the free state (afrikaans: vrystaat, sotho: foreistata; before 1995, the orange free state) is a province of south africa. its capital is bloemfontein, which is also south africa's judicial capital, because the supreme court is there. the current borders of the province date from 1994 when the bantustans were dissolved and were merged into the provinces of south africa. it is also the only one of the older provinces of south africa not to undergo border changes, not counting the incorporation of the bantustans.