BY REGINALD KANYANE
Northern Cape department of transport, safety and liaison is set to host provincial road safety strategic summit in Kimberley on Tuesday.   

The summit is in line with the Decade of Action for Road Safety vision 2011-2020 which aims at stabilising and reducing global road deaths by 2020. 

Department spokesperson, Keitumetse Moticoe said: “South Africa’s vision for road safety in line with the global goal expresses a state wherein the safety and security of people’s lives are not compromised by entering the road network system. 

“The Provincial Road Safety Strategy Summit in line with the national vision will seek to reduce the number of fatal and serious crashes in South Africa. It will ensure safety on our roads, promote responsible road usage and to save lives.”

Moticoe said the department will further seek to ensure an acceptable level of quality in road traffic management.
She said that will emphasis road safety both on rural and urban road network. 

“The department along with relevant transport sector stakeholders will engage at the Summit and customize the strategy for the province in line with the national vision for road safety and global goal to reduce deaths and creates safer roads for all,” she said.

The event will be hosted at Hoffe Park Recreation Centre, 15 Reservoir Road, Kimberley.
-TDN
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BY REGINALD KANYANE 

House of Traditional Leaders was official opened at North West legislature on Thursday. The provincial head of the house of traditional leaders, Kgosi Madoda Zibi said the role of traditional leaders within the community is imperative.

“As leaders within our communities, we need to make sure that the society is organised. We also need to promote unity, security, a strong sense of identity, and social justice. We understand that the house of traditional leaders is key in the societal organisation of many South African communities,” Zibi said.

He said that the traditional leaders are a first line of defence. Zibi said they played an important role when it comes to strengthening democracy.

“The traditional value system is built around uncompetitive wisdom, consensus and participation. The traditional leaders play a father figure within the communities. They must have the community interest at heart. We have some challenges where we experience infightings in other areas, but we believe that will be resolved soon,” Zibi said.

He said they welcome the initiative by the provincial government in supporting the traditional leaders. According to Zibi, that necessary support will make sure that rural economic development is realised.

North West premier, Supra Mahumapelo said: “The provincial government has embarked on many projects to make sure that they develop rural areas. We are working together with traditional leaders. As the government, we also encourage our councillors to interact with traditional leaders in quest to bring developments.

“We have already supplied laptops to them. Some have received cows, so it is very important to work with them. We will provide our traditional leaders with a capacity building course. They must be able to communicate with us in any medium of communication.”

Mahumapelo said they will make sure that each village has its village developmental plan (VDP).

“Traditional leaders play major role and they will help and guide us. We are highly cultural-traditional province. And we need to enhance our triangular approach through agriculture, culture and tourism. We want to use culture as a component to grow economy.

“The future and current crop must know that there is no way you can exclude traditional leadership. There are people who want to relegate traditional leadership. If we do that, we will be undermining their role,” he said.

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BY KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

The new Administrator and Chief Financial Officer were roped in by local government and human settlements inquest to rescue financial distraught, Tswaing local municipality. The municipality has been under administration since last year.

Section 139(1)(b) was invoked at the municipality after dissipation of funds. Acting MEC for local government and human settlements, Fenny Gaolaolwe said they brought in finance officials from national and provincial government for assistance.

She said the team will also ensure that the municipality is able to stick to key deadline such as submission of adjustment budget for 2015/2016, draft the budget for 2016/2017 and submit Eskom tariffs to NERSA for approval.

Gaolaolwe said she visited the municipality on Thursday to assess whether the provincial government’s Section 139(1)(b) of the Constitution which was invoked last year yields any positive results.

“The mandate of the then Administrator at the time of the intervention was to ensure that there is service delivery. Water and sanitation were the primary issues. The administrator was also expected to stabilise and improve administration. Another matter was to improve the financial controls as well as investigate and take action against transgression to any applicable legislations or regulations. However, it is quite clear that none of those where realised. We are re-assessing the situation now,” she said.

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BY REGINALD KANYANE

North West University from Mafikeng campus has suspended the service of the security company pending investigations. The university spokesperson, Koos Degenaar said Hlanganani Security Company’ service was suspended after they allegedly used live ammunitions during a stand-off with students a month ago.

North West University students embarked on a protest after university management dissolved the SRC.

“The university has suspended the service of Hlanganani Security Company pending investigations.  According to preliminary investigations, the security guards allegedly used live ammunitions to disperse the unruly students during protest. The university will have a media briefing on Sunday regarding new developments and the outcomes at the university,” Degenaar said.

The university was shut down a month ago after the admin and laboratory premises were reduced to ashes.

More than 10 students were admitted in various hospitals after they suffered injuries during strike.  The university management inaugurated newly-elected SRC after they disbanded the previous one led by former SRC president, Linda Xavier Mabengwana. The students refused to recognise the new SRC alleging that it was elected my management not them.

According to reports, two students underwent operations where doctors confirmed live ammunitions were used.

The university will be opened on March 28.

-TDN

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The Gupta-owned New Age and ANN7 media outlets have published the names of ANC politicians its sources say are behind a political plot to have the president recalled.

At the epicenter of the report: deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, who along with Gwede Mantashe and Jeff Radebe are seen as the “generals” of the move.

On the side of president Jacob Zuma, the “premier league”, including Free State premier Ace Magashule and others, will allegedly come to the president’s defense.

According to the media group, its sources have highlighted what it calls an “all out war for control of the country”, revealing a plot from within the ANC to usurp power from president Jacob Zuma.

Following revelations this week by deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas that he was offered the position of finance minister by the politically connected Gupta family, the New Age reported that it received information of a party-wide plot against Zuma.

The group reported that a so-called “Anti-Zuma faction” inside the ANC would try to get Zuma recalled after isolating him from his “closest ally” Jessie Duarte, who was implicated in reports around the Jonas saga.

Read: Gupta media reveals “anti-Zuma plot”

Now The New Age has revealed the ‘hit list’ – the names of the ANC officials who are supposedly heading up the “Anti-Zuma Brigade” – as well as the officials who are behind Zuma.

The “anti-Zuma” brigade: includes:

Deputy President – Cyril RamaphosaMinister in the Presidency – Jeff RadebeSecretary General – Gwede MantasheDeputy Secretary General – Solly MapailaHealth Minister – Aaron MotsoalediDeputy Health Minister – Joe PhaahlaMinister of Small Business Development – Lindiwe ZuluANC National Spokesperson – Zizi KodwaMinister of Science and Technology – Naledi PandorMinister of Water and Sanitation – Nomvula Mokanyane

According to the report, “team Zuma” has held an emergency meeting to prepare a counter-strategy to “team ZumaMustFall’s” plans to have the president recalled.

Team Zuma reportedly includes:

Free State Premier – Ace MagashuleNorth West Premier – Supra MahumapeloMpumalanga Premier – David MabuzaKwaZulu Natal Provincial Chair – Sihle ZikalalaMilitary Vetaran Association Chair – Kebby MaphatsoeANC Women’s League President – Bathabile DlaminiANC Youth League President – Collen Maine
Courtesy: The New Age Newspaper