The North West Department of Finance is continuing with its annual campaign where it calls on individuals and communities to provide their budget tips before the tabling of the provincial budget.

In order to encourage north west citizens to be active participants in the budgetary process, the MEC for Finance Paul Sebegoe calls on every citizen in the province to send him their budget tips on what key issues they would like the provincial budget to address, that is, where should more funds be allocated in order to improve the quality of life of our citizens.

MEC Sebegoe will table the annual provincial budget at the provincial legislature at a date that will soon be announced. He calls on every citizen of the province to have a voice through the engagement of sending budget tips to the department. MEC Sebegoe is interested in finding out what are the issues that the citizens would like to see addressed by the budget that would be allocated to the province.

“I am encouraging people to take part in the budgetary process by sending through their budget tips that will inform the provincial budget. The tips have in the past helped us a lot as government to allocate resources where they are in great need as well as to address development and service delivery backlogs in parts of our province. This is one way of making ours an inclusive, people driven and participatory democracy that takes
into account the wishes and interests of its citizens. Together we can do more to move towards sustainable development and financial accountability in all our communities South Africa forward”.

The country is celebrating twenty year of democracy and although much has been done to change the lives of our people we believe that a lot more still needs to be done and this can be achieved with the co-operation of the masses of our people.

MEC Sebegoe says although there has been a large influx of budget tips from the public in the past not all of them could be included in the speech and therefore each and every tip received will be most valued and assessed by the officials.-TDN
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North West Premier Thandi Modise is today meeting with the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) and other law enforcement agencies to follow through on implementation of recommendation of investigation reports into maladministration, fraud and corruption.

The meeting is among others also going to deal with referral of new matters that need urgent investigation raised by communities in their engagements with the Premier.

These include payments for incomplete projects, allegations of fraud and corruption that Modise has vowed to uproot in provincial government departments and municipalities.

“It makes a mockery of us to uncover corruption and not see action taken against those implicated. We would want to see properties forfeited to the state as proceeds of crime, every cent recouped and people arrested,” Premier Modise said ahead of the meeting. -TDN
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Zeerust-Driving on the bumpy, sandy and muddy roads of Reagile Village near Zeerust is now a thing of the past. This follows the official opening of paved internal roads in the area recently by North West MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs Manketsi Tlhape, who was accompanied by Mayor for Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality Africa Thale. The roads include a paved road that runs through the village and improved gravel roads.

MEC Tlhape said “We are today witnessing a groundbreaking achievement in the history of the small Reagile village. The residents here can now testify that they have tasted the sweet fruits of 20 years of democracy. We need to develop and deliver services to such communities no matter how small they are. It’s now important that you take care of the roads and don’t destroy them when you are embarking on protest actions”.

“Without proper roads there is no connection with the outside world. These roads will bring good opportunities to this area. Business people will now come to Reagile village, public transport will now access the area with no difficulty and our vehicles will now have a prolonged life because of the good conditions of the roads” said MEC Tlhape.

R8 million rand internal roads project employed 35 young people who attended a one week training course for stone pitching and paving break lying. They were later employed in the project to construct a paved road that runs through the village. Some of them are Letlhogonolo Khunou (21) and Thabo Mokgofa (25). They both say they are happy about the opportunity given to them as well as the skills and the certificate acquired, which according to them will go a long way in changing their lives.-TDN
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Hebron-An intergovernmental team tasked with finding solutions to the development needs of the Kgabalatsane community is to visit the area on Wednesday.

The visit of the task team is a sequel to Premier Thandi Modise’s commitment made when she addressed rioting residents in Kgabalatsane and Hebron on Monday afternoon.

Water provision, land ownership and traditional leadership dispute are some of the issues that were raised with Premier Modise and her entourage for intervention.

Departments of the Office of the Premier, Local Government & Traditional Affairs, Public Works, Roads & Transport, Education, Rural Development & Land Reform and Madibeng Local Muncipality are part of the multi-sectoral task team.

Modise had also made an undertaking that investigations will be conducted on the abandoned mini-sports ground development, swimming pool and non-functional high mast lights projects which were undertaken by Madibeng Local Municipality in Hebron.

The Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport would as per Premier Modise’s undertaking also assess and identify internal access roads that should be graded and regraveled as a short term intervention.

Premier Modise reported that a handover of the site to contractor awarded the access bridge project which had been on tender will be in the next few weeks.

An assessment will also be done by the relevant provincial departments to determine the level of service and the staff requirement for the effective functioning of the clinic in the area.

“Exercise your right to protest within the confines of the law, without destroying private and public property so that your service delivery needs are not misrepresented by violence,” Modise said.

Modise reminded the protestors that the councillor against whom they had raised numerous complaints was elected through a political process led by her political party.

“Complaints against her therefore should be directed to her political party and the Speaker of Council who should ensure adherence to the code of conduct for councillors,” Modise said

The community also agreed that the cleanliness of newly built police station would be regularly monitored by the Provincial Human Settlement -Public Safety & Liaison Department.-TDN
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