The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in partnership with the South African Women Lawyers Association and Legal AID South Africa will host the Access to Justice Week from the 17-21 August 2015 in all nine provinces.

During this week, identified courts in North West Province together with private attorneys will offer free legal advice to needy members of the community. The North West Regional Office will go to all its six cluster courts to reach community members that are destitute, marginalised and vulnerable. 

In 2007, Access to Justice Week was launched responding to a call from members of society in need of legal service assistance.

This has now turned into an annual event. During this week, legally qualified officials from the department together with lawyers in private practice will provide free legal advice to the public or refer them to relevant institutions for further intervention and assistance.

“This year, the plan is to expand reach to communities living in rural areas.  The intention of the activities is to provide access to justice for all through decreasing the challenges brought by the cost of litigation, undue delays and excessive formalities within the legal process.” said Joseph Makutle, the Regional Head. 

The department and partners will be conducting variety of activities to ensure that majority of people across the North West Region receive free legal advice and assistance.

There will be information desks in different courts, radio talk shows, blitz campaigns at public places and outreach campaigns.

The SA Human Rights Commission states that to address the structural inequalities, it is imperative that justice be made more accessible, especially to the poor as it is a fundamental and non-negotiable right.
The commission recognises that the right of access to justice unlocks all other rights in the Constitution.

The right to access justice has the potential to foster an egalitarian and transformed society where everyone’s fundamental human dignity is respected and protected.

The focus of advice given to the public will relate specifically to matters affecting women and children. Attorneys and candidate attorneys have also been requested to volunteer their services and expertise any time during access to justice week, for any amount of time ranging from a few hours, to a whole day, as requested by the Law Society of South Africa. Participants will be required to register their names at the nearest courts to facilitate planning. 

Topics to be covered will range from marriage, divorce, domestic partnerships, succession and administration of estates, domestic violence, child abuse/violence against children, gender-based violence, child custody and access, guardianship, fostering and maintenance.
-TDN
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The North West department of Education and Sport Development hereby disputes the allegations levelled against the department regarding the resignation of 900 educators.

However, the department lost about 900 educators based on various reasons and not only on the alleged massive resignation. The loss varies from expired contracts, dismissals, death, compulsory retirement and medical retirement, amongst others.

All the above reasons are the primary causes of teachers leaving and the department has intervention strategies to deal with the problem.

To meet up with the challenge, the department has partnered with the two North West Universities to recruit all graduates who are the beneficiaries of Fundza Lushaka Bursary Fund. In December after they complete their degrees, a database with their identified schools is already in place for them to assume duty in different schools, January 2016. This helps curb the gap between those who are exiting the system due to retirement and those who finish their studies.

The North West Education and Sport Development MEC Maphefo Matsemela said:

“As a province we do not have a crisis due to the general termination of teachers. We are currently recruiting graduates who have completed their Post Graduate Certificate in Education from different universities across the country in addition to the Fundza Lushaka Graduates. Our teachers in different schools continue to be work shopped in their different areas of specialisation in order to upgrade them in their different fields.”

MEC Matsemela further said that a large number of educators have been appointed recently by the department and will be assuming their duties on Monday in different schools across the province.
-TDN
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Women in law enforcement continues to stamp authority in all areas of possible criminality and lawless. This follows a successful campaign on awareness of drug usage when the women in uniform visited different school across the province.

During the campaign which is part of the Women’s Month commemoration, learners were searched through the arrangement with school’s management.

In some schools, learners were found in possession of cigarettes, dagga and dangerous weapons.

The Bokone Bophirima MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management MEC Gaoage Molapisi says there have been complaints from concerned teachers and parents about the usage of dagga by learners in various schools and it is high time that is addressed.

“Dagga have always been a major problem within our society and it is now the time to fight this pandemic that is killing our children. Our government believes on the future of our youth, and as our future leaders they need to be clean of drugs and be sober. We cannot be led by drunk leaders and has the potential to destroy the hard earned gains and success we fought for. Also these weapons they carry to school, who are they going to fight or kill because the only things that they must carry is food and books,” said the concerned Molapisi.

As part of the ongoing Setsokotsane programme which is currently been implemented in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, schools are been visited to educate learners about the dangers of using drugs, domestic violence and the road safety behaviour to minimize and totally eradicate the high number of road incidents and criminal activities around schools.

On the other hand, more than 1 361 vehicles were stopped and checked in two multipurpose roadblocks that were conducted by women in law enforcement and more than 113 summonses for different offences were issued to a total value of R83 400.

MEC Molapisi commended women in uniform for the exceptional job that they continue to do with commitment and dedication.

“These women are continuing to do a good job by ensuring that we are safe wherever we are, being at home, at school, work or on the road. They indeed prove to those hardheaded men that they are also meant for the law enforcement fraternity. They are proving wrong to the stereotypes that these jobs are only for men.

It is good and very impressive to see that we still have those women who are carrying the same fighting spirit of the 1956 women. We need women of this caliber to move South Africa forward,” said Molapisi.

Members of the public experiencing any challenges, non compliance on the road or any possible act of criminality are advised to contact the Departmental Call Centre on this number: 0800 204 992.
-TDN
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A man has died during a pedestrian accident on the N12 towards Johannesburg in Wedela, approximately forty kilometres from Potchefstroom last night.

Netcare 911 paramedics and other services arrived at the scene and found the body of a man lying on the roadway, after he was knocked over by a vehicle.

“Upon assessment of the man, paramedics found that the man had tragically died prior to their arrival due to the extensive injuries sustained during the accident,” Netcare 911 spokesperson Santi Steinmann said.

There was nothing further that could be done for the man and sadly he was declared dead at the scene.

She said the exact detail surrounding the cause of the pedestrian accident and preceding events will remain the subject of a police investigation.
-TDN
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