Daily Archives: January 30, 2014

Premier Modise appeals for calm following arrest of Swartruggens gruesome murder suspect


 

North West Premier Thandi Modise has appealed for calm following the arrest of a parolee in connection with the gruesome murder of a Swartruggens woman whose mutilated body was discovered behind a tavern over the past weekend.

 

We wish to commend police for the swift arrest of the suspect and appeal that though painful, such incidents should not define the relationship between our black community with their white compatriots and defocus us from pursuing non-racialism, reconciliation and nation-building, Premier Modise said.

 

Irrespective of the fact that the arrested suspect is a white person, all law abiding citizens across racial lines should condemn the horrendous and ghastly act and allow the law to take its course for justice to be done.

 

We should unite in action against crime and intensify efforts to rid our communities of the escalating incidents and combat the scourge of gender based violence, Modise emphasised. 

 

According to police, the body of the woman, believed to be aged between 26 and 30, was discovered by a passer-by on Sunday afternoon in the bush behind a tavern near the Swartruggens shopping complex.

Police Spokesperson Captain Pelonomi Makau had earlier said that the woman was found half-naked wearing only a T-shirt.

“Her face was smashed with a stone… Her breasts were cut off and her private parts slightly cut with an unknown sharp instrument,” Captain Makau had said.

Her stomach had also been cut open.

The suspect is expected to appear in the Swartruggens Magistrates Court tomorrow.-TDN
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A man burnt down after alleged kidnapping


By Obakeng Maje
Zeerust- Police are investigating a case of public violence, malicious damage to property and arson after a group of community members attacked  a Kruisrivier informal settlement businessman on at about 21:00 at their home. 

“It is alleged that the community stoned the victim’s house accused him of the alleged missing and kidnapping of children in the township. It is further alleged that five of his vehicles were burnt down” captain Pelonomi Makau said.

The victim and his wife are in hospital with serious burnt wounds. .An estimated amount of the  damaged property is valued at R640 000.

No arrests have been made yet.

The North West Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Zukiswa Mbombo  has condemned the incident and once again appeals to the community not to take the law into their own hands.-TDN
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NW TO HOLD 2014 EDUCATION SUMMIT


The North West department of education will hold a two-day education summit at Mmabatho Convention centre, starting on 6 to Friday from 8:30 am.

The summit under the theme, “building education together” will be attended by over 600 educationists and stakeholders in education.

“During the summit delegates will delibérate amongst others; the bridging and linking schooling in education, social issues affecting schooling, curriculum and language in education and involvement of parents in safe schooling” departmental spokesperson Brian Setswambung said.

Through the summit, the department seeks to practically recommit stakeholders in education to improve performance in schools.

“The department is confident that resolutions taken at the summit will assist to achieve better good quality education” Setswambung said.

Education MEC Maphefo Matsemela will deliver a keynote address, while Professor Mary Metcalf from the Univesity of Witwatersrand(Wits) and Deputy Director General on social education Gugu Ndebele from Basic Education will share their experiences on education matters.-TDN
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NW TO HOLD 2014 EDUCATION SUMMIT


The North West department of education will hold a two-day education summit at Mmabatho Convention centre, starting on 6 to Friday from 8:30 am.

The summit under the theme, “building education together” will be attended by over 600 educationists and stakeholders in education.

“During the summit delegates will delibérate amongst others; the bridging and linking schooling in education, social issues affecting schooling, curriculum and language in education and involvement of parents in safe schooling” departmental spokesperson Brian Setswambung said.

Through the summit, the department seeks to practically recommit stakeholders in education to improve performance in schools.

“The department is confident that resolutions taken at the summit will assist to achieve better good quality education” Setswambung said.

Education MEC Maphefo Matsemela will deliver a keynote address, while Professor Mary Metcalf from the Univesity of Witwatersrand(Wits) and Deputy Director General on social education Gugu Ndebele from Basic Education will share their experiences on education matters.-TDN
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A man robs McDonald with a toy, escapes on bycircle


A Pretoria man was arrested after he allegedly robbed a fast-food restaurant with a toy gun and then sped off on a bicycle.

“The 25-year-old man arrived on a bicycle on Tuesday evening and parked it outside McDonald’s in Pretoria North and went inside the restaurant,” said Gauteng police spokesperson Constable Maanda Singo today.

“He ordered two cheeseburgers. As the cashier was helping him, he pulled out a toy gun and ordered the cashier to open the cash register.”

Singo said the man stole R3 320 and sped off on his bicycle.

He left the cheeseburgers behind.

“He was arrested one hour later by a dog patrolling unit and they found the stolen money as well as the toy gun he used for robbing the restaurant,” said Singo.

The man would appear in court soon.

– Sapa

IEC ready for elections- Tlakula


Johannesburg – The Independent Electoral Commission [IEC] is ready and prepared for the coming general elections, chairperson Pansy Tlakula said on Thursday.

“As we prepare for the elections, we are aware that challenges may escalate… We prepared meticulously for the election,” she said at a breakfast briefing organised by The New Age newspaper in Johannesburg.

“There is a tendency for political parties’ temperatures to rise.”

Tlakula called for tolerance and respect during the election, saying she acknowledged citizens’ right to protest, but cautioned against infringing on the rights of others.

As an election management body, the IEC did not enforce the law, and acts of intimidation needed to be reported to the police, she said.

In areas where there were service delivery protests, the commission would hold peace meetings to ensure the area was conducive to a free and fair election.

“It is important for government to step in here [because] service delivery is not our issue, it’s government’s,” she said.

Tlakula welcomed fair criticism and challenges to the election results by political parties.

She promised transparency, and the IEC’s constant pursuit of improvement.

The election date has not yet been announced.

The briefing was televised live on SABC 2.

SAPA

Former Madibeng Speaker was an upright leader-Premier Modise  


The passing away of former Speaker of Madibeng Local Municipality, Tshidi Matlala has robbed the people of Letlhabile, communities in Madibeng, the North West Province and the country of an upright and forthright leader who had served with dedication and integrity, North West Premier Thandi Modise said on Wednesday.

 “We wish to convey our condolences to the Matlala family and the communities that he served with utmost distinction. In Matlala we have a lost a community builder and a cadre who understood what it meant to selflessly serve our people and our communities.

He left Madibeng after he was not re-elected in after the last local government elections with his head held high and his soul intact after serving two terms as a Councillor,” emphasised Premier Modise.

The Premier said that Matlala who was instrumental in establishing and ensuring functionality of the Anti-Corruption and Home Affairs Forums within the municipality during his tenure as Speaker of Council was a principled leader who was not tainted by greed and corruption.

“We call on our communities to honour his legacy of selfless service and integrity by supporting intervention efforts aimed at accelerating service delivery and uprooting corruption within Madibeng Local Municipality,”added Modise.

Matlala who also served as Deputy Mayor during the transitional council, Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Land and Rural Development and later MMC for Communication in the Office of the Executive Mayor under former Executive Mayor Raymond Motsepe. 

The former councillor passed away at home in Letlhabile on Saturday after a short period of illness.He is to be buried on Saturday at the Letlhabile Cemetery after a funeral service to be held  as 7:00 am from at the Bantu Reform Church in Zone 2. Matlala who passed away at the age of 60 had taught at Itumeleng Primary in Letlhabile for over 20 years before he was elected as a councillor had been engaged in the learner transport business since he left council in 2010.
He is survived by his 80 year old mother, two brothers and a sister, five children and 4 grand children.-TDN
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Former Madibeng Speaker was an upright leader-Premier Modise  


The passing away of former Speaker of Madibeng Local Municipality, Tshidi Matlala has robbed the people of Letlhabile, communities in Madibeng, the North West Province and the country of an upright and forthright leader who had served with dedication and integrity, North West Premier Thandi Modise said on Wednesday.

 “We wish to convey our condolences to the Matlala family and the communities that he served with utmost distinction. In Matlala we have a lost a community builder and a cadre who understood what it meant to selflessly serve our people and our communities.

He left Madibeng after he was not re-elected in after the last local government elections with his head held high and his soul intact after serving two terms as a Councillor,” emphasised Premier Modise.

The Premier said that Matlala who was instrumental in establishing and ensuring functionality of the Anti-Corruption and Home Affairs Forums within the municipality during his tenure as Speaker of Council was a principled leader who was not tainted by greed and corruption.

“We call on our communities to honour his legacy of selfless service and integrity by supporting intervention efforts aimed at accelerating service delivery and uprooting corruption within Madibeng Local Municipality,”added Modise.

Matlala who also served as Deputy Mayor during the transitional council, Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Land and Rural Development and later MMC for Communication in the Office of the Executive Mayor under former Executive Mayor Raymond Motsepe. 

The former councillor passed away at home in Letlhabile on Saturday after a short period of illness.He is to be buried on Saturday at the Letlhabile Cemetery after a funeral service to be held  as 7:00 am from at the Bantu Reform Church in Zone 2. Matlala who passed away at the age of 60 had taught at Itumeleng Primary in Letlhabile for over 20 years before he was elected as a councillor had been engaged in the learner transport business since he left council in 2010.
He is survived by his 80 year old mother, two brothers and a sister, five children and 4 grand children.-TDN
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Premier Modise condemns Tigane vigilantism


North West Premier Thandi Modise has condemned the alleged assault, kidnapping and torching of a housebreaking suspect by five men who appeared in the Hartbeesfontein Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

 

“We condemn in the strongest terms possible vigilantism as it leads to lawlessness and revenge attacks by persons who feel aggrieved by the actions of those who conduct Kangaroo courts and give themselves the roles of judges and executioners. This barbarism should be stamped out before innocent lives are lost,” said Premier Modise.

 

“Those who take the law unto themselves instead of reporting crime to authorities in the criminal judiciary system have no place in our society which is governed by the rule of law,” highlighted Modise.

 

According to police Mangaliso Bonde, 29, Zamani Bonde, 26, George Bonde, 32, Thembi Xandibe, 23, and William Sitele, 19 allegedly went to Jan Lephadi’s house in Tigane on Saturday and accused him of breaking into their houses. 

“They allegedly searched Lephadi’s house, but could not find anything and purportedly assaulted and dragged him to his grandmother’s place to recover the items they accused him of stealing. When they could not find anything, two of the men allegedly locked Lephadi in the boot of a car and drove him to a bushy area,” said Captain Pelonomi Makau.

 

They allegedly poured petrol over him and set him alight, Makau said.

 

Lephadi managed to take off his T-shirt and rolled on the ground to extinguish the fire. He sustained burns to his head and back.

 

The five are expected to appear in court on February 4 for bail application, Makau said.-TDN
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Premier Modise condemns Tigane vigilantism


North West Premier Thandi Modise has condemned the alleged assault, kidnapping and torching of a housebreaking suspect by five men who appeared in the Hartbeesfontein Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

 

“We condemn in the strongest terms possible vigilantism as it leads to lawlessness and revenge attacks by persons who feel aggrieved by the actions of those who conduct Kangaroo courts and give themselves the roles of judges and executioners. This barbarism should be stamped out before innocent lives are lost,” said Premier Modise.

 

“Those who take the law unto themselves instead of reporting crime to authorities in the criminal judiciary system have no place in our society which is governed by the rule of law,” highlighted Modise.

 

According to police Mangaliso Bonde, 29, Zamani Bonde, 26, George Bonde, 32, Thembi Xandibe, 23, and William Sitele, 19 allegedly went to Jan Lephadi’s house in Tigane on Saturday and accused him of breaking into their houses. 

“They allegedly searched Lephadi’s house, but could not find anything and purportedly assaulted and dragged him to his grandmother’s place to recover the items they accused him of stealing. When they could not find anything, two of the men allegedly locked Lephadi in the boot of a car and drove him to a bushy area,” said Captain Pelonomi Makau.

 

They allegedly poured petrol over him and set him alight, Makau said.

 

Lephadi managed to take off his T-shirt and rolled on the ground to extinguish the fire. He sustained burns to his head and back.

 

The five are expected to appear in court on February 4 for bail application, Makau said.-TDN
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