The North West MEC for Finance and Enterprise Development Wendy Nelson says government will ensure provincial municipalities get all the support they require and are fully capacitated to deliver quality services to communities.

Although she does not believe in throwing money to solve problems, MEC Nelson told the Provincial Municipalities’ Chief Financial Officers Forum in Mahikeng that provincial treasury has dedicated resources to help them deal with their challenges. She said government remains committed to work with all spheres to ensure the repositioning of municipalities as part of the broader rebranding of the North West Province.

She said since her assumption of duties she has become increasingly aware of collective responsibilities to ensure that municipalities, as coal face of service delivery are run efficiently to improve service delivery to the citizens of the province.

She further cautioned against reckless, fruitless and wasteful expenditure and called for prudent spending of public funds and resources.

“We are responsible for good spend but ultimately for ensuring that we spend within the necessary confines of the law. As part of ensuring accountability new means of consequence management should be put in place to ensure adherence to policy and legislation. We must remain conscious of the fact that we are dealing with the public purse and must act responsibly.”

Nelson reiterated government’s commitment to ensure that all suppliers are paid within thirty (30) working days of rendering service and goods. These will also include payment of creditors such as electricity utility Eskom, Water Boards and the Auditor General’s fees and she will be meeting with them in the near future to resolve the problem of debts owed by municipalities.

As intervention measure, the national treasury, provincial treasury and the department of local government and human settlements will engage municipalities to sign payment agreements. Where necessary, some municipalities are going to be assisted with the development and implementation of a financial recovery plan.
Nelson also indicated that provincial departments owing municipalities will also be engaged to ensure that accounts are serviced.

She informed the gathering a dedicated official will be made available to each municipality assist in the closure and ratification of all accounts owed by municipalities.

She said no municipality will be allowed to make late submission of the financial statements to the Auditor General. She said submission should not be for compliance purpose only but to ensure that issues raised and highlighted by the Auditor General are addressed and the quality of information contained therein is of the highest standard to ensure positive future audit opinion.
-TDN
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By Obakeng Maje
Jan Kempdorp-Jan Kempdorp police are investigating two counts of attempted murder and armed robbery. Lieutenant Sergio Kock said nine men allegedly robbed a shop in Ganspan, Jan Kempdorp.

“Two of the men were armed with a knife and gun. The armed men threatened the shop owner and his assistant and shot both of them in the stomach” Kock said.

The men took an undisclosed amount of money, airtime and cigarettes before fleeing the scene.

Both the injured men are aged 36 and were transported to Jan Kempdorp Hospital for medical treatment and later transferred to Kimberley Hospital, where they are said to be in a serious condition.

No arrests have been made and the police request that anyone with information urged call Det Warrant Officer Dennis on 074 846 1641. The investigation continues.-TDN
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By Obakeng Maje
Mahikeng- Embattled North West Provincial Head of Communication, Lesiba Kgwele has redirected his complaint against the SABC to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission for the public broadcaster’s distortion of his statement responding to his widely publicised dismissal from the Office of the Premier.

“The SABC first broadcasted the statement issued by the Acting Director General without seeking my comment and contrary to the statement that i had issued reported on that i had alleged that senior politicians are involved in the bigger orchestrated plot to purge and ultimately destroy me” Lesiba Kgwele said.

He said such insensitive distortions and sensationalised reporting not only have the potential to jeopardise my case including the appeal process but are also a violation of my constitutional rights.

“The endorsement of the premature announcement of my dismissal by Democratic Alliance(DA) Provincial Leader, Chris Hattingh is not suprising as his party would be the major and unintended beneficiary of my sacking” he said.

Kgwele said it is not in Hattingh’s party interest that the provincial government has at its helm a skilled, experienced and assertive communicator who has frustrated its effort to project government in a negative light.-TDN
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Johannesburg – A man was expected to appear in court on Monday in connection with the discovery of the dismembered corpse of a four-year-old boy at a church in Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal police said.

Captain Thulani Zwane said a 23-year-old man was arrested on Thursday and was expected to appear in the Pongola Magistrate’s Court.

“He is facing kidnapping and murder charges. He was also linked to another kidnapping and assault where a five-year-old boy was kidnapped in the same area in June 2014,” said Zwane.

He said the pastor who was earlier held after the corpse was found at his church was in hospital.

“The priest was found in the boot of his car on Friday. We do not have further details, police are waiting for him to recover so we can get the details,” said Zwane.

He said more details were not available.

On 15 July, the pastor was released and at the time police said no arrest were made.

The pastor was held by police following the discovery of the remains of a missing four-year-old at his church on 6 June.

The remains of Kiki Ntuli were found in a plastic bag on the church premises.

Forensic specialists who probed the 51-year-old pastor’s property found more bones on 11 July. Police also discovered a skull and skeleton at a woman’s house in Ncotshane.

Police said it was unclear whether those bones were linked to the Ntuli case or whether they were those of a human being.

The bones were taken for forensic testing.

A few days after the boy’s corpse was found, angry Pongola residents went on the rampage and torched the pastor’s church and woman’s house.

Fifteen people were arrested on charges of violence and were scheduled to appear in the Ncotshane Magistrate’s Court. The court, however, was petrol-bombed.

The group finally appeared in the Pongola Magistrate’s Court on Friday where they were released on a warning. Their case was postponed to 28 July.

SAPA