The Tlokwe City Council’s Acting Municipal Manager has been served with a letter terminating his services as the battle continues between the DA and the ANC over who the rightful mayor of the city is.

The City Council has confirmed that the Municipal Manager was given a letter terminating his services, a day after a council meeting was held which elected Annette Combrinck of the DA as executive mayor.

City spokesperson, Willie Maphosa, says the letter was issued by the MEC for local government and traditional affairs in North West.

“He has been served with the letter from the MEC, but this is not related to what happened on Tuesday. It’s purely a procedural matter. He was appointed on a six-month-term contract and it expired in February. Yesterday, he was served with a letter to indicate that his term has expired.”

The Department of Local government and Traditional Affairs was not available to comment on the matter.

On Thursday, 14 ANC Councillors in the Tlokwe City Council at Potchefstroom in the North West were expelled from the party. This after the councillors had voted with the DA on Tuesday to oust former Tlokwe Mayor Maphetle Maphetle following a similar motion of no confidence in him in November last year.

The ANC had restored him to office in between, but the DA’s Annette Combrinck was re-elected on Wednesday.
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A small group of Save Our Schools campaigners, who have gathered outside the Western Cape High court, was disappointed to learn that judgment in the final review application in the province’s school closure matter will not be delivered on Friday.

The review was heard last month in the matter between the 17 schools earmarked for closure and the Provincial Education department.

An initial court roll circulated to attorneys, indicate that judgment in the matter would be heard on Friday but court officials say that this list should not have been sent out, and was meant only for judges schedules.

Judgment was reserved in June and no date has been set.

The group of supporters include members of school governing bodies, parents and the teachers union, South African Democratic Teacher’s Union (Sadtu).

Initially 27 schools were earmarked for closure but this was later revised to 20. The schools are arguing that the department did not follow proper procedures, and that the public participation process was flawed.

The department cited dwindling learner number, under performance and poor infrastructure, among others as reasons for the proposed closures.
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Johannesburg – Bafana Bafana have been dealt another blow with four more players withdrawing from the national squad to take part in the Cosafa Cup tournament in Zambia.

The fresh alterations to the squad mean coach Gordon Igesund has had to make a total of 13 changes to the original list of 20 players selected to do duty for South Africa at the southern region tournament. They open their campaign in a quarterfinal fixture next weekend.

Musa Bilankulu of Wits was replaced by Platinum Stars captain Vuyo Mere on Friday, Lance Davids from Ajax Cape Town made way for Edward Manqele of Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs’ Mandla Masango was included in place of Luyolo Nomandela of Free State Stars, and Mzikayise Mashaba of Wits was called up as a replacement for William Twala of Orlando Pirates (formerly Chippa United).

Bafana media officer Matlhomola Morake said three of the players – Bilankulu, Twala and Davids – withdrew as their clubs said they were returning from injuries.

“Nomandela is injured, and the other three, the clubs said the players were coming back from injury so they were deemed unfit,” said Morake.

Igesund was forced to make nine changes to his original squad earlier in the week after clubs opted not to release players.

Kaizer Chiefs had five players selected but they were later withdrawn, while the SuperSport United duo of Ronwen Williams and striker Kermit Erasmus, Bloemfontein Celtic defender Thabo Nthethe, who was to captain the squad, and Mamelodi Sundowns defender Tebogo Langerman were also removed.

Igesund said they were facing a stiff challenge in Zambia with an understrength team.

“We need to be competitive there,” said Igesund.

“There were so many players pulling out for whatever reasons and so many not available so it is becoming very tough.”

Bafana squad:

Goalkeepers: Siyabonga Mpontshane, Wayne Sandilands.

Defenders: Bevan Fransman, Thulani Hlatshwayo, Sibusiso Khumalo, Vuyo Mere, Lehlohonolo Nomyane, Buhle Mkhwanazi, Tshepo Gumede.

Midfielders: Mandla Masango, Lerato Chabangu, Sibusiso Msomi, Hlompho Kekana, Edward Manqele, Jabu Shongwe, Ruzaigh Gamildien.

Strikers: Katlego Mashego, Mzikayise Mashaba, Lebogang Manyama, Thabani Mthembu.
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The presidency urged Nelson Mandela’s family on Friday to solve an increasingly bitter dispute “amicably”, weighing in for the first time on a feud over the ailing former president’s final resting place.

“It is regrettable that there is a dispute going on among family members and we’d like that dispute to be resolved as amicably and as soon as possible,” President Jacob Zuma’s spokesperson Mac Maharaj told AFP in an interview.

After a heated court battle, 15 Mandela relatives, including his three daughters and wife Graça Machel, won a court order to rebury the remains of his three deceased children on Wednesday.

His oldest grandson Mandla, 39, had moved the graves from Mandela’s childhood village Qunu to his own nearby homestead in Mvezo two years ago, without the family’s permission.

Following the ruling Mandla launched a tirade at his relatives.

In a nationally televised news conference on Thursday he accused one of his brothers of impregnating his wife, and said others were born out of wedlock.

Mandla also accused other close relatives of money-grabbing and said Mandela’s daughter Makaziwe was trying to “sow divisions and destruction” in her family.

Maharaj refused to comment on a nine-day-old court document, which said the 94-year-old former president was judged to be in a “permanent vegetative state” and that his doctors had recommended switching off his life-support machines.

“We did not file any document and we are not saying that it’s true or not true,” he said.

Burial place

The filing was produced by a Mandela family lawyer last Wednesday and argued for an urgent court hearing, so that a burial place for the critically ill Mandela could be finalised.

Mandela has indicated in the past he wanted to be buried with his family.

The moved graves meant there was confusion about his final resting place.

Since the court document was published, the presidency as well as Mandela’s family and friends have said his condition has improved.

But Maharaj would not confirm if the document described Mandela’s health accurately.

Mandela remained in a “critical but stable” condition, Maharaj said, but did not elaborate, citing doctor-patient confidentiality.

– AFP

By Obakeng Maje

Potchefstroom-The DA has served legal papers on former Tlokwe Mayor Maphetle Maphetle and other councillors currently refusing to vacate the municipal offices.

Officials have also been allegedly instructed by the ANC not to allow the new DA administration access to these offices.

Mr Maphetle has requested a meeting on Monday to resolve matters.

“The DA is prepared to attend this meeting but is also equally prepared to do what is necessary to bring immediate stability to the municipality” DA Chris Hattingh said.

DA remains the only political party that can bring stability to the municipality given the deep and seemingly intractable divisions within the ANC caucus said Hattingh.

ANC announced that those councillors who voted against them to unseat embattled Maphetle were expelled from the party.

Some ANC members who were in support of ousted councillors were seen burning their membership cards and t-shirts depicted with ANC logo.

“It is likely that we will soon see the ANC suspend their 14 ANC councillors who voted against corruption in Tlokwe this week.

This will leave the DA with both an outright majority and a quorum in council to get started with our delivery agenda” DA said.

Democratic Allience said they are intent on acting immediately to deal with key delivery issues such as housing which is being affected by unsafe dolomite rocks beneath the surface threatening to collapse and endanger residents.

“We will also move to deal with the findings of corruption in the forensic audit commissioned by the DA during our last tenure in charge” he said.

The DA remains focused on delivery in Tlokwe and ensuring stability in the municipality’s administration said Hattingh.

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By Obakeng Maje

Taung-The family of the deceased Pontsho Mogapi at Manokwane village in Greater Taung Local Municipality is heaving a sigh of relief after receiving social assistance from North West newly appointed MEC for Social Development, Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Collen Maine.

Yesterday Maine visited the family following a gruesome death of Pontsho Mogapi, 35 who was allegedly killed by her husband over a heated argument on the June 26.

“Maine has, since the incident deployed social workers to provide social relief of distress in the form of food parcels, blankets and hygienic packs” departmental spokesperson Vuyisile Ngesi said.

“This is very sad and painful. Such behaviour should not be tolerated in our communities. I make an appeal to the local municipality and other government departments to work together with our department to ensure that the deceased daughter who even witnessed the killing of her mother is being taken to school and receive all the necessary care,” Maine said. 

He added that the family should allow the law to take its cause over the case.

The deceased daughter, a 17 year old Grade 11 learner who spoke on condition of anonymity said she wants to follow in the footsteps of her mother and become a nurse to emulate her mother who was a nurse at the time of her untimely death.

According to the police report, the suspect allegedly stabbed the victim with a knife on the head and set their 3 roomed house alight and fled the scene. He later handed himself to police and charged with murder and arson.

The deceased will be buried on Sunday at Manokwane village in Greater Taung Local Municipality.

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Over seven hundred and six million has been allocated to address sanitation backlog within the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality, the Executive Mayor, Councillor Louis Diremelo reported at the North West Provincial Basic Services Acceleration Summit that commenced in Rustenburg on Thursday.

According to Diremelo’s report presented on the first day of the two- day summit, 

5485 households in Moretele Local Municipality are beneficiaries of theR255 million sanitation projects that are under construction in eleven wards.Six thousand VIP’s and 4000 waterborne toilets project is to be rolled out in Klipgat in Madibeng Local Municipality. The intervention includes the rehabilitation of 4 waste treatment works funded through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant. Two hundred and forty-four million rand has been allocated for the project.

Other projects to address the sanitation backlog are underway in Moses Kotane, Kgetleng Rivier and Rustenburg Local Municipalities.