Johannesburg – Three KwaZulu-Natal health department employees were killed in an accident involving a car and two trucks in Colenso on Thursday morning, the department said.

“A nursing sister and four pharmacy assistants were travelling in a state vehicle from Dundee to a workshop in Durban when they were involved in an accident with two trucks,” spokesperson Sam Mkhwanazi said in a statement.

The nurse and one of the pharmacy assistants died at the scene, while the third died on arrival at hospital.

The two remaining pharmacy assistants were critically injured.

“The KZN MEC for Health Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo and the KZN health [department head] Dr Sibongile Zungu have expressed their heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the deceased and wish the injured a speedy recovery.”

SAPA

Johannesburg – The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) claim to represent working class men and women yet looted their shops when they “stormed” the Gauteng provincial legislature, Premier David Makhura said on Friday.

“I want to join the deputy speaker in condemning the incidents that happened on Tuesday, where members of the EFF stormed the legislature and caused extensive damage to state property,” he said in his budget speech.

“They have looted from the ordinary women and men selling food in the streets of Johannesburg. Yet they claim to represent ordinary working class men and women.”

Makhura said the EFF needed to decide whether it was part of a democratic institution or not.

“You cannot be a public representative and undermine the very democratic institutions you are meant to protect and respect,” he said.

“We look forward to the legislature taking strong action against this unacceptable conduct.”

On Tuesday, EFF leader Julius Malema led about 2 000 red-clad members to the legislature to protest over the ejection of their MPLs from a sitting because they wore red overalls bearing slogans.

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse EFF supporters at the legislature on Tuesday evening. Stun grenades were thrown inside the foyer.

Several people, including Malema, were injured. Malema was hit by an object thrown from the crowd.

Hijacking

Makhura also called on police to find those responsible for the death of 4-year-old Taegrin Morris during a hijacking in Reiger Park, on the East Rand.

“Tomorrow [Saturday], we shall lay to rest our dear Taegrin Morris to support the family and the community of Reiger Park,” he said.

Morris died when he was caught in his seat belt and dragged alongside his parents’ hijacked car in Boksburg on Saturday night.

Makhura said one of five priorities for his office would be strengthening the executive council system by re-introducing a cabinet cluster system.

“Three cabinet clusters have been established, namely governance and planning sector, economic sector, and social sector,” the premier said.

“Each will be chaired by an executive member supported by a technical committee.”

The second priority was strengthening planning, co-ordination and integration capacity, and the third improving performance monitoring and evaluation.

The fourth priority was advancing and protecting the rights of youth, women, people with disabilities, the elderly, and military veterans.

The fifth priority was improving the provincial government’s communication with citizens.

“We believe there should be… better communication with broad sectors of our population, not only about our plans and programmes, but also how we can work together to implement our programmes,” he said.

“This is at heart of how we relate as government to the people.”

This would include broadening the use of new communication tools, particularly in social and community media.

SAPA

Johannesburg – The Constitutional Court has appointed three women as acting judges, it said on Friday.

North West Judge President Monica Leeuw will act in Justice Thembile Skweyiya’s position. He retired in May, spokesperson Lulama Luti said.

Her term would be from 1 August to 31 December.

Supreme Court of Appeal judges Zukisa Tshiqi and Leona Theron will also serve as acting judges.

Tshiqi will act in place of Justice Chris Jafta, who will be on holiday from 1 November until 31 March.

Theron will act in place of Justice Johann van der Westhuizen who will also be on holiday. She will serve from 1 February until 31 May.

At the moment only two of the court’s 11 judges are women – judges Sisi Khampepe and Bess Nkabinde.

Only three other women have previously been appointed as acting judges, Luti said.

SAPA

“Your winning is our winning” was the message from public protector Thuli Madonsela yesterday when she met with the North West premier Supra Mahumapelo, in the Madibeng local municipality.
For more http://www.thenewage.co.za

The mostly white Afrikaner student march that was scheduled for yesterday afternoon received huge criticism from education stakeholders.
For more http://www.thenewage.co.za

Two Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlats) employees were injured in an explosion at its Styldrift excavation project in North West, the company said on Friday.

“A gas cylinder exploded at Styldrift, two employees have been taken to hospital and we are monitoring their progress,” said spokesman Mpueleng Pooe.

“The whole area has been evacuated, the minerals and resources department has been informed and will do their inspections in due course.”

All employees who were in the vicinity were being assessed for possible gas inhalation, he said.

According to the RBPlats website, the Styldrift project will be at steady production in 2018 and is expected toó increase RBPlats production by 230,000 tonnes a month.
       
-Sapa

Criminal charges against National Council Of Provinces chairwoman Thandi Modise are to be laid on Friday following allegations of neglect of animals on her North West farm, the NSPCA said.

“The charges are to be laid at Buffelshoek police station in Potchefstroom in a couple of hours,” said National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) executive director Marcelle Meredith.

The charges are against Modise as the owner of the farm and any people who lived at the premises, she said.

Modise reportedly bought the multi-million rand farm Modderfontein, near Potchefstroom in North West, about three years ago.

Earlier this month, police and SPCA officials found starving and dead animals on the farm.

About 85 live pigs had begun cannibalising 58 dead pigs, and were reportedly drinking their own urine. Sheep, geese, goats and ducks were also among the more than 100 dead animal. Others had to be euthanised.

It appeared the animals had been without water and food for a week, possibly two. There were no farmworkers on the property, no electricity, and the water pumps were broken.

The Mail & Guardian and Beeld newspapers reported that the vet who performed the post mortems on several pigs’ carcasses refused to have anything more to do with the case.

Dr Sameer Abbas, a veterinary surgeon practising in Potchefstroom, also refused to hand over his report.

Meredith said although the SPCA had its own report on the discoveries at the farm, Abbas had post mortem reports after he took carcasses and animal tissue for tests.

“He just told us he doesn’t want any correspondence with us. This after he was specifically asked to do autopsies on the animals,” Meredith said.

“The question is why is he withdrawing from the case without giving any reasons? Who got to him? I am sure veterinarians are embarrassed by his conduct.”

She said the local SPCA in Potchefstroom had worked with Abbas, and had encountered no problems before.

Modise’s spokesman Neo Moepi said Modise was concentrating on getting the farm back to normal again.

“We do not have any more comment regarding the farm. The [National Council of Provinces’] chairperson’s statements have been distorted at least three times by the media.”

-Sapa

Mahikeng- In an effort to accelerate the delivery of quality health services to communities of the North West Province, MEC for Health Dr Magome Masike dispersed 17 new ambulances and 2 mobile dental trucks to service rural communities of North West.

Out of these seventeen 17 new ambulances, 7 were allocated to Dr. Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District, 5 to Ngaka Modiri Molema District, 3 to Bojanala District and 2 will service Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District.

“The developments come as the department charts ways to aggressively respond to the plight of communities and to improve response time to medical emergencies” MEC Magome Masike said.

A total of R14 million has been set aside to purchase 30 more ambulances during this financial year.

Masike said a further R84.25 million will be channeled towards Emergency Medical Rescue Service (EMRS) Satellite Stations and a new planned patient transport model. “The new model will provide basic transport for patients from clinics to community health centres and hospitals. This would free up ambulances to concentrate on only responding to emergency calls.”

“This together with acquisition of new ambulances will help improve response time as emergency vehicles are placed closer to communities they serve” MEC outlines.

The model was adopted after realising that the majority of cases done by EMRS were not emergencies but patients requiring transport.

Seventy percent of patients that do not have an emergency condition are utilising the services of ambulances to reach hospitals, as they have no access to a coordinated public transport system, resulting in a burden on the already overstretched EMRS System.

To augment the 165 public health ambulances, the department has entered into a fee per service agreement with 16 private ambulances operators to ferry patients during emergencies. Private ambulance operators are only utilized when a state ambulance is not immediately available to respond to an emergency call. This is to ensure that service recipients are not in any way compromised by unavailability of an ambulance.

Ambulances in the province ferry about 16000 patients per month.

The department acquired the services of emergency helicopter in 2013 to augment ambulance services.

“The acquisition of the helicopter has made it possible for emergency transfers from rural areas to be done quickly, as this has cut down on the normal long driving hours. The aeromedical service is not only used to respond to emergencies; it is used for specialized services to remote areas” he said.

In cases where some of our patients in remote areas are in urgent need of specialized services, a specialist will be sent to them via aero medical services.

MEC Masike also unveiled two mobile dental clinics which will help improve access to oral health services in rural and farming communities. The dental clinics have been allocated to Bojanala and Ngaka Modiri Molema Districts. This is in addition to the four that were allocated to sub-districts in 2011 in order to replace the existing old mobiles. These dental mobile clinics are fitted with the state of the art equipments and will be used to provide services to unequipped clinics and schools in the above mentioned districts.

Speaking during the unveiling, MEC Masike said the services provided in these mobile dental clinics are equivalent to services rendered in hospitals, community health centers and equipped clinics.
-TDN
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Nelspruit- Seven people have been killed and one critically injured when a taxi overturned on the R40 near Rockydrift , Nelspruit this morning.
 
When ER24 paramedics arrived, they discovered the wrecked taxi lying in the veld, approximately 10 meters away from the road. 

“Fifteen people lay all around the taxi, seven of the occupants sustaining fatal injuries. The eight other patients all sustained injuries ranging from moderate to critical” ER24 Russel Meiring said.
 
Paramedics had their hands full with the various patients, providing them with advanced life support. 

One of the critically injured patients had to be airlifted by the ER24 helicopter to Rob Ferreira Hospital due to her severe injuries. 

“Once the patients were treated, they were transported to Rob Ferreira hospital for further medical treatment” he said. 

The cause of the collision is not yet known but local authorities were on scene for further investigations. 

This taxi rolled at the same intersection where, a similar incident occurred where 24 people were injured yesterday.
-TDN
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By Obakeng Maje
Rustenburg- A 32-year-old Algerian national was found in possession of unlicensed firearm following a tip-off from a member of the community. The firearm together with one magazine was found in possession of the suspect after his room was searched by members deployed in Platinum Belt Operation on Thursday.  

Colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said preliminary investigation has revealed that the firearm was stolen in March 2011 at Nkaneng Informal Settlement, near Wonderkop.

The suspect is expected to appear in Marikana Periodical Court soon.

“The Platinum Belt Operation was launched on 16 June 2014 with the strategic objective of stabilisation and normalisation of the area as well as enforcing and maintaining the rule of law.  The community is urged to continue to work together with the police in harmony to bring safety and peace to the area” Mokgwabone said.
-TDN
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