The North West Provincial Government is to spend R200 million on the rollout of 30 road road rehabilitation and maintenance projects during the 2013/14 financial year, Premier Thandi Modise declared  in her State of the Province Address delivered in Mahikeng on Friday.

Premier Modise reported that 25 routine patrol and emergency repairs projects that include road clearance, pothole repair, signage, shoulders, grass cutting and drainage clearance.

The projects are part of the Strategic Infrastructure Project (SIP 4) that the province had increased after consultation with various stakeholders during District road summits that culminated in the Provincial Road Summit that was held last year. They include the initial 10 that were announced by the President during the 2012 State of the Province Address.

Twenty-four building projects that include schools, clinics, libraries, sports and recreational facilities were also announced by the Premier for implementation as part of infrastructure development projects.

The premier also reported that the province has completed the Provincial Transport Master Plan, Provincial Rural Transport Strategy, Integrated Transport Plans for District Municipalities and the Provincial Land Transport Framework in order to improve road infrastructure development, management and maintenance programme.

Pretoria – Oscar Pistorius’ alleged intention to kill a burglar could not be turned into an intention to kill his girlfriend, his lawyer said on Friday.

“The question here is how would a reasonable person have acted under the circumstances?” asked Barry Roux at the bail hearing of his client in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court.

The paralympian is charged with the murder of Reeva Steenkamp in a toilet at his home on February 14. Pistorius has denied this, saying he thought an intruder was in his house when he fired into the cubicle.

Magistrate Desmond Nair asked if an intruder behind the toilet door had posed a threat, what would Roux ask for.

“We would ask for culpable homicide,” replied Roux.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel has argued that Pistorius had intended to kill when he fired his weapon, even if he thought he was shooting at a burglar.

The court has adjourned so that the magistrate can make his ruling. The announcement is expected at 2.30pm. – Sapa

By Staff Reporter

NWest to support land restitution to celebrate 100 years of the Land Act

The North West Provincial government will provide post settlement support to beneficiaries of land restitution as part of the commemoration of 100 years of the Native Land Act of 1993 to ensure that acquired land is used productively.

In making the announcement in her State of the Province Address delivered in Mahikeng on Friday, Premier Thandi Modise said that this would ensure that acquired land is used more productively.

“Poverty, inequality and unemployment are direct results of the Native Land Act of 1913. That is why we are supporting farms to do well to ensure food security for all. Though there are challenges, we getting there,” Modise highlighted in her speech.

She said in June 2013, the Native land Act of 1993 would be 100 years and the millions of South Africans are still living in poverty in the areas which their forefathers were banished.

The Premier said although there have been numerous successes on the issue of land redistribution, the province still has backlogs of applications.

Modise said that her administration will provide infrastructure and technical support to the beneficiaries of six land reform farms which are Syferlaagte Trust, Tutubala CPA, Seven Season CPA, Mogakabe CPA, Ikageng CPA and Emarantia farm.

“The ANC –led government is the product of the people and that is why we are always listening to their needs and responding to their cries,” she stressed.

BY Obakeng Maje

Kimberley-The Campbell Police are investigating a murder and rape which allegedly
took place in Campbell on Saturday.

The naked body of Monica
Bloukop(32) was found in a small thorn bush in the veld in Campbell on Monday at approximately 18:00pm police said.

” Local boys were apparently playing
in the veld when they made this gruesome discovery.It appears that the suspects raped the woman,slit her throat and then dumped her in the veld” Lieutenant Sergio Kock said.

Police said the deceased also had
several burn marks on her back, buttocks and left legs.

The police were immediately
formed a manhunt and managed to arrest four male suspects in the proceess.

They were arrested on Tuesday at approximately 02:00am at their homes in Campbell.

“The Kimberley
Cluster Commander, Major General Jean Abrahams commended the policemen and
women of Campbell for their commitment which led to the arrest of the alleged
perpetrators. The community is also lauded for their assistance with regards to
the information they availed to the police in this regard” said Kock.

“Three suspects aged 20, 28 and 30 years old and one suspect is a minor
aged 15 years old. The suspects are known as Godfrey Titus(20), Allie
George(28), Stanley Morolong(30) and the 15 year old minor cannot be named” police said.

“The suspects appeared before the Douglas
Magistrate Court on Thursday and the case were remanded in jail” police said.

They will appear on 12 March 2013 for a formal bail application.

The minor was sent to a place
of safety while the other 3 suspects will remain in custody.

The police request
that all information regarding the incident please be forwarded to Detective
Capt Doggy Magugu at 074 580 7338 or to Detective Constable Algean Son at 084
272 5651.

All information will be treated with the strictest of confidence. The
investigation continues.

BY Obakeng Maje

The North West Province is aiming to achieve 100% access to water for all households in the new financial year, North West Premier Thandi Modise announced in her State of the Province delivered in the Provincial legislature on Friday.

Premier Modise reported that thus far 920 000 households in the province have access to basic water and that aging water infrastructure had resulted in shortage of water in some parts of the province last year and even in the beginning of the year 2013.

Modise said that the province is in engagements with Botshelo and Magalies Water Boards and all municipalities who are affected to find solution to the challenge.Water treatment works are also considered to alleviate water shortage.

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Pretoria – Oscar Pistorius’ coach was hoping the Olympic athlete would be granted bail on Friday.

“We feel the truth must come out and we feel very positive and we just want him at home,” said Ampie Louw, ahead of Pistorius’ bail application at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court.

“At this stage it is a priority,” he said.

He was not able to comment on how Pistorius was managing as he had not been able to visit him and had only seen him at court.

Pistorius is charged with the murder of his girlfriend, model and law graduate Reeva Steenkamp, on February 14 in a shooting at his home.

Pistorius has denied deliberately shooting her and has said, in an affidavit, he thought there was a burglar when he fired shots at the bathroom door, killing her.

Asked how Pistorius seemed to him, Louw said: “He is sad. He is very sad.”

Pistorius is a double amputee and competed in the Olympic Games in London last year, running on carbon fibre blades with the nickname “Blade Runner”.

He has won several gold medals at Paralymic Games in Athens, Beijing and London.

Louw has been training Pistorius since he began training at the Sports Science Institute at the University of Pretoria while in his teens. – Sapa

ACTOR Tshepo Maseko, best known for his role as Parsons Matabane in the SABC3 soapie Isidingo, says he wishes the media and celebrities could play a major role in addressing moral regeneration.

Maseko, who was part of the audience during the Sowetan Dialogues on Wednesday, said celebrities had a powerful role to play in society.

He said he would like to see more advertisements on moral regeneration on television.

He said liquor brands occupied more airplay than anything else, and that might be the reason for society’s moral decay.

“Look at what happened to Oscar Pistorius.

“People idolised him as a role model not so long ago and now he is all over the media with rather negative news,” he said.

Maseko said young people had to be wary of certain celebrities and older men.

“I get worried when I see a beautiful and young black woman being used by a celebrity or rich older man,” he said.

Maseko, who also presents SABC2’s religious music show Gospel Classics, urged churches to come together to boost moral regeneration.

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

Rustenburg – A striking miner wounded at Marikana did not lay down his weapons because this did not occur to him at the time, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on Thursday.

Ishmael Semenya, for the police, put it to Siphete Phatsha that he could have disarmed himself once police Nyalas (armoured vehicles) started deploying barbed wire at the hill where the strikers had assembled.

Phatsha said: “It did not occur to me to do that.”

He denied Semenya’s suggestion that he had not disarmed because he wanted to use his weapons. He said he could not throw them away.

“It was illegal, yes, but I had them.”

The commission is holding hearings in Rustenburg, North West, as part of its inquiry into the deaths of 44 people during an unprotected strike at Lonmin Platinum’s mine in Marikana last year.

On August 16, 34 striking mineworkers were shot dead and 78 were injured when the police opened fire while trying to disperse a group which had gathered on a hill near the mine.

Ten people, including two police officers and two security guards, were killed near the mine in the preceding week.

Questioning Phatsha on Thursday, Semenya put it to him: “When they (the police) deployed the wire, knowing you had a dangerous weapon, illegal in this country, (and) police having asked you to disarm, you had an opportunity to put it down.”

Phatsha said he did not hear anyone asking the protesters to lay down their weapons. “I had no intention to hurt anybody.”

He objected to being asked about a speech made by one of the miners’ leaders, Mgcineni Noki, alias “Mumbush”, through a loudhailer.

According to Semenya, Noki, who was killed later that day, told the police: “We will kill one another today.”

Semenya asked Phatsha whether he considered this a declaration of war.

Phatsha said he had not heard this.

“He (Noki) is the person who should answer that question, not me…. I don’t think that should be put to me,” he said.

Earlier, an error in Phatsha’s written statement to the commission was revealed.

The statement contained a paragraph that Phatsha attended a march to the National Union of Mineworkers’ (NUM) mine offices on August 11.

However, in his testimony Phatsha said he had arrived late, and while the protesters were returning from the offices.

Lonmin’s representative Terry Motau said: “If I accept that what you are saying is correct, then it follows that paragraph four 1/8of the written statement 3/8 must be incorrect”.

Phatsha, who is illiterate but able to sign his name, agreed.

Motau said it was the responsibility of the legal team representing Phatsha and other wounded miners to prepare and explain the contents of their statements to them. Motau said he would deal with this issue at a later stage.

During cross-examination, Phatsha said he and his fellow rock drill operators (RDOs) at the mine did not want to involve unions in their negotiations for higher wages.

This was because the RDOs belonged to various unions, and they wanted to negotiate only for themselves.

Phatsha denied that there was any other reason that the RDOs did not want to involve unions.

Motau also asked for his comment on NUM president Senzeni Zokwana’s testimony that he received a hostile reception when he arrived at the big hill to address the protesters.

Zokwana claimed the protesters sang a song which translated as:

“We hate NUM. How will we kill NUM? We hate Zokwana. How will we kill Zokwana?”

Phatsha said he had “never heard such a thing”, despite being at the hill that day.

There was no water at the Rustenburg Civic Centre for a second day on Thursday because of a municipal water problem. Toilets could not be flushed and people were unable to wash their hands.

Commission spokesman Tshepo Mahlangu said a temporary solution would be sought if the water supply was not restored by Friday, when the commission resumes. – Sapa