{"id":299249,"date":"2024-08-13T13:59:46","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T11:59:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T15:35:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T13:35:01","slug":"clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/","title":{"rendered":"Clear future lies beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A retired member of South Africa\u2019s U23 men\u2019s football squad for the 2000 Olympic Games, Patrick Mbuthu (47), has received a new lease on life in the form of a surgery that can possibly improve his poor eyesight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aid towards this surgery came in the form of R20 000 donated on 7 August by the Booth Education and Sports Africa (Booth Africa) organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even more encouraging, this was presented by Mbuthu\u2019s former teammate Matthew Booth, founder of the organisation. The pair formed part of the country\u2019s finest team who competed at the finals of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games staged in Australia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Booth said the gesture epitomises the thriving camaraderie and the strong bond forged while playing for the national U23 team. He explained the money was part of proceeds raised through the Clash of Legends, an extended initiative set up to aid retired football legends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI heard about Ace\u2019s plight of poor eyesight from Jabu Mahlangu (formerly Pule), who still has contact with him. So, we immediately decided to help Ace as teammates,\u201d said Booth, former defender of Bafana Bafana. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHopefully this will help to improve Ace\u2019s eyesight so he can join us on the field and in other initiatives of Legends games.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The costs surrounding the surgery are yet to be quantified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on the nature of the surgery, such an operation in the South African private sector is set to range from R15 000 to R25 000, based on the medical insurance provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mbuthu deems the gesture towards improving his impairment as crucial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mbuthu\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m very hopeful my life will change for the better with financial aid to undergo surgery to improve my eyesight. I\u2019m truly encouraged, especially by the fact that my former teammates are supporting me in every aspect,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mbuthu said an eye specialist informed him about the origin of his vision defect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter the diagnosis by an eye specialist, I was informed my loss of sight started developing at a very young age, which I guess my parents were unaware of.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mbuthu revealed he is undergoing treatment in attempts to keep his vision from getting worse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can see partly, but I struggle to really determine the identity of persons from a distance,\u201d said Mbuthu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mbuthu\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

According to the super midfield anchor, his poor eyesight is a \u201chammer blow\u201d, saying it has deprived him of the opportunity to even watch his son, Nkosana Mbuthu Jr, dazzle on the football pitch and evaluate his performance. His son plays for the Kaizer Chiefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mbuthu said his poor vision also affected his ability at work. He works for the Free State Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mbuthu \u201cAce\u201d, rose to fame by playing for now defunct Free State Stars, owned by the late Mike Mokoena. He then joined Chiefs, where he had a lengthy spell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mbuthu went on retirement after a brief stint at the now defunct Manning Rangers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A retired member of South Africa\u2019s U23 men\u2019s football squad for the 2000 Olympic Games, Patrick Mbuthu (47), has received a new lease on life in the form of a surgery that can possibly improve his poor eyesight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":299253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_eb_attr":"","_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"69f966da-509a-48cc-a46e-621db3176f46","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"Teboho Setena","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[""],"pongrass_image":[""],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-299249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nClear future lies beyond | BloemNews Express<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Clear future lies beyond\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A retired member of South Africa\u2019s U23 men\u2019s football squad for the 2000 Olympic Games, Patrick Mbuthu (47), has received a new lease on life in the form of a surgery that can possibly improve his poor eyesight.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"BloemNews Express\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-08-13T11:59:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-31T13:35:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e886c03df8074186857ea445f56bbe03.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1922\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Teboho Setena\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"BloemNews Express\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"BloemNews Express\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/80d72f2891bdddfdd35ed12cd10a5925\"},\"headline\":\"Clear future lies beyond\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-08-13T11:59:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-31T13:35:01+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":489,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/e886c03df8074186857ea445f56bbe03.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2024\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\\\/\",\"name\":\"Clear future lies beyond | BloemNews Express\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/e886c03df8074186857ea445f56bbe03.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-08-13T11:59:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-31T13:35:01+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/e886c03df8074186857ea445f56bbe03.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/e886c03df8074186857ea445f56bbe03.jpg\",\"width\":1922,\"height\":1080},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Clear future lies beyond\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\",\"name\":\"BloemNuus\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"BloemNuus\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"BloemNuus\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/bloemnuus\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/bloemnuus\"],\"description\":\"BloemNews is a prominent newspaper in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State province in South Africa. BloemNews serves the local community with coverage of regional news, events, and issues of interest. The newspaper provides updates on a variety of topics, including local politics, business, sports, and social matters, with a focus on the city and surrounding areas. Its publication is a reflection of Bloemfontein\u2019s vibrant community, catering to both English and Afrikaans-speaking readers. It also serves as an important platform for local advertising, businesses, and public announcements. In Bloemfontein, BloemNews is often considered a key source of information.\",\"email\":\"bloemnuus@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"051-4047600\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/80d72f2891bdddfdd35ed12cd10a5925\",\"name\":\"BloemNews Express\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5ade73cf778a97097108bf55ea61b2a6037a918e9a09aac485202e6c60819614?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5ade73cf778a97097108bf55ea61b2a6037a918e9a09aac485202e6c60819614?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5ade73cf778a97097108bf55ea61b2a6037a918e9a09aac485202e6c60819614?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"BloemNews Express\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/author\\\/bloemexpress\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Clear future lies beyond | BloemNews Express","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Clear future lies beyond","og_description":"A retired member of South Africa\u2019s U23 men\u2019s football squad for the 2000 Olympic Games, Patrick Mbuthu (47), has received a new lease on life in the form of a surgery that can possibly improve his poor eyesight.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/","og_site_name":"BloemNews Express","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/","article_published_time":"2024-08-13T11:59:46+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-31T13:35:01+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1922,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e886c03df8074186857ea445f56bbe03.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Teboho Setena","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"BloemNews Express","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/"},"author":{"name":"BloemNews Express","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/80d72f2891bdddfdd35ed12cd10a5925"},"headline":"Clear future lies beyond","datePublished":"2024-08-13T11:59:46+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-31T13:35:01+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/"},"wordCount":489,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e886c03df8074186857ea445f56bbe03.jpg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2024","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/","name":"Clear future lies beyond | BloemNews Express","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e886c03df8074186857ea445f56bbe03.jpg","datePublished":"2024-08-13T11:59:46+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-31T13:35:01+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e886c03df8074186857ea445f56bbe03.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e886c03df8074186857ea445f56bbe03.jpg","width":1922,"height":1080},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/clear-future-lies-beyond-20240813\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Clear future lies beyond"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/","name":"BloemNuus","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization","name":"BloemNuus","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"BloemNuus"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bloemnuus"],"description":"BloemNews is a prominent newspaper in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State province in South Africa. BloemNews serves the local community with coverage of regional news, events, and issues of interest. The newspaper provides updates on a variety of topics, including local politics, business, sports, and social matters, with a focus on the city and surrounding areas. Its publication is a reflection of Bloemfontein\u2019s vibrant community, catering to both English and Afrikaans-speaking readers. It also serves as an important platform for local advertising, businesses, and public announcements. In Bloemfontein, BloemNews is often considered a key source of information.","email":"bloemnuus@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"051-4047600","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/80d72f2891bdddfdd35ed12cd10a5925","name":"BloemNews Express","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5ade73cf778a97097108bf55ea61b2a6037a918e9a09aac485202e6c60819614?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5ade73cf778a97097108bf55ea61b2a6037a918e9a09aac485202e6c60819614?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5ade73cf778a97097108bf55ea61b2a6037a918e9a09aac485202e6c60819614?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"BloemNews Express"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/author\/bloemexpress\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e886c03df8074186857ea445f56bbe03.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":301323,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/ex-footballer-flies-sa-flag-in-footgolf-feuding-20230530\/","url_meta":{"origin":299249,"position":0},"title":"Ex-footballer flies SA flag in footgolf feuding","author":"BloemNews Express","date":"31 May 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Pitsi Molebatsi, former South African U23 men\u2019s football star player, is representing the country at this year\u2019s FootGolf World Cup underway in Florida, America. He is part of the South African team competing in the tournament, which commenced on 26","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0d23a691428f40c2b1628b7a8056c513.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0d23a691428f40c2b1628b7a8056c513.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0d23a691428f40c2b1628b7a8056c513.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0d23a691428f40c2b1628b7a8056c513.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":52166,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/membership-an-exceptional-honour-20220202-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":299249,"position":1},"title":"Membership an exceptional honour","author":"BloemNews","date":"3 February 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The head of the department of cardiothoracic surgery at the University of the Free State (UFS), Prof. Francis Smit, has become only the third person from sub-Saharan Africa to be elected as a member of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (A","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/eb0cd88aab854cefb479fefb664bb037.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/eb0cd88aab854cefb479fefb664bb037.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/eb0cd88aab854cefb479fefb664bb037.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/eb0cd88aab854cefb479fefb664bb037.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":299468,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-university-analyst-pair-to-serve-on-olympics-anti-doping-team-20240628\/","url_meta":{"origin":299249,"position":2},"title":"Free State university analyst pair to serve on Olympics anti-doping team","author":"BloemNews Express","date":"1 July 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Two laboratory analysts of the South African Doping Control Laboratory (SADoCoL), housed at the University of the Free State (UFS), have been chosen to be part of the anti-doping laboratory team at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/afb34ebd2be0452e8d5d9d22e70919fd.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/afb34ebd2be0452e8d5d9d22e70919fd.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/afb34ebd2be0452e8d5d9d22e70919fd.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/afb34ebd2be0452e8d5d9d22e70919fd.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/afb34ebd2be0452e8d5d9d22e70919fd.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/afb34ebd2be0452e8d5d9d22e70919fd.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":300663,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/cancer-patients-offered-assistance-20231017\/","url_meta":{"origin":299249,"position":3},"title":"Cancer patients offered assistance","author":"BloemNews Express","date":"18 October 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Reach for Recovery is an organisation that supports women, as well as men, with breast cancer with practical and emotional support.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":299408,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/para-athletes-off-to-paris-20240709\/","url_meta":{"origin":299249,"position":4},"title":"Para athletes off to Paris","author":"BloemNews Express","date":"10 July 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Three local para athletes \u2013 Karabo Cassius Morapedi (boccia), Khumo Pitso (T46 high jump) and Louzanne Coetzee (1 500 m) \u2013 have been included in the initial 26-strong team to represent South Africa at the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games in France.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":299330,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/muscle-men-ready-to-conquer-world-stage-20240723\/","url_meta":{"origin":299249,"position":5},"title":"Muscle men ready to conquer world stage","author":"BloemNews Express","date":"24 July 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Ranked among the top in the World Fitness Federation (WFF), three Bloemfontein-based body builders are gearing up to flex their muscles at four international competitions.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/70165473cd9f4d6ca988b7ef78d0c927.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/70165473cd9f4d6ca988b7ef78d0c927.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/70165473cd9f4d6ca988b7ef78d0c927.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/70165473cd9f4d6ca988b7ef78d0c927.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/70165473cd9f4d6ca988b7ef78d0c927.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/70165473cd9f4d6ca988b7ef78d0c927.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"BloemNews Express","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=299249"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":299252,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299249\/revisions\/299252"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/299253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=299249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=299249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=299249"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=299249"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=299249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}