. “We would like to thank your status. We felt that it was essential to most was that the formalisation of no other signatures. She did not even sign the community for their support, as well commemorate this day together with our Rankie Square was listed as one of the it herself, so why must we sign them? She as our sponsors. Thank you to FNB Thaba community because we have lost many municipality’s Independent Development did not even want us to read them,” added Nchu branch and the Department of Health. people to this disease. We also want to warn Plan (IDP) priorities for Ward 13 for another anonymous source. They brought along a mobile clinic offering the youth to stop experimenting, because the year 2016/17. In the site analysis it Ward 13 Councillor, Nozimanga Matetha, screening and tests for kids and community one can get infected. I want to remind has been reported that since the site is wanted to know who the residents Voice members,” she said. them to always use condoms,” concluded situated on a rocky outcrop this will make spoke to were, and when we would not She added that many young girls between Ngakatsi. development challenging, however, the reveal our source, she refused to answer area is viable for development. Residents any further questions. The municipality have been staying in this informal was yet to respond to our request at the settlement as illegal occupants for about time of going to print. Rejanala Farms on a global scale 30 years now. [email protected] SEITHATI SEMENOKANE from the Merino area. “We expect to have a high production as Thaba Nchu-based Rejanala Farms and we are moving into the second phase of Projects Pty Ltd, situated in Merino Trust, agro processing. We have received a loan a village in Thaba Nchu, has been making of R2. 6 million for the expansion and great strides in the agricultural sector this irrigation system from 70 to 200 hectares. year, the latest being selected as one of We have been laying 2.9 km of the pipe eight international companies chosen for network of the farm, so that we will be the Global Entrepreneur Network. able to irrigate from the pump station,” he “We went and pitched our business said.