BY REGINALD KANYANE

Democratic Alliance said they will no longer tolerate the bias and unethical conduct of North West Provincial Legislature, Susana Dantjie. This came about after DA and the EFF walked out of the North West Provincial Legislature sitting yesterday. They accused the Speaker for denying them their right to participate in proceedings.

DA provincial leader, Joe McGluwa said all motions and member statements were unilaterally removed from the order paper by the ANC Chief Whip, Hofman Galeng.

“We asked for intervention based on Rule 114 of the North West Provincial Standing Rules. This rule allows for the scheduling of the programme prior to sittings by all parties involved, but the removal of items from the order paper were never discussed when the committee met on the April 15.

“The sitting scheduled for various departments to debate budget votes just became another case where the ANC government blatantly ignored the rules and enforced their own agenda by sheer numbers,” McGluwa said.

He said according to Rule 46 (3) of the House rules, parties are allowed to rise and extend condolences and congratulations or address important issues of the day in member statements.

“When the DA requested the Speaker to overrule the ANC Chief Whip’s decision, the Speaker responded that the House agreed with Galeng’s advice and that statements would only be allowed again after the Local Government Elections in August.

“The DA believes that motions and member statements are imperative tools for the opposition to voice their opinions through Legislative channels. We have a constitution that guarantees that every person be treated with dignity and equality. We must treasure our constitution, protect it so it can protect us,” he said.

McGluwa said the prohibition for them to debate is undemocratic. He said that was confirmed on Tuesday that the ANC stifles any debate.

The Sergeant of Arms was called in to remove the DA Leader, Joe McGluwa.

“The DA can assure our communities that we will not be intimidated by the ANC. We will stop at nothing to ensure the legislature remains transparent. It is the right of voters to have the public representatives they elected to act on their behalf on issues that impact their daily lives,” he said.

However, ANC Chief Whip, Hoffman Galeng refuted the DA’s claims. He regarded EFF and DA’s move as cheap political stunt.

Galeng said: “North West provincial legislature Rule 114 says the programming committee shall consist of the speaker, deputy speaker, and leader of government business, the chairperson of committees, the chief whip of the house and the whip of each opposition party. Now it also states that the motions that need to be discussed should be sent to the chief of the majority party before 12pm.

“Now DA provincial chief whip, Jacqueline Theologo sent the motions at 16:50. So as the Chief Whip of the legislature, the rules allow me to decide whether we proceed with motions raised or not. Rule 46 says every motion requires notice, except a motion by way of amendment to a draft Resolution permitted in terms of these Rules,” Galeng said.

-TDN

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BY REGINALD KANYANE

DEMOCRATIC Alliance leader in North West, Joe McGluwa celebrated Freedom Day with the community of Lomanyane village, near Mahikeng on Wednesday. McGluwa said 22 years ago, the nation took a bold step into the new dawn of a democratic of South Africa. He said this day brought hope that the country would one day realise total liberation for all South Africans.

“The aim is to make South Africa a country of freedom, opportunity and prosperity. We want each South African to be the master of his/her own destiny. Let today be very significant and a day to remember.

“This is the day which heralded in our constitutional democracy. Democrats, as we celebrate this historic day, we agree that South Africa today is better than the South Africa prior to 1994. We have made considerable strides as a nation,” McGluwa said.

He said it astonishes that each and everyone has contributed to this success. McGluwa said indeed South Africans were amazing. He said all generations, ethnicities and genders played a foremost role in contributing to this success.

“Democrats, we should also be reminded that 22 years later, progress has been made. But it is not enough. Freedom was fought for and won, but freedom cannot be seen in North West as the majority of the people still live in abject poverty.

“Our constitution is under siege by the African National Congress. The corruption that is so endemic in the ANC is eating away at the gains that we have amassed. In the process, no one in the ANC seems to realise how wrong this is. Or they do, but they choose Zuma and his side- kick Mahumapelo over the constitution and over the people of South Africa,” he said.

McGluwa said in March 2016, the Constitutional Court of South Africa ruled that President Jacob Zuma failed to uphold, defend, and respect the constitution as supreme law of land. He said this was in relation to the Public Protector’s report on the building of his sprawling palace in Nkandla.

McGluwa said Zuma was found to have unduly benefited from the public purse. He said Zuma supported by his drum majorettes, the ANC caucus in parliament as well as provincial chapters of the ANC and their senior leaders, most notably North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo.

“They disregarded the Public Protector’s report and sought to ridicule her. The Court unanimously judged that remedial action ordered by the Public Protector cannot be ignored without legal consequence.

“However Zuma should have challenged the report through a judicial process before disregarding it. He continues to undermine this judgment as if nothing has happened. What we have just seen is a less than genuine apology from the President and laughable letters of reprimand to some of his drum majorettes.

“Fellow Democrats, last year the ruling party laid the red carpet for a wanted criminal, Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir, who is wanted for crimes against humanity. Calls were made for the arrest of this fellow, but the ANC government refused to arrest him despite being a signatory to the Rome Statutes and having a legal obligation to arrest Al Bashir,” McGluwa said.

-TDN

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BY KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

A 25-YEAR-OLD man was arrested after dagga weighing more than 3kg found at his house in Alheit, near Kakamas yesterday. Northern Cape police spokesperson, Lieutenant Sergio Kock said the police received tip-off from member of the community.

“He was arrested by Kakamas police at around 11pm. The Visible Policing unit searched the suspect’s house and found several bags of dagga in his bedroom. The dagga weighs 3.639kg with a street value of R18 200.

“The suspect was charged for dealing with dagga and is expected to appear in the Kakamas Magistrate’s Court soon. The investigation continues,” Kock said.

-TDN

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A R17 million fraud trial against the former chief financial officer at North West University’s (NWU) Mahikeng campus is expected to resume on Monday.

Bradley Freeman and two others allegedly defrauded the Edu Loan scheme of more than R10 million.

The three accused Bradley Freeman, Gert Freeman and Fred Freeman are facing 34 counts of fraud, 5 money laundering and several charges of corruption.
 
Most of their valuable goods, including luxurious vehicles and houses were since repossessed by the Asset Forfeiture Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), while others were auctioned off.

The prosecuting authority has so far recovered an amount of R5.2 million.
Source- SABC

Durban – A police officer, who was also a taxi boss, was killed in Mbumbulu on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast on Monday.

Hawks provincial spokesperson, Lieutenant Simphiwe Mhlongo, said Warrant Officer Andries ‘Boy’ Zungu had been in an unmarked vehicle when he was “ambushed” by a group of men.
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