Daily Archives: October 22, 2014

Local home based care centres to regularly receive fresh vegetables as part of Setsokotsane Programme


Ramatlabama- Bogosi Foundation Home Based Care in Molelwane village, Disaneng Home Based Care and Mmangwana Day-Care and feeding scheme from Ramatlabama village will from today receive bags of fresh vegetables once a week from the Department of Rural, Environment and Agricultural Development’s Kgora Farmer Training Centre.

This was confirmed by Premier Supra Mahumapelo who started the vegetable donation initiative Wednesday, as part of the recently launched Setsokotsane Programme. 

Joined by MECs for Departments of Rural, Environment and Rural Development, Health, Social Development, Tourism, Speaker of the Provincial Legislature and Kgosi Shole Shole of Ramatlabama, Premier Mahumapelo got down at the centre’s food security garden to harvest vegetables before handing them over to the beneficiaries.

One of the beneficiaries, Jacqueline Modieginyana who is managing Mmangwana Day-Care and feeding scheme said the commitment by the Provincial Government in the fight against hunger will go a long way in addressing food insecurity among rural families, saying the integrated Setsokotsane Programme which seeks to address amongst others poverty, is highly praised and supported.

“We will once every week collect bags of vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, onions, carrots and others, and this will improve the quality of health of the children and families we are looking after”, said Modieginyana.

Impressed by the food security project’s ability to produce fresh and quality vegetables, Premier Mahumapelo challenged the Department of Rural, Environment and Rural Development which is managing Kgora Farmer Training Centre to look at the possibility of establishing satellite centres, this in an attempt to bring the centre’s food security inclined services closer to most people of the Province.

“As we have placed agriculture at the apex of our Province’s economic growth”, said Premier Mahumapelo,

“We further challenge the Department to seriously consider establishing a laboratory that will be equipped enough to test the quality of our agricultural products, this as we endeavour to be the best in as far as certain agricultural products are concerned”.

Mahumapelo encouraged local communities, especially the youth, to take advantage of the training services offered at Kgora Farmer Training Centre, saying there is a need to address skills shortage amongst farmers, for them to be future entrepreneurs and reliable food producers.

The centre is situated in Ramatlabama and is responsible for the development and maintenance of responsive skills, improve capacity resource through tailor- made and adaptive training, as well as empowerment interventions for farmers and prospective farmers alike.
Training at this centre takes various forms that range from excursions, demonstrations, refresher courses, up to credit bearing unit standards to address knowledge and skills gaps on arable farming and livestock husbandry as well as on organisational, marketing and financial management.

Premier Mahumapelo had during the launch of Setsokotsane Programme last week, explained it as an action-oriented initiative that seeks to speedily address service delivery challenges experienced by communities, which include poverty and joblessness. 
-TDN
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Bafana Bafana vs Sudan tickets on sale


Johannesburg- Tickets for the CAF Orange Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2015 Qualifier between South Africa and Sudan have gone on sale.

Bafana Bafana will host Sudan at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday, 15 November 2014.

Kickoff is at 15h00.

Tickets for the penultimate AFCON qualifier are available at Computicket outlets, Shoprite, Checkers and Shoprite/Checkers stores countrywide for R60 and R110 – which will include free park and ride or free parking at the stadium.

In their final qualifier, South Africa travels to Nigeria to take on the Super Eagles on Wednesday, 19 November 2014.

Bafana Bafana head coach Ephraim Shakes Mashaba is expected to announce his squad on Thursday, 30 October.
-TDN
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Water supply to be restored in Ramotshere Moiloa municipality


Lehurutshe – Malfunctioning boreholes in and around Ramotshere Moiloa local municipality will be repaired in order to restore supply of water in areas that have been adversely affected by water shortage. 

North West MEC for Local Government and Human Settlements, Collen Maine has summoned officials responsible for water provision in the district to ensure that all the boreholes that have not been functioning because they have either been vandalised or are old, be repaired.

The restoration of such boreholes forms part of the department’s intervention to sort out the water crisis in areas such as Gopane, Dinokana, Ntsweletsoku and Welbedacht in Ramotshere Moiloa.

A joint operation committee which is coordinated by the Department and consists of members of the South African Police Service (SAPS), emergency medical services, officials from Ngaka Modiri Molema district and Ramotshere Moiloa local municipalities, Department of Water and Sanitation, water utilities (Sedibeng and Botshelo), has been established to ensure full restoration of water supply and to also deal with any case that may erupt in the process.

Meanwhile, MEC Maine has appealed to communities in Ngaka Modiri Molema district to refrain from vandalising water infrastructure to raise their dissatisfaction about the provincial government’s intervention at Ngaka Modiri Molema district municipality.

“Vandalism is a criminal offence and perpetrators will face full might of the law”, he said.
-TDN
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R300m water treatment project launched by Premier Mahumapelo


Mahikeng – Premier of Bokone Bophirima Province Mr Supra Mahumapelo says government remains steadfast in its commitment to provide the more than 40 000 households in the City of Mahikeng and surrounding villages with clean water on daily basis.

Mahumapelo said this on Wednesday while launching a R300m worth project for the upgrading of the Mmabatho Water Treatment Works as part of the Setsokotsane Programme. 

The upgrading phase which started immediately after its launch will see the plant’s capacity to release clean water to communities residing in Mahikeng being upgraded from 20million litres to 30million litres per day by November 2016.

About 48 temporary employment opportunities will be created for local communities, of which 13 will be skilled labourers while 35 will be unskilled.

This R300m project will be implemented in phases and will include the construction of a 25 mega-litre reinforced reservoir at the existing Lokaleng pumpstation site, and the construction of approximately 11km of gravity pipelines from the new Lokaleng reservoir to directly serve certain parts of the City of Mahikeng by gravity. These two projects are earmarked for commencement in 2016.

Addressing local communities who attended the launch at the project site in Moletsamongoe village, about 20km west of the Province’s capital, Premier Mahumapelo said the upgrading of the treatment plant is critical for the City of Mahikeng’s present and future water demands to be positively met.

“We therefore urge communities to continue using water sparingly and most importantly, to jealously guard against vandalism and stealing of the provided water infrastructure as vandalism and stealing are equal to denying communities their right to basic services which is enshrined in the constitution of South Africa”, appealed Mahumapelo.

Implementation of this project is a tripartite partnership between the national Department of Water and Sanitation, the Provincial Government and Mahikeng Local Municipality.

Premier Mahumapelo stressed government’s intent to work with everybody in improving the communities’ living conditions through Setsokotsane Programme which seeks to ensure provision of basis services to all communities in the Province.        

Setsokotsane Programme was initiated by Premier Mahumapelo who started its implementation activities in Ngaka Modiri Molema District’s Mahikeng Local Municipality on Tuesday.

The Programme will from next week be taken to other Local Municipalities in Ngaka Modiri Molema District.
-TDN
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North West Tourism welcomes over ninety employees to the department


Mahikeng – As part of the provincial department’s reconfiguration process in the North West province, MEC for Tourism, Desbo Mohono has officially welcomed over ninety transferred employees to her department and immediately urged them to work hard and in uniformity to ensure that the department reaches its set targets and ultimately delivers on its core business and constitutional mandate.

Mohono was addressing the first departmental meeting between the departmental management committee and the newly transferred corporate support staff in Mahikeng recently.

“I’d like to welcome you all to this department and urge you to perform your duties to the best of your abilities. We are starting a new journey together and we should all remember that when starting out something new there will always be challenges which we must confront together”, she said.

Mec Mohono expressed her gratitude saying that her department finally has the necessary support staff which will now be able to support the department’s programmes administratively.

“I also hope that as we will be working together you will be able to advise me with matters regarding your areas of specialty as I am also willing to listen and learn from you”, she added.

In her conclusion MEC Mohono highlighted that despite a tight and limiting budget, systems will be put in place to ensure that the department’s mandate is delivered with excellence and that Tourism in the province continue to change people’s lives.

The Acting Head of department, Mr. Charles Ndabeni said that the newly transferred employees should take this as an opportunity to make history as they are the first generation of the first ever stand alone department of Tourism in the province and the only one in the country that has followed the national model at a provincial level.

“We will have to work as a team and be as creative and innovative as possible to provide the necessary technical support to the core business of the department and the also support the MEC in her quest of growing the tourism economy in our province by amongst others promoting village and township tourism products”, he said.

Whilst assuring employees of his open door policy, Ndabeni said the strive to ensure that this department becomes a flagship department for the North West province is through perseverance and determination.

Employees were recently horizontally transferred from various departments which were affected by the reconfiguration process which amongst others included the former department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, the former department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism and the former department of Human Settlements, Safety and Liaison.-TDN
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MEC Molapisi encourages wellness and protection on truck drivers and sex workers


Vryburg- North West Community Safety and Transport Management MEC Gaoage Molapisi said government is committed in delivering services to its people in all aspects of life.

Speaking during the trucking wellness campaign as part of the October Transport Month commemoration in Vryburg, Molapisi said the government doesn’t encourage the sex workers business but has to face the reality of the business existence and respond to the need of government services to those affected.

He called upon truck drivers and sex workers to use protection and encourages them to make use of government services availed to them.

“The least we can do is to provide the services and encourage protection during the interaction of both parties. It is sad that these drivers have left their loved ones behind and spend too much of their time on the road, and they find it difficult to resist the temptations they come across, while on the other hand the living conditions seem to drive our mothers and sisters to the street were they say is making a difference in trying to make end meets and feed their families,” said the worried MEC.

One truck driver admitted that they get tempted and pay for the services from sex workers because they (truck drivers) leave their loved ones at home for a very long time, however he doesn’t believe in protection.

“These condoms also causes us allergies, to be honest I personally don’t prefer using them yet one find it difficult to ignore the temptations from these women,” said the driver who was interested to attend the event but had to leave Vryburg to Durban in the early hours of Tuesday.

One of the sex workers said they don’t enjoy the street life, but they are forced by the circumstances.

“Some of us we are bred winners, we have children and siblings to take care, feed, bath and buy them clothes and this is the only way we survive,” she said as she was leaving to one of the trucks to look for business.

Her partner in business added that they sometimes get abused by their potential clients.

“Life is not easy here but this is our only means of income, it is very risky and scary but one has to live with it,” she concluded.

In partnership with the Department of Health, services of HIV/AIDS, STI counseling, TB, sugar diabetes and all other related diseases were provided to hundreds of people who were gathered at the event, including male circumcision.-TDN
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Prinicipal sacked for racist class displays


Johannesburg – The principal of Wilgehof Primary in Bloemfontein, where the old South African flag and pictures of Julius Malema alongside monkeys were displayed in a class, has been fired, Beeld reported on Wednesday.

Fanie Roeloffze was sacked on Tuesday. Earlier this month a disciplinary hearing by the Free State education department found him guilty of not doing anything about the displays in a classroom.

His representative Marius van Rensburg said they would appeal the decision. He said the finding was a shock, as lighter sentences had been given to teachers found guilty of more serious offences.

Two teachers were suspended in connection with the matter. The outcome of their cases was not immediately known. – Sapa

R51bn crisis hits student funding scheme


Cape Town – The student funding scheme is in crisis, with a huge gap of R51 billion between its budget and the amount needed to meet demand.

The situation is so serious that the Department of Higher Education and Training will have to ask the National Treasury to increase the National Student Financial Aid Scheme’s budget dramatically from its R6bn this year.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Axe killer pleads guilty to two murders


Kimberley – Axe murder accused John Langeveldt pleaded guilty to two charges of murder in the Northern Cape High Court on Tuesday, following the brutal attack on four family members, two of whom were hacked to death, earlier this year.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

We must be careful not to glorify crime


The media should be discerning about who we give a voice to and ask if we want to portray a violent mob as being heroic, says Fikile-Ntsikelelo Moya.

Pretoria – I asked a colleague the other day why we were covering yet another violent strike by yet another group disgruntled about something. His answer was the stock answer you will find among journalists – because it is happening. We report what is happening. While that is true, it does not seem enough of an answer for me.
For more http://www.iol.co.za