Several Free State churches have ignored President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call to safely resume religious gatherings where church services are allowed to only accommodate 50 worshippers indoors and a maximum of 100 outdoors. This forms part of the adjusted alert Level 3 lockdown restrictions which kicked in as from 26 July.
Parents in Botshabelo in the Free State have expressed their anger at the Department of Basic Education (DBE) for instructing all primary school learners to return to school at once as from this past Monday (2 August). They say this move will put the lives of children in danger as the country slowly moves past the peak of COVID-19 infections during the third wave.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s lifting of the alcohol sales ban recently has been blamed by the Botshabelo community for contributing to violence and car accidents in their area, while police have been accused of not enforcing the law.
Community members in the Botshabelo district in the Free State are urging health authorities to extend the COVID-19 vaccine rollout to local clinics. They claim the hospital currently identified as the main vaccination site isn’t coping with the influx of people.
The health of residents living in Botshsbelo is under serious threat and with their concerns falling on deaf ears within the Mangaung municipality, the number of tuberculosis cases are rising and fast.
Despite national regulations for public transport, taxi passengers in the Free State are refusing to wear masks and sanitise their hands. The taxi association in Botshabelo is calling on passengers to adhere to regulations as Covid-19 infections continue in the province.
The Free State Department of Health held a campaign in Warden to highlight mental health issues and the challenges of substance abuse. Community members attending the event shared their struggles.
Phuthanang Mental Health Institution fulfils an important role in the Botshabelo community, and recently received a Covid-19 protection boost via the Positive Action Campaign and the National Association of People Living HIV/AIDS.
High-density areas, such as Diepsloot and Khayelitsha, are also earmarked for Covid-19 screening sites. A screening procedure determines whether a person qualifies for a Covid-19 test.
Free State Premier says the province was “disappointed” with the slow pace of construction work on three hospitals and five clinics.
While men are generally the perpetrators of gender-based violence (GBV), there are some who are doing their part to fight it.
Some of society's most helpless people are admitted to the Free State Psychiatric Complex for care. But with the challenges the facility has, it’s unable to do that to the best of its ability.
After a fire blazed through Vaalrock Clinic, the Brandfort community is forced to use the only clinic at their disposal, the Marantha Clinic, which is having far-reaching implications.
FREE STATE - An elderly pensioner, who decided to use a candle at bedtime because he believed the electric light bulb made his bedroom hotter, ended up suffocating to death.
The South African Early Childhood Development Forum in the Free State has launched a campaign to shut down all unregistered early childhood development centres operating in the province. Piet Motaung reports that poor nutrition is one of the many reasons why such centres pose a risk to children.
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