{"id":46797,"date":"2023-03-22T06:02:54","date_gmt":"2023-03-22T04:02:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\/"},"modified":"2025-03-20T22:07:00","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T20:07:00","slug":"predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Predicament should not surprise"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I was intrigued by the article \u201cA failed state\u201d in the <span>VrystaatKroon <\/span>paper dated 8 March, which pointed out not only the many failings of the Moqhaka Municipality with regard to service delivery, but also the huge debt owed to Eskom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My wife and I moved from Durban to Kroonstad in September 2009. During the latter part of our stay in Durban I was very involved in the community policing forum (CPF) and neighbourhood watch in the Morningside area, and I must commend the excellent work being carried out by the Kroonstad Neighbourhood Watch (KBW).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We bought a house in Donges Street, which we had refurbished, and were settling down to our new life in Kroonstad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I noticed that the general condition of the roads in Kroonstad was appalling. On the few occasions that they were repaired, the methodology used was not only improper, but money was being wasted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2011 our grandson, who had a small business in Kroonstad, and a young engineer friend made an appointment for us to see the municipal manager, Mr Simon Mqwathi. During our discussions on 13 April 2011, I pointed out that I could save the municipality money and offered my services, free of charge, to train a small crew on how potholes should be filled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mqwathi seemed to be very interested in what I had presented to the meeting and asked for a copy of my CV, which I emailed to him on 6 May 2011. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I had previously worked for a company that supplied products to the then Natal Roads Department, so I knew a little about the subject in question. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To this day, I have not even received an acknowledgment of receipt of my email. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So be it. Getting back to the article in <span>VrystaatKroon<\/span>, I seem to remember a similar article in the <span>Kroonnuus <\/span>some years ago when the municipality owed Eskom approximately R200 million, and the writer gave a detailed outline of the monthly payments that the municipality had agreed it would make to Eskom to drastically reduce this outstanding debt. So what happened?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The real surprise to me, however, is how Eskom could have allowed this debt to escalate to the figure of R900 million? I suppose with the chaos going on there it should not be surprising. When we have a president who is obligated to set the example of good governance openly stating that his first priority is to unite the ANC, is it any wonder that service delivery at municipal level is non-existent? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><superbyline><br>\n <name>Lou Muller, <\/name><\/superbyline><\/p>\n\n\n\n<address>Kroonstad<\/address>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I was intrigued by the article \u201cA failed state\u201d in the VrystaatKroon paper dated 8 March, which pointed out not only the many failings of the Moqhaka Municipality with regard to service delivery, but also the huge debt owed to Eskom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":0,"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_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":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_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":"baa1221c-083a-430c-b20a-63ecf55a2a6b","_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":"","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-46797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Predicament should not surprise | VrystaatKroon<\/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\/vrystaatkroon\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Predicament should not surprise\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I was intrigued by the article \u201cA failed state\u201d in the VrystaatKroon paper dated 8 March, which pointed out not only the many failings of the Moqhaka Municipality with regard to service delivery, but also the huge debt owed to Eskom.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"VrystaatKroon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VrystaatKroon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-03-22T04:02:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-20T20:07:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"VrystaatKroon\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"VrystaatKroon\" \/>\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\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"VrystaatKroon\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/af0bc4af343108ce64e4c8a69001202f\"},\"headline\":\"Predicament should not surprise\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-03-22T04:02:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-20T20:07:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":419,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2023\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\\\/\",\"name\":\"Predicament should not surprise | VrystaatKroon\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-03-22T04:02:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-20T20:07:00+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Predicament should not surprise\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/\",\"name\":\"VrystaatKroon\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"VrystaatKroon\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/vrystaad-kroon-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/vrystaad-kroon-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"VrystaatKroon\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/VrystaatKroon\\\/\"],\"description\":\"VrystaatKroon is a local community newspaper serving the Eastern and Northern Free State regions of South Africa. It covers a wide range of topics, including local news, events, and issues affecting the community. The newspaper aims to keep residents informed and connected, fostering a sense of unity and engagement in the area. VrystaatKroon has loyal readers who look forward to receiving the newspaper in their mailboxes twice a month on a Wednesday \u2013 free of charge. is a local community newspaper serving the Eastern and Northern Free State regions of South Africa. It covers a wide range of topics, including local news, events, and issues affecting the community. The newspaper aims to keep residents informed and connected, fostering a sense of unity and engagement in the area.\",\"email\":\"vrystaatkroon@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"+27514047600\",\"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\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/af0bc4af343108ce64e4c8a69001202f\",\"name\":\"VrystaatKroon\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/db8d32fe3b8afd81fe8a56f2569041900de6ac3ca727d9318273beb22736cb10?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/db8d32fe3b8afd81fe8a56f2569041900de6ac3ca727d9318273beb22736cb10?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/db8d32fe3b8afd81fe8a56f2569041900de6ac3ca727d9318273beb22736cb10?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"VrystaatKroon\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/author\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Predicament should not surprise | VrystaatKroon","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\/vrystaatkroon\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Predicament should not surprise","og_description":"I was intrigued by the article \u201cA failed state\u201d in the VrystaatKroon paper dated 8 March, which pointed out not only the many failings of the Moqhaka Municipality with regard to service delivery, but also the huge debt owed to Eskom.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\/","og_site_name":"VrystaatKroon","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VrystaatKroon\/","article_published_time":"2023-03-22T04:02:54+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-20T20:07:00+00:00","author":"VrystaatKroon","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"VrystaatKroon","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\/"},"author":{"name":"VrystaatKroon","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#\/schema\/person\/af0bc4af343108ce64e4c8a69001202f"},"headline":"Predicament should not surprise","datePublished":"2023-03-22T04:02:54+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-20T20:07:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\/"},"wordCount":419,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#organization"},"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2023","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\/","name":"Predicament should not surprise | VrystaatKroon","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-03-22T04:02:54+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-20T20:07:00+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/predicament-should-not-surprise-20230320-2\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Predicament should not surprise"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/","name":"VrystaatKroon","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#organization","name":"VrystaatKroon","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/vrystaad-kroon-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/vrystaad-kroon-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"VrystaatKroon"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VrystaatKroon\/"],"description":"VrystaatKroon is a local community newspaper serving the Eastern and Northern Free State regions of South Africa. It covers a wide range of topics, including local news, events, and issues affecting the community. The newspaper aims to keep residents informed and connected, fostering a sense of unity and engagement in the area. VrystaatKroon has loyal readers who look forward to receiving the newspaper in their mailboxes twice a month on a Wednesday \u2013 free of charge. is a local community newspaper serving the Eastern and Northern Free State regions of South Africa. It covers a wide range of topics, including local news, events, and issues affecting the community. The newspaper aims to keep residents informed and connected, fostering a sense of unity and engagement in the area.","email":"vrystaatkroon@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"+27514047600","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\/vrystaatkroon\/#\/schema\/person\/af0bc4af343108ce64e4c8a69001202f","name":"VrystaatKroon","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/db8d32fe3b8afd81fe8a56f2569041900de6ac3ca727d9318273beb22736cb10?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/db8d32fe3b8afd81fe8a56f2569041900de6ac3ca727d9318273beb22736cb10?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/db8d32fe3b8afd81fe8a56f2569041900de6ac3ca727d9318273beb22736cb10?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"VrystaatKroon"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/author\/vrystaatkroon\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":45060,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/kroonstad-beauty-queen-to-represent-sa-in-miss-teen-universe-pageant-in-dominican-republic-20240313\/","url_meta":{"origin":46797,"position":0},"title":"Kroonstad beauty queen to represent SA in Miss Teen Universe pageant in Dominican Republic","author":"VrystaatKroon","date":"13 March 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"A young beauty queen from Kroonstad was crowned Miss Mini World South Africa 2024 and has the opportunity to represent South Africa in the Dominican Republic at the Miss Teen Universe pageant.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/e30110cbb3a04534977c1d7824b2d47e.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/e30110cbb3a04534977c1d7824b2d47e.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/e30110cbb3a04534977c1d7824b2d47e.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/e30110cbb3a04534977c1d7824b2d47e.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":266400,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/party-demands-action-on-illegal-dumping-and-shack-construction-in-kroonstad\/","url_meta":{"origin":46797,"position":1},"title":"Party demands action on illegal dumping and shack construction in Kroonstad","author":"VrystaatKroon","date":"22 August 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Residents of Kroonstad are raising critical concerns about escalating illegal dumping and unauthorised informal shack construction along Truter Street, near the Lifestyle Centre in Kroonstad. The community said the situation demands immediate municipal intervention to safeguard their health, safety, and environmental integrity. The Democratic Alliance (DA) has officially escalated the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Huge concern has been raised by the community of Kroonstad regarding the illegal dumping and unauthorised informal shack construction along Truter Street in the town. Residents have requested specific clarifications from the Moqhaka municipality on how they will resolve the problem. Photo:Supplied","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/hazardous-illegal-dumping-in-Moqhaka-Kroonstad-1-e1755866290103.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/hazardous-illegal-dumping-in-Moqhaka-Kroonstad-1-e1755866290103.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/hazardous-illegal-dumping-in-Moqhaka-Kroonstad-1-e1755866290103.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/hazardous-illegal-dumping-in-Moqhaka-Kroonstad-1-e1755866290103.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/hazardous-illegal-dumping-in-Moqhaka-Kroonstad-1-e1755866290103.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/hazardous-illegal-dumping-in-Moqhaka-Kroonstad-1-e1755866290103.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":47982,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/omstanders-tap-onwettig-diesel-na-ongeluk-20220705\/","url_meta":{"origin":46797,"position":2},"title":"Mense buit diesel n\u00e1 ongeluk","author":"VrystaatKroon","date":"6 July 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Chaos het uitgebreek toe mense opgeruk het om onwettig diesel te tap nadat 'n vragmotor wat diesel vervoer het, omgeslaan het.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/63756d6684a84bfab1f19a0120891af9.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/63756d6684a84bfab1f19a0120891af9.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/63756d6684a84bfab1f19a0120891af9.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/63756d6684a84bfab1f19a0120891af9.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":296312,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/call-of-duty-answered-to-give-kroonstad-a-new-lease-of-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":46797,"position":3},"title":"Call of duty answered to give Kroonstad a new lease of life","author":"VrystaatKroon","date":"26 March 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Business and faith leaders of Kroonstad have united in what is widely regarded as a turning point for local renewal in this Free State town.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/the-word-kroonstad-written-in-flowing-text-black-on-white.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/the-word-kroonstad-written-in-flowing-text-black-on-white.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/the-word-kroonstad-written-in-flowing-text-black-on-white.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/the-word-kroonstad-written-in-flowing-text-black-on-white.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":267694,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/municipality-accused-over-unequal-cemetery-care\/","url_meta":{"origin":46797,"position":4},"title":"Municipality accused over unequal cemetery care","author":"VrystaatKroon","date":"17 October 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Residents of Seeisoville, a neighbourhood in Kroonstad, have voiced their deep dissatisfaction with the neglected state of their local cemetery, which they say is overgrown and dilapidated. As families struggle to honour their departed loved ones amid broken fences and unkempt graves, local councillor Dennis Khasudi of the Democratic Alliance\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The cemetery in Seeisoville Kroonstad is in a neglected state and residents voiced their deep dissatisfaction as the Moqhaka municipality failed them and their loved ones.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Seeisoville-Cemetery-3-Moqhaka-Municipality-e1760697477682.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Seeisoville-Cemetery-3-Moqhaka-Municipality-e1760697477682.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Seeisoville-Cemetery-3-Moqhaka-Municipality-e1760697477682.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Seeisoville-Cemetery-3-Moqhaka-Municipality-e1760697477682.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Seeisoville-Cemetery-3-Moqhaka-Municipality-e1760697477682.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Seeisoville-Cemetery-3-Moqhaka-Municipality-e1760697477682.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":47849,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/vermaak-kroonstad-20220726-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":46797,"position":5},"title":"Vermaak Kroonstad","author":"VrystaatKroon","date":"27 July 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Vermaak Kroonstad","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"VrystaatKroon","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46797"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46797\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46797"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=46797"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=46797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}