The Municipal Manager for Lekwa Teemane Local Municipality has been suspended pending the outcome of a forensic investigation whose preliminary report is to serve before a Special meeting of the Provincial Executive Council(Exco) to be held on Tuesday, North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo confirmed on Monday.

The suspension of Andrew Makuapan follows a meeting that involved Premier Mahumapelo, Minister of Water and Sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane and the Exco Intervention task team established by the Premier to look into challenges facing the municipality and visits to families that lost three infants over the weekend.

A joint task team that includes the Exco task team and the Ministry of Water and Sanitation has been established to look into the ailing infrastructure, funding model for the municipality, governance and administrative challenges facing the municipality and sanitation spillage into the water pipes that has resulted in contamination of water.

Urgent interventions identified include upgrading of the sewer plant, review of the municipality’s Local Economic Plan in consultation with key stakeholders such as the business,civic, labour and religious structures  and rebuilding of public properties destroyed during the violence experienced in the area.  

“Developing solutions to the challenges faced by the community to put it on a trajectory of peace, reconciliation and healing and the need for unity among councillors were also identified as critical interventions to normalise and stabilise the crisis situation in the area,” Premier Mahumapelo said.

A feedback meeting with the community is to be held on Sunday afternoon after a report is finalised on Friday.-TDN
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The economy of the country has deteriorated due to the strike in the platinum sector, the mayor of Moses Kotane local municipality Fetsang Mokati-Thebe said on Friday.

“Our economy has deteriorated.

I have full confidence in the current leadership that it has capacity to resolve the current efforts of negotiation for positive resolutions that will see sanity prevailing,” she said during her budget speech in Madikwe outside Rustenburg.

She said people of Bojanala Platinum District Municipality and Moses Kotane in particular, were most affected by the platinum strike.

Bojanala platinum district municipality is made up of Rustenburg, Moses Kotane, Kgetlengrevier, Madibeng and Moretele local municipalities.

Mineworkers affiliated to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) at Lonmin, Impala and Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) downed tools on January 23 demanding a basic monthly salary of R12,500.

They have rejected the companies’ offer that would up their cash remuneration to R12,500 by July 2017.

Amplats mines in Limpopo draw labour from villages within the Moses Kotane municipality.

Tabling her budget of R682 million, Mokati-Thebe said the budget made provision for new infrastructure in the municipality through municipal infrastructure grant (MIG) funding as one of the sources of financing of the capital programme.

“Our main priority is provision of basic services.

Hence our full focus has been directed towards other sources of water, and I am also proud to share with the house that more than R7 million has been allocated to ground water optimisation projects which will benefit communities.”

“In response to your outcry with regard to roads and storm water the municipality has allocated an amount of R68.1 million for construction of internal roads and storm water projects.”

R14 million has been allocated to Street lighting.

She said R27 million was allocated for purchasing five water tankers, two tipper trucks, two graders and everyday-use vehicles.

She said the budget made provision for 182 permanent jobs.

“For all the capital projects to be implemented we have encouraged the contractors to make use of the local labour mainly to reduce unemployment,” she said.
     
-Sapa

North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo has applauded Gift Kelehe for his spectacular performance that earned him third place and a gold medal in the 2014 Comrades Marathon.
“Thirty-year old Kelehe has made the country and the province proud as our ambassador in the highly competitive and ultimate human race following in the footsteps of his legendary older brother Andrew who won 11 Comrades Marathon gold medals and scooped the 2001 championship. With three gold medals to his name, Gift has stamped his authority as a force to be reckoned with on the road running and ultra marathon circuit. He is an inspiration and a role model for our youth,” Premier Mahumapelo said on Sunday.
The Premier said that the provincial government joins the Kelehe family and communities across the province in congratulating Kelehe who clocked 5:34:39 behind Bongumusa Mthembu who won his maiden Comrades Marathon after clinching the 2014 ‘down run’ title by a comfortable 5:28:34.Mthembu finished the 89.28km race over four minutes ahead of Ludwick Mamabolo, the defending ‘down run’ winner from 2012 recorded a time of 5:33.14
Three-time former champion Stephen Muzhingi of Zimbabwe came fourth clocking 5:35.18 after Kelehe. 

Meanwhile, the woman’s race was won by British-born Canadian, Eleanor Greenwood, ahead of the Nurgalieva twins, Elena and Olesya.-TDN
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