Mahikeng. The North West Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism (DEDECT) have made the province proud by scooping the twelfth Southern African
Institute of Government Auditors (SIAGA) Annual Public Sector Reporting Awards for 2012/13 reporting period.

The Department is the winner in the category of the best provincial department in the North West scoring 85.77% for producing excellent and detailed financial statements.

“Although there are number of compliance matters that are still being attended to, this award is
an affirmation that we are moving in the right direction. I would like to thank the Departmental management and staff for their commitment and dedication in fulfilling our dream of producing quality reports, said MEC for DEDECT, Motlalepula Rosho with pride.

’’We have put proper systems and processes in place to respond to government’s call to pay service providers within 30 days after the submission of invoice. There is vast improvement with regard to this since the last quarter, she said.-TDN
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The North West Public Servants teams dominated and scooped most medals at National Public Service Sports and Wellness Championships held at Thaba Tshwane over the weekend.

“The performance of our teams in various sporting codes attest to the determination of our public servants to be the best at what they do and gives us confidence that the winning spirit displayed at the championships would translate into higher productivity to meet the expectations of our communities who are yearning for an effective and efficient public service,” said Premier Thandi Modise is congratulating the team.

“The team made us proud and raised the bar, it is up to departments to sustain programmes aimed at promoting individual wellness, fitness and healthy lifestyles among their employees and for each employee to take advantage of free health and wellness screening for ailments like high blood pressure, cholesterol, Tuberculosis and HIV & Aids and strive for excellent personal health” added Premier Modise.

The provincial team scooped the netball, outdoor tennis doubles and singles,tables tennis, male chess and tug-of-war medals titles and were also second runner up in the outdoor, male chess and ladies tug-of war sporting codes.

Though the team did not do well in the male and female volleyball and ladies soccer, team, the majority of participants from the province dominated the top 10 positions in the fun run and walk code.-TDN
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Kaizer Chiefs head coach Stuart Baxter has told the Amakhosi’s fanbase to be fair to striker Kingston Nkhatha.

The Zimbabwean forward has come in for a lot of criticism in recent months, with the club’s supporters criticising his performances and often calling for him to be excluded from the team.

However, Baxter has kept his faith in the striker, praising his impressive work ethic when he is given a chance in the club’s black and gold jersey.

Now, following the penalty shoot out win over Free State Stars in the Telkom Knockout, Baxter has backed Nkhatha once again.

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Mpumalanga Black Aces and striker Mabhudi Khenyeza have been charged by the PSL with contravening Rule 51 of the NSL rules.

In a statement released by the PSL, the league explains the charge, “The club and player have both been charged with contravening Rule 51 of the NSL Rules and FIFA Laws of the Game after the player revealed a slogan on an undergarment after scoring a goal during their fixture against Bloemfontein Celtic on 25 September 2013 at the Mbombela Stadium.”

This is not the first time Khenyeza has had a run-in with the PSL. The striker is still waiting for the arbitrator’s correspondence with regards to the PSL’s appeal on his case. This comes after the Safa Appeals Board decided to reduce Khenyeza’s 12-month ban to a fine.

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North West Premier Thandi Modise says that the depth of commitment displayed by all involved in the teaching and learning process gives her confidence that her province would not only consolidate and sustain the improvement in matric results it has recorded over the past few years but that it would increase its pass percentage in this year’s examination.

“We wish all learners who will be sitting for their examinations as from next week the very best and call on them to stay focused and not be distracted from the task at hand. Whatever sacrifices and extra effort they put to revise will definitely pay off. We believe in them to succeed and make us proud,” highlighted Premier Modise adding that investing in the education of young people as future leaders is key to sustainable development.

The Premier said that the provincial government expects the success of the focus on quality improvement and extra efforts put through the last push revision campaign over the past three weeks to be reflected not only in the results, but also in the skills and competencies of the learners who will be exiting the school system.

The MEC for Education, Wendy Matsemela had recently assured the Executive Council that her department has made all the necessary preparations to ensure the successful administration of the examinations and has gone to great lengths to put in place the required measures to safeguard the integrity of the examinations process.

“Come Monday, it should be all systems go. The checks and balances that have been put in place and perfected over the past 19 years should ensure that there are no glitches and no hiccups,” Modise emphasised.

Premier Modise has called for special prayers for matriculants during this coming weekend services.
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Fraud and corruption accused ANC Northern Cape Leader, John Block tops the provincial party list. The ANC repeated that Block is innocent, the party will not suspend him until he’s found guilty in court.

The Northern Cape’s list conference kicked off in Kimberley on Monday.

Four hundred delegates have an ambitious plan to garner 70% of the votes. Block faces fraud and corruption charges and two other ANC members, Yolanda Botha and Alvin Botes, are also criminally implicated.

Botes is one of the top ten candidates and Botha also features on the list. ANC secretary Zamani Saul says, “They have been charged and there are allegations that still needs to be proved in a court of law, as the ANC we have said that we believe in others’ innocence.”

The party’s amended constitution says ANC officials charged with a criminal offence must be suspended until the charges are proved or disproved.

The Northern Cape has backed Block to the hilt.
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Previously unseen video footage obtained by the Marikana Support Committee contradicts police’s statements about their role in the killings. The visuals show police drawing their pistols from their holsters before the alleged attack by miners on the scene.

The footage also shows miners walking relatively slowly, not charging or attacking the police as alleged. Citizens for Marikana believe police breached protocol by shooting the miners who were not about to attack them.

“The police narrative, media narrative at the time that the police acted in self-defence is not true and doesn’t stand up. It’s very clear from this footage that, that is a misnomer and a lie,” says Citizens for Marikana’s Rehad Desia.

Struggle Icon, Ronnie Kasrils says it will be interesting to hear government’s response to this new video.

“It will be very interesting to see what the commission makes of it, what our country makes of it, what our government makes of it, our president and the police commissioner who at the time said it was not the time to point fingers,” says Kasrils.

The footage was sent to the Marikana commission evidence leaders at the weekend.

“The evidence leading team, who are leading the cross examination, be it written format or recorded material, will then be in a position to be able to examine whatever information has been given to them as to whether it warrant being put before the commission,” says Marikana spokesperson, Tshepho Mahlangu.

Meanwhile, 270 miners arrested on that fatal day, 16th of August last year, will appear in the Garankuwa Magistrate’s court on Tuesday.

The Marikana group has called for all charges against the arrested miners to be dropped.

Post by SABC News Online.
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The ANC in the Northern Cape say they are aiming for a target of 70% votes in the upcoming 2014 general elections. This emerged at the Provincial List Conference in Kimberley, where branches across the province were nominating candidates who will represent the party in government after the elections.

The ANC’s Provincial Secretary, Zamani Saul, says this will be achieved through their intensified methods of door to door campaigning, coupled with their strategy of making politics interesting to first time voters.

Saul says they are confident about reaching their target, this despite numerous corruption charges faced by some of the candidates such as ANC provincial chairperson, John Block and Deputy Provincial Secretary, Alvin Botes, whose names are topping the nomination list.

Saul says they have been charged and there are allegations against them which still have to be proven in the court of law.

“We’ve been sending out a consistent message about them being innocent until proven guilty and as the ANC in the province – we’ve got confidence and belief in their innocence.”

“That won’t have any impact in terms of our campaign. People don’t judge us in terms of the individual conduct of members of the ANC, but what we’ll be putting in front of them is our track record in service delivery and what we’ve done to improve this country since 1994,” says Saul.
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A total of 60 young unemployed women from communities around Mahikeng, received certificates and First Aid kits after completing a short disaster management course they were doing.

The young ladies were drawn from disadvantaged communities like Ottoshoop, Tsetse, Magokgwane, Miga, Ramatlabama and Ikopeleng villages.

They were trained in disaster risk management and first aid after the local government department and the Mahikeng local municipality partnered, to equip women in poor communities.

Local government spokesperson Dineo Lolokwane said: “The purpose of the training is to provide youth especially young women with the necessary skills to deal with disaster incidents when they arise and be able to apply first aid lessons.”

One of the graduates, Bonolo Sefularo, 25, from Ramatlabama village said she had been unemployed since matriculating in 2004 and this training would give her something to do.

“I acquired a certificate of competency in first aid which covers artificial respiratory and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). With this, I will be able to save lives of residents in my community.

“I now know how to assist those who sustained different injuries including stab wounds. I’m intending to make a meaningful contribution to my community since the local clinic is not open 24 hours,” she said.

Refiloe Mooketsi, 21, from Maruping village is among beneficiaries who completed a basic disaster risk management course that was offered at the University of North West.

“I’m able to identify hazards which pose danger to residents and can come up with mechanisms to eliminate them. For instance here in Maruping village, there are a lot of trenches which are hazardous to us, especially children and animals. We can involve the community as well as the municipality to fill such trenches.”

Mapatane Kgomo, who spoke on behalf of local government MEC Manketsi Tlhape, said: “Communities are the backbone of our survival as they are the first people to respond to any incident especially when disaster strikes. This is part of our efforts to ensure that we equip them with the necessary skills to help themselves.

“Your areas were chosen after several disaster cases were identified which left you vulnerable and exposed to hazards. We expect all graduates to manage all disaster risks and bring change to your communities.”

At the same occasion, other women working for fire and emergency centres in the Ngaka Modiri Molema district, were also given certificates of recognition for their contribution in disaster management and fire services.

Kgomo said the initiative would be taken to other districts.
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University students have been urged to consider joining the armed forces so that they put their acquired skills in the defence of the country’s territorial integrity.

The call came from Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula during her recruitment drive at the North West University’s Mahikeng campus.

The Minister said the South African Army, Navy, Special Forces and military health services were areas that desperately need sharp brains from universities.

“The SA National Defence Force (SANDF) is a unique organisation that requires a unique set of individuals whose commitment to the country is above the rest.

“There is an ongoing need to rejuvenate our force and bring much-needed expertise into the different musterings of the SANDF.”

Mapisa-Nqakula said there was a lot that was unknown in areas like engineering, avionics, medical research, technology development, nautical sciences and aerospace.

“Of all the four arms of services of the SANDF, the Army, the largest of our services, is the one that is widely known.

“Not much is understood about the work of the Navy, the air force, and the military health services.

“We are keen to recruit people in scientific and technical fields to ensure that our defence force and medical services have people qualified to make the SANDF a national asset of the highest standard.

“The defence industry now requires a high level of scientific, technological and strategic expertise.

“Historically, and all over the world, the military used to be regarded as a dumping ground for those considered of low intellect.

“Today the exact opposite is the case. Advances in military technology and strategy require the best minds to lead defence forces.

“The modern soldier must be educated, not just trained, and must continue to educate him or herself to keep up with developments in the conduct of operations and the technologies involved.”

She further called on the university to consider introducing a military health services degree at the campus, a proposal the campus rector said he would seriously consider.

Students had a chance to see and get a feel of some military operations through various exhibition stalls manned by different divisions of the armed forces that were on campus.

Some of the students spoken to said they would begin to search more about armed forces because they had not been exposed to tempting prospects presented by the Minister.
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