By Obakeng Maje

Letlhabile-North West police are investigating a case of concealment of birth after a foetus was discovered.

“The incident happened yesterday where a minor was playing in the street and discovered unusual box” Nkwalase said.

Police vehicle patrolling around Letlhabile responded to a scene where a partially burnt body of a stillborn was discovered.

“The incident happened yesterday afternoon at about 15: 10. 

The body was found wrapped with garments inside a box and placed in the water in a rut next to the road between block C and Block B, in Letlabile” Sergeant Philani Nkwalase said. 

Police said during the preliminary investigation on the scene, the officer noticed that the lower body of baby was burned beyond recognition. 

“However the upward body was still intact” police said. 

It is not known at this stage as to whom the baby belonged to and no one has been arrested in connection with the incident.

Acase of concealment of birth was registered and the police investigation continues. 

Police in Letlhabile are requesting for any assistance from the community to help speed up the investigation.      

Mamelodi Sundowns have been warned to expect a tough match when they welcome Golden Arrows in a Nedbank Cup encounter at Loftus Stadium tonight at 8pm.

Fresh from two defeats at the hands of Moroka Swallows and neighbours SuperSport United, Sundowns are well aware that the Nedbank Cup is their only hope of silverware this term.

Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi said that the cup is not a priority for his side but defender Musa Bilankulu said his side will not lie down and let the Tshwane team walk all over them.

“We are going there with the hope of making it to the next stage of the tournament. They have lost their last two matches and that is a clear indication that they can be beaten. We are hoping to make things difficult when we meet them,” Bilankulu said.

This year’s Nedbank Cup draw has not been kind to Sundowns. The Brazilians faced Ajax Cape Town in the round of 32 and now they have a date with another tough PSL team in the form of Arrows.

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

By Staff Reporter

North West Premier Thandi Modise has called on all traditional leaders to continue playing a key role as community advocates in articulating locally felt needs and expressing grievances and mobilizing support for particular causes in varies communities of the province.

Making a plea at the official opening of the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders held at Lowe Building in Mahikeng on Thursday, Premier Modise said the role of traditional leaders must not be taken for granted because it is the most important feature of traditional communities.

“The task of building a democratic state requires that what is envisaged in the democratic dream is shared by all. The task of strengthening and consolidating democracy requires the participation of all leaders, including traditional leaders,” she said also adding that they must be part of the leadership that is leading South Africa towards a better life for all.

The ceremony which marked the 6

th term of the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders was attended by amongst others, the National House of Traditional Leaders representatives, members of other Provincial House of Traditional leaders, MEC’s, Mayors, Councilors, Speaker of the North West Provincial Legislature, Supra Mahumapelo and reprentatives of the House of the House of Chiefs 

 from

  neighbouring Botswana.

Modise announced that the forensic investigation into the D-Account instituted by the provincial government has commenced and appealed for conflicts within royal houses to be reduced as they destabilise and perpetuates conflicts within traditional councils.

Premier Modise also called on all traditional leaders to become increasing involved in the struggle against HIV and AIDS.

“You have the respect and authority to influence people’s views and practices on all issues. We trust in the battle against HIV and AIDS you will advocate in for change in the most personal behaviors, such as sexuality. Let us mobilize the communities to take HIV and AIDS test so that they know their status, the sooner the better medical intervention could be timeously and more lives could be saved,” she said.

Premier further noted the five year strategic plan incorporating the most important government priorities which are national building, rural development and preservation of indigenous heritage.

She asked the traditional leaders to work with relevant provincial department, municipalities and the private sector to look into reviving cultural heritage.

“Traditional leaders must organize and participate in festivals that celebrate our traditional songs and dances, the importance of our songs lies in the fact they contain a lot of history and stories dealing with values and morals,” she cited.

She encouraged traditional leaders to participate in local initiatives that are aimed at monitoring, reviewing or evaluating government programmes in our traditional communities.

Over the past years there has being concerns about illegal initiations schools in the North West Province.

The illegal initiations schools results in many cases around deaths, adductions and botched circumcision.

Premier Modise also called on the House of Traditional leaders to work on control measures that will help in regulating initiation schools across the province.

She said once the control measures are in place the hands of the justice system would be strengthened to deal with criminal behavior of those running initiation schools.

In expressing support for the Premier’s anti-rape million signature campaign against during his closing remarks, Provincial Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders, Professor Madoda Zibi said that traditional leaders as custodians of culture, values

  and traditions support the Premier’s

  visionary leadership and will give the campaign their maximum support.

He committed that traditional leaders in the province will support any initiatives by the provincial government that are meant for the development of communities.

Two men have been sentenced to life imprisonment for killing North West farmer Andre van der Merwe and dragging him behind his bakkie, police said on Thursday.

In addition to the life sentences Thabo Matlhoko, 25, and Shadrack Smith, 29, were given 20 years each for robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, by the Mmabatho High Court on Monday, spokesman Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said.

“On 30 April 2011 three suspects went to Driekuil farm of Mr Andre van der Merwe in Ottosdal to commit a very gruesome crime which left the farmer dead.”

Matlhoko, Smith and a third man were arrested in Ottosdal the next day. The third man was acquitted on all counts.

Van der Merwe was shot four times; according to Beeld newspaper twice in the back, behind the left ear, and in the cheek.

“Oom Andre had an open heart and he was good to everyone, black and white. We hope and believe he was not conscious when he was dragged behind the bakkie,” Van der Merwe’s friend Frans Hugo, who discovered the body after the murder, told the newspaper.

He was tied to his bakkie and dragged for about two kilometres. His killers hid his body in a maize field before stealing the bakkie.

“Lieutenant General Zukiswa Mbombo… said this sends a strong message to perpetrators of crime that they should respect other people’s right to life,” said Ngubane.

-Sapa

Human Settlements Public Safety and Liaison MEC Nono Maloyi is to launch the provincial 2013 Easter Arrive Alive Campaign in Taung today.

The campaign which will take a harsher and tougher approach against offenders during the Easter period, is aimed at reducing road carnage on public roads within the province.

By Staff Reporter

North West premier Thandi Modise calls for bus crash investigation after eleven injured   North West Premier Thandi Modise has called for an investigation into the bus crash in which eleven school children were injured when their bus hit a power line tower. The accident occurred on the Wildebeeslaagre road outside Potchefstroom in the North West on Thursday afternoon.

“We wish the injured learners a speedy recovery. Though we breathed a sigh of relief that there were no fatalities in the crash, we are interested in knowing what was the cause of the crash as we wish to maintain a safe and reliable learner scholar transport system and public transport system as part of the National Rolling Enforcement Plan and the strategy for the Decade of Action for Road Safety Campaign,” said Premier Modise.

According to ER24, paramedics found the bus firmly wedges into the tower while twenty-one children including the driver were found seated on the floor near the accident.Eleven slightly injured children were treated at the scene before being taken to various hospitals.

Though it is alleged that the accident occurred after the bus driver lost control,it is unclear what caused him tgo lose control.

By Staff Reporter

Premier condemns police brutality following arrest of Lomanyaneng sergeant 

  Police officers who think they are a law unto themselves and could with impunity undermine the rights of ordinary citizens should be reminded that they have no place for them in the South African Police Service (SAPS), North West Premier Thandi Modise said on Thursday.

“Though everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty, Incidents of police brutality and violence unleashed on citizens by members of the police service have the potential to antagonise communities against the police and should be stemmed out before it’s too late. The culture of violence should not be allowed to take root in our police service as it would undermines democratic and accountable community policing that the culture of respect for human rights that our people yearned for,” emphasised 

 Premier Modise in response to the arrest of a Lomanyaneng Police Sergeant by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate(IPID).

Modise condemns alleged incident and comments the IPID on the arrest and says that the directorate’s impartiality and objectivity in their investigations gives hope that the days of police officials who have not yet internalised the philosophy of a democratic and accountable community policing in the dignified blue uniform are drawing to a close.

The Premier called on police officials who are still true to upholding the rights of citizens and the pledge to serve and protect communities to blow the whistle on the few rotten potatoes who are giving the police service a bad name.

The sergeant was arrested after allegedly grabbing a complainant by his neck and dragging him in a state vehicle for about 100 meters. The complainant had according to the IPID advised a boy whom he purportedly saw police harassing while on his way to tuckshop at around 8:30 pm in Setlopo village.

After the police had finished talking to the boy, the complainant had called the boy to advise him about what to do should he feel that he was treated badly by the police.  The victim who happens to be a court intepretor at Molopo Magistrates Court sustained injuries to his feet during the incident and was taken to hospital by his neighbour. The sergeant had allegedly asked him if he knew what police were capable of these days.

The case was reported to the police on Tuesday 12 March 2013 and they referred it to the IPID for investigation whereupon the suspect was arrested on Wednesday at Lomanyaneng SAPS where he works He was subsequently charged and will appear in the Mmabatho Magistrates Court tomorrow , Friday 15 March 2013.