Thembinkosi crèche is one of the many crèches adopted by Christian Revival Church, which is commonly known as CRC. Every Friday afternoon the youth from CRC visits Thembinkosi and many other crèches in Mangaung to play with the children as part of their outreach programme. Not only do these youth men and women end there, but at time they come with gifts to donate to the crèche. Speaking to one of the youth leaders, Leonard Calitz, he said they have being coming at Thembinkosi for more than six month. “Coming here is the main vision of our senior pastor, Pastor Nyretta Boshoff, who adopted crèches from all over Mangaung” said Calits. Among the youth that came to play were students from UFS and other learners from different school. Calitz added that “we come here to help in whatever way we can and show God’s love. There are specific things that Pastor Nyretta holds close to her heart and we not only come here to play with the kids, but we also help the educators during the week”.

One of the kids’ parents said they are very happy to see people outside their community coming and showing the love to someone else’s child. Mathilda Valashiya, who had been working at Thembinkosi for years, is one of the happy people enjoying the company of the CRC youth playing with the kids. Maria Ramabele, the founder and the manager of Thembinkosi said her crèche has improved since the CRC youth came to her crèche. “They helped me in so many ways and they have even paid for my educators to go to workshops not long ago” said Ramabele. She stated that “I came across Pastor Nyretta through a parent of one of my children and since then my life better here at Thembinkosi”. The CRC adopt a crèche is a continuing programme.

The road to Madiba Cup

Batjha ba ka sebedisa bolo ho lwantsha bokebekwa. Phomolong ena ya mariha dihlopha tsa batjha ba lemo tse leshome le metso e mehlano di itokisetsa tlhodisano ya mohope wa Madiba o qalang bekeng ena. Mohope ona o hlophisitse e le karolo ya ho keteka letsatsi la Madiba la tswalo. Boitokisetsong bona, Young Strikers e ile ya amohela Bad Boys papading e neng e thabisa ebile e tlola ditlhase lebaleng la selehae J. B. Mafora. Papadi e qadile ka monyebe, empa sekgahla sa phahama ha Bad Boys e ne e hlaba ntlha ka Tshidiso Lefata ho tswa thahong ya huku. Mokgahlelong wa pele dihlopha ka bobedi di ne di laola bolo bohareng ba lebala. E ne e le metsotswana pele ho phomolo ha Young Strikers e lekanya dintlha ka Neo Phalatsane. Ntlha ya hae o e hlabile ka mokalangwane. Karolong ya bobedi Young Strikers, e ntseng e di hula pele lokong ya ba lemo tse leshome le metso e mehlano, e ne e lapetse ntlha, empa ya lebala ho kwala lebota le ka morao. Ke moo Tshidiso Lefata a ileng a bona monyetla o mong hape, mme a hlaba ntlha ya hae ya bobedi. Ho thatafatsa ditaba le ho feta sebapadi sa nomoro ya bosupa sa Bad Boys, Tidimalo Nake, se ile sa hlaba ntlha ya ho qetela ya papadi. Mokwetlisi wa Young Strikers, Gomolemo Masekoa o di behile tjena, “Ke kgetlo la pele re hlolwa ke Bad Boys. Ba ke ke ba o besa o tuke hape ha re ya mohopeng wa Madiba.” Ha e le wa mphato wa hae, Lehloonolo Majake yena o itse, “Tlholo ena empa e le monyetla feela, ke ne ke batla ho bona hore re re lokela ho lokisa hokae.” Ebang maemo a dumela, bobedi bona bo tla kopana ho makgaolakgang a mohope wa Madiba mafelong a tlang a beke, papading e ilo bapallwa lebaleng la Mangaung Outdoor Sports Centre.

The poor get solar power this winter.

The city on the move, Mangaung Metro is still continuing installing solar geyser in most of the RDP houses. On a wet winter Thursday (21 June 2012), Mangaung Issue visited one of the houses in J. B. Mafora as they were still busy installing them. Thinandaba Pheko from Tasol Solar Energy Solutions explained to Mangaung Issue how the whole solar geyser system works. With winter and lack of sunlight, Pheko said the water temperature is low compare to summer days. “However, people can still use it” said Pheko. He added that at some day, especially in the winter morning people will find that water from the geyser is not that warm. “On days such as these it is when you need to use a kettle to heat your water” he said. It was all smiles on Gift Williems’ face when his geyser was installed. “Since the water will be hot and I will be saving money on electricity, I am very happy to have my geyser” said Williems. To have his geyser, Williems said “I heard a message from the street committee that we need to bring a copy of my ID and prove of address to apply for it and they come”. However, not everyone is happy about these solar geysers, as Sarah Tsamai who lives not too far from Williems, said her geyser is licking water inside her RDP. Tsamai has being calling people from the committee to come and fit the lick and no one has showed up. From there, Mangaung Issue took some time to visit ward ten counsellor, Zacharia Motladile to enquire about these problems. He said he has called meeting with the community saying that they are awe of the problem with the geysers. Motladile said “the people responsible for these geysers are in Gauteng and it is hard to get hold of them”. He concluded by saying there will be an action plan to maintain them and “I would like to advice our people to try to fix their geysers themselves where there is a small lick”.

Doing business in a foreign land.

Mangaung Issue was out and about doing a story on foreign-owned shops and we spoke to Tomasi Awano Abiyo who is an Ethiopian. We asked his what lead him to come to South Africa and he replied in few words, “Ethiopia president many problem, political problems” he said. Abiyo has been running his shop since last year in an RDP bedroom. He was not happy to give Mangaung Issue answers about his business, during our interview. However, Abiyo was more than happy to talk about friends he has made so far. With his English still needing some work, Abiyo can hear and speak a few words in Sesotho. Not too far from Abiyo’s shop, is the 67 year old David Mosikara whom has owned his shop for decades. “I have nothing against foreign nationals, but they are cheating our people their change and also they are not treating them right” said Mosikara. When asked if the foreigners would come to him to do business, Mosikara said “we as shop owners in Bloemfontein, we have to come together just like them and not work with them because they took our customers”. Speaking to one of Mosikara’s customers, Alina Matshosa, she said the reason she is buying from Mosikara is because of his prices. When Mangaung Issue got back to Abiyo’s shop he was not willing to talk to us and suggested we talk to someone else. We then spoke to one of his regulars a pensioner, Nomaeza Khoaele and she said “I buy stuff at Abiyo’s shop because is near to my house and I also buy at Mosikara’s shop too”. Abiyo’s land-lady who wishes to be anonymous said her relationship with him is a good one. “He lets me buy his goods on credit since I am a pensioner and then I pay him whenever I have money” said the Land-lady.

Cycle motor?

There are many way to move around in the city of Mangaung. Some people travel in their own cars while many others use a taxi or a bus. On the other hand some chose to use their own power by using a bicycle. However, there is a growing number of people using a motorised bicycle, just like the 56 year old Nqweniso Nqabeni who works at Eunice High School. With a two litre engine, Nqabeni takes less than an hour to get to work. “I have being using this bicycle for over a year now and it has helped me by saving money on transport” said Nqabeni. Mangaung Issue then took to the shop where Nqabeni bought his bicycle and we spoke to Joseph Maruatona who is the manager of Bicycle For Africa (BFA). “These bicycles are commonly used in China and India. We import the mottos from China” said Maruatona. According to him the bicycle can travel at the speed of 45km/h and can carry a weight of 200kg. Maruatona, who was a gardener before, is selling them at R2 880 and uses one as him transport. He said there is no need for one to have a license to use a motorised bicycle. However, the traffic law in South Africa states that a vehicle having pedals and an engine or an electric motor as an integral part thereof or attached thereto and which is designed or adapted to be propelled by means of such pedals, engine or motor or both should have a license for it. Maruatona said “our project Tokoloho is aimed at empowering the community and it is in line with the Millennium Developmental Goals.”