Monthly Archives: July 2012

North West wish Madiba happy 94th birthday

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BY Obakeng Maje

The North West Provincial Government has joined all South Africans and the international community in wishing former President Nelson Mandela a happy 94th birthday, and in celebrating his life and legacy.

Speaking at the International Mandela day celebration held at Dinokana Stadium on Wednesday, Acting Premier, MEC for Education and Training Louisa Mabe wished Madiba a happy birthday citing that the province is happy to be hosting an event that is honouring the world icon.

 “Our former President, Nelson Mandela is very special to all of us, he dedicated most of his life to the democracy that we are enjoying today.

“As the first President of a democratic South Africa, we will always thank him for promoting peace and stability in the entire South Africa,” she said.

Thousands  of people throughout the North West province came in large numbers to join Ministers, MEC’s, Mayors, MPL’s, in celebrating the  Madiba’s birthday.

Thabiso Mere, 22, from Dinokana village thanked government for choosing her village to host the national Mandela day event.

“I really see how Madiba has touched the lives of so many people and thanks our government for hosting this event here.

Happy Birthday to Madiba, he means a lot to all of us,” she said.

In honour of Madiba, people have been urged to spend 67 minutes of their time helping others especially the poor.

Acting Premier Mabe joined Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile to hand over a four bed roomed house to the family of Bertha Badirwang who lives in Kgalagatsang village.

They were also accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu and Health Minister Aaron Motswaledi.

Deputy Minister for Arts and Culture, Joe Phaahla, North West MEC’s for Public Works, Roads and Transport, Raymond Elisha and MEC for Economic Affairs, Conservation and Tourism, Motlalepula Rosho led a team of volunteers that dedicated 67 minutes of their time painting Maramage Primary School.

Minister Paul Mashatile called on South Africans to make every day a Mandela Day by continuing to helping others especially those that are poor or less fortunate.

He said South Africans must stand together to fight the challenges of poverty.

 “We must together join hands in expanding job opportunities for the unemployed youth. Let us all strive to become agents of a caring society,” he said.

Speakers from various political parties led by the Chief Whip of the Majority Party in the National Assembly, Mathole Motshekga also paid tributes to Madiba.

Another KZN politician killed

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Another NFP member has been killed in Umlazi’s T-section, bringing to 21 the number of members killed since the formation of the party.

“We suspect the motive for the recent killing was political,” National Freedom Party general secretary Nhlanhla Khubisa said on Wednesday.

  “We have now lost 21 of our members since our party came into being.”  

Captain Thulani Zwane said Mthunzi Gwala, 32, was found lying on the road with four gunshot wounds to the head at Umlazi T-section on Saturday. The circumstances surrounding his death were not clear.

  Umlazi’s T-section had a history of violence and NFP members had been threatened in the past, Khubisa said.

For more details go to http://www.sowetanlive.co.za

ANCYL helps at Afrikaner-run home for aged

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ANC Youth League members have done volunteer work at a family welfare organisation on the West Rand run by an Afrikaner women's body in honour of Nelson Mandela Day. (File, Sapa)

Johannesburg – ANC Youth League members did volunteer work on Wednesday at a family welfare organisation in Khutsong on the West Rand run by an Afrikaner women’s body.

They did so as part of their 67-minute contribution to mark former president Nelson Mandela’s birthday on Wednesday.

SA Vrouefederasie regional manager for Carletonville, Suzette Oosthuizen, said: “There were a lot of people.”

For more details go to http://www.news24.com

Breytenbach’s suspension appeal fails

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Glynnis Breytenbach (Lisa Hnatowicz, Beeld)

Glynnis Breytenbach (Lisa Hnatowicz, Beeld)

Cape Town – A challenge by prosecutor Glynnis Breytenbach against her suspension from the National Prosecuting Authority failed on Wednesday.

Johannesburg Labour Court Judge Hamilton Cele dismissed the application, and said no costs were ordered.

Breytenbach, the suspended regional head of the specialised commercial crime unit, argued in court documents submitted in the Labour Court in Johannesburg that the NPA had “ulterior motives” when it suspended her.

She believes her suspension – by acting National Director of Public Prosecutions Nomgcobo Jiba – was an attempt to protect former crime intelligence head Lieutenant General Richard Mdluli.

For more details go to http://www.news24.com/

 

R600m for vacant building

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iol nws july 8 si building (26754273)

Independent Newspapers

A Gauteng property developer has turned to the courts to force the North West Department of Health to move into a R600 million white elephant office park.

Peolwane Properties director Reginald Kukama is asking the Mafikeng High Court to compel the provincial government to pay the company R30m in arrear rental.

His company won a R600m tender to lease the building, but the department never moved into the building. The state-of-the-art office park remains vacant. But the department is arguing that the tender and lease are invalid.

For more details go to http://www.iol.co.za

Municipality responsible for water woes – Modise

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IOL pic nov17 tshwane water restrictions

Pic:Reuters

Johannesburg – The Moretele municipality is responsible for the disruption of water supply in the Ngobi village, North West premier Thandi Modise said on Sunday.

“Though the two-day disruption of water supply should have been reported sooner and escalated for prompt intervention, someone within the municipality’s technical section should take responsibility for dereliction of duty,” she said in a statement.

A team from the department of performance monitoring and evaluation and Modise’s office would visit the village and municipality on Monday to ensure the disruption would not reoccur.

For more details go to http://www.iol.co.za/

‘Jub Jub’ accused innocent: lawyer

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Themba Tshabalala

Photo: Dumisani Sibeko

Protea, Pretoria – Musician Molemo “Jub Jub” Maarohanye’s co-accused in their murder trial should be acquitted, the Protea Magistrate’s Court heard on Wednesday. Themba Tshabalala’s lawyer Mlungiseleli Sovithi said the court had failed to prove his client was guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

“I call for the acquittal of my client Themba Tshabalala. If the evidence presented before a court cannot beyond reasonable doubt show that an accused is guilty, that person should be acquitted.”

Sovithi said his client had shown remorse after the accident.

For more http://www.iol.co.za

US tycoon promises R15m to school

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Mandela Day good deeds (6)

Picture: Mujahid Safodien

Durban – An uMhlanga primary school has been promised a donation worth millions from an American property developer to help fund the development of a high school campus.

 

Officially opened in 2003, uMhlanga College was built to accommodate pre-school and primary school boys and girls.

Robert Muir would donate about R15 million to the school for the building of the first phase of the five-year project, said headmaster Greg Brooks.

The first phase is due to be completed in time for the 2013 academic year, with classrooms to accommodate Grade 8s, a science laboratory and a cricket oval as part of the project.

For more details go to http://www.iol.co.za/

 

ANC factionalism rears its ugly head

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murderer mayor

Pic: Independent Newspapers

ANC factionalism reared its head in Rustenburg on Tuesday after a North West party leader was jailed for paying his bodyguard to kill a fellow politician and whistle-blower.

There was a stand-off between two groups – one supporting convicted killer and former Rustenburg mayor Matthew Wolmarans, 43, and the other for the slain party member, Moss Phakoe. The groups attacked each other in songs, with the one in support of the killers trashing the streets after court proceedings.

Inside the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court, Wolmarans, a member of the provincial executive committee (PEC) of the ANC in the province, listened as Judge Rodney Hendricks sentenced him to 20 years’ imprisonment for the murder of councillor Phakoe three years ago.

For more details go to http://www.iol.co.za

Judge orders drink for shaky witness

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gavel_may 14

Hanover – A judge in Germany ordered a drink for an alcoholic whose withdrawal symptoms were affecting his testimony in a murder trial, a report said.

According to a MailOnline report, Judge Frank Rosenow, 53, told the witness: “I think you need a drink.” to which homeless man Miroslav Waldchek, 50, replied: “I think I do, too, your honour.”

The judge then reportedly sent a court official to buy two small bottles of Weinbrand – a strong German brandy. The courtroom assistant returned and put the bottle into the shaking hands of Waldchek.

He was allowed to go into a sideroom adjacent to the State Court in Hanover to guzzle his potion under the eyes of a doctor.

For more details go to http://www.iol.co.za