By Obakeng Maje

Johannesburg-South Africa yet lost another singer through illness this week. Spokes H as he was affectionately known to his fellowers succumbed to illness on Tuesday night.

Spokes H born Letona Spokes Hlatshwayo was admitted into hospital two weeks ago. According to reports, Motlhang Ke Tsamaya hitmaker fell sick two weeks ago and was taken to a local clinic where he was transferred to Kopanong Hospital in Veereniging,South of Johannesburg.

A 45 year-old musician shot to fame in 1990s with hit songs like Rabaki and Peace Magents.

“Spokes H fell sick two weeks ago and I personally took him to a local clinic, but because of deteriorating health he was transferred to hospital” William Mthethwa told sabc radio.

The reports say Spokes H was admitted into ICU because of high blood pressure.

Letona “Spokes H” leaves his three children and mum whom he stayed with at Migson Manor.

William Mthethwa said the funeral arrangement will be available soon as Hlatshwayo’s family is busy preparing for another funeral in Free State.

“Spokes H’s uncle also passed on, so the family is busy with funeral preparations and the musician’s funeral details will be available on Tuesday” Mthethwa said.

William Mthethwa also took time to lambasts Media for lack of coverage regarding musician’s death.

“The media of South Africa have that tendency of writing bad about someone and when they have to cover other aspects, they turn away” Mthethwa retorted.

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Three chartered accountants will be deployed to take over financial management of Matlosana Local Municipality by the end of this week, the North West Provincial Executive Council (Exco) noted in its meeting held in Mahikeng on Wednesday.

The deployment announced by MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Manketsi Tlhape follows the concurrence granted by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional approving Section 139(b) intervention by the province in Matlosana, Ditsobotla and Maquassi Hills Local Municipalities.

As per earlier Exco resolution, the intervention to support and strengthen Matlosana Local Municipality to rescue it from collapse will be limited to control of finances.

An assessment that was conducted by the Provincial Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs in terms of the local government turnaround strategy had established that there is a lack of management and leadership capacity in the Budget and Treasury Office resulting in poor financial management and administration of the municipality’s finances.

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By Obakeng Maje

Deputy Minister of Social Development, Ms Maria Bongi Ntuli will today handover a tractor and a truck to ‘LetsemaLethatakaBeng vegetables Cooperative’ as part of the Department’s support to emerging small farming businesses across the country. 

The official handover ceremony follows a recent visit by the Deputy Minister Ntuli at the vegetable farm, where she promised to donate a tractor to assist the co-operative to plough the vast vegetable fields with ease.

“Letsema le ThataKaBeng is a food security Cooperative based is Monakato Village, 50km north of Rustenburg in the North-West province. It was started by 10 unemployed local women who shared passion in vegetable gardening in order to fight poverty and reduce unemployment in the area” Deputy Minister Ntuli said. 

The number of direct beneficiaries at the Cooperative has now increased from 10 to 15 members, of which 96% of the composition is women. 

“Fifteen (15) people from the local community are now employed and earn an income contributing to social relief at home, such as basic household necessities like food, clothing and schooling of children, buying of electricity” she said.

Ntuli said this project, that covers 7 hectares of productive land, was granted funds amounting to R197 999 by the National Development Agency (NDA) in the 2002/03 financial year. 

NDA had since extended its financial support to the cooperative by granting it an additional amount of R793 136 in the 2010/2011 financial year.

The handover will take place as follows:

Place:Monakato Village, 50km from Rustenburg, North West

Time: 10H30 for 11H00am

Date: 25 July 2013

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