As the year draws to a close, Bloemfontein Courant’s Justine Fortuin reflects on the top 10 stories that were trending on www.bloemfonteincourant.co.za in 2021.
Published: 18 February
Die sesjarige Chanté Jansen van Rensburg van Bloemfontein, wat hierdie week vir die eerste keer grootskool toe gegaan het, volg beslis in haar pa, Kobus Jansen van Rensburg, se voetspore.
Dít nadat hy in 1992 met graad een by die Laerskool JBM Hertzog begin het as een van die grootste kinders in graad 1, nie net in Bloemfontein nie, maar in die hele Vrystaat. In daardie stadium het hy 1,35 meter in sy sokkies gestaan.
Published: 17 May
Late evening on 16 May 2021, angry residents of Bloemfontein started burning tyres and putting rocks in the middle of the streets in preparation to what they call “Mangaung Shutdown”.
In the midst of all this, Tswellang Special School in Heidedal found itself mostly disrupted as academics had to come to a pause as the staff and learners were not able to get to the school premises.
Published: 9 November
Residents from an upper-class residential estate in Groenvlei, Bloemfontein, were caught by surprise in Tuesday morning traffic as two rhinos, each weighing 2,4 tonnes, were spotted casually making their way to a local shopping complex.
OFM News has confirmed that the rhinos, named after a famous Zulu King and Colombian singer, belong to a well-known local wildlife estate.
Published: 10 June
Mase Khutlang, a young lady from Bloemfontein who is known by the name “MmaLj Bokamoso Khutlang”, took a decision in 2019 to resign as a teacher and give her full attention to her passion for cooking.
Her resignation led to her opening two African cuisine restaurants in the Bloemfontein CBD in under two years – one in King Edward Road in Willows, and recently another one in the Container Park in the CBD.
Published: 6 September
On Saturday, 4 September, the Mangaung Metro Municipality (MMM) announced a new proposed waste collection schedule for some areas in Bloemfontein.
“Residents in Bloemfontein are hereby notified that the new waste collection schedule will be implemented from Monday, 6 September. This only pertains to domestic waste,” the MMM said in a statement. “Also note that collection in all other areas not mentioned remains the same,” the statement continued.
Published: 6 September
“After 27 years, saying goodbye is impossible. I don’t think it is goodbye, I do see it as a ‘see you soon’.”
This is according to the managing director of Ace Models International and Bloemfontein businesswoman, Anri Powell, who will be relocating to Stellenbosch at the end of the year.
Published: 16 January
Some motorists in Bloemfontein will now have peace of mind after four men took it upon themselves to assist in repairing the potholes caused by heavy rains in Du Plessis Drive, Langenhoven Park this morning.
Morena Motsoari, Tshepo Pitikwe, Roy van Wyk and Nthongwa Thekiso have been standing at the bus stop in an attempt to find a piece job, but after witnessing a number of motorists’ cars getting damaged because of the potholes, they decided to help repair the potholes.
Published: 21 January
Karookind en sanger, Percy de Villiers (23), wat in 2013 na Bloemfontein verhuis het, het hierdie jaar, ná vele uitdagings, een van sy grootste drome sien waar word toe hy as kandidaatprokureur begin werk het by ‘n regsfirma in die stad.
De Villiers het aan Bloemfontein Courant vertel sy storie het begin met baie struikelblokke. Die een wat hom die hardste getref het, was toe hy sy pa, wat die broodwinner in die gesin was, verloor het.
Published: 18 November
“Om ‘n kind aan te neem, het my lewe verander. Ek is ‘n depressielyer, maar sedert ek my dogtertjie aangeneem het, gaan dit soveel beter met my. Sy is die lig in my lewe en gee my elke dag rede om op te staan. Sy bring vir my soveel vreugde.”
Dit is die woorde van enkelma, Ilisna Nel, wat haar dogtertjie op 24 Augustus 2020 aangeneem het. “Wanneer mens ‘n leemte met jou saamdra wat niks of niemand kan vul nie, is dit die beste gevoel wanneer die plekkie uiteindelik gevul word.”
Published: 4 June
An 88-year-old Bloemfontein resident has recently hit the jackpot at Sun International’s Windmill Casino, when he won R1 784 374 on the Sun Striker.
This after he has been identified as one of the regular players at the casino and has been playing there for the past 16 years.
