The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) in Durban South slammed overcrowding in schools during a protest at the provincial education department headquarters in Durban on Tuesday.
Around 100 protesters in red Sadtu attire held placards calling for a end to overcrowding in schools, while Education MEC Peggy Nkonyeni addressed a media briefing inside the building.
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JOHANNESBURG – North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo has reshuffled his cabinet, firing two MECs and appointing four new ones to the provincial executive council.
Both the MECs for education and community safety have been axed.
Former Moretele local municipality mayor Sello Lehari and Mpho Motlhabane have been appointed as new MECs.
The provincial government says two vacancies in the Human Settlement and Arts and Culture Departments have now also been filled.
Spokesperson Brian Setswambung said, “We welcome them and congratulate them in the appointment. These are men and women of a strong character and strong leadership. They will add value in the running of the executive and the province in general.”
Source: http://www.ewn.co.za
MORE than fifty girls from two local schools in Dryharts village, near Taung received sanitary towels from Mooketsi Road Construction Company on Friday. Coordinator, Neo Segwele said they came up with this initiative with other stakeholders.
Mooketsi Road Construction Company was paving the road in the area. They bought sanitary towels as their social responsibility after completion. Segwele said they delivered boxes of sanitary pads to Jerry Mahura Secondary and Motlhamare Primary Schools.
“We all know that limited access to safe affordable and convenient methods for dealing with menstruation has far reaching implications in rural areas. So we saw it fit to come up with this initiative to bring dignity in physical, social and mental well-being of many female pupils.
“Some pupils said they have been using newspapers and toilet rolls because they live in abject poverty. Adolescence is a crucial stage of life and one that is challenging for most girls because of its physical and psychological changes. They said one of the major physiological changes in adolescence girls is menstruation,” Segwele said.
He said some of the learners stay with their grandparents and have no money to buy sanitary pads. Segwele said menstruation was not only a health concern, but also an educational challenge as some of pupils missed classes during their periods.
Motlhamare primary school teacher, Mary Thaganyane said: “We highly appreciated what has been done by various road contractors in our village. This really shows that they do not only care about getting tenders, but have the interest of the pupils at heart. Menstruation is a barrier to the educational rights of adolescent girls especially in rural areas.
“We need to teach girl children about new development within their bodies. They need to be aware of physiological changes such as increased body size and the ability to reproduce as well as psychological changes, including the ability to think critically, an expanded reasoning capacity, identity formation and sensitivity to the new body image.
“However, for most girls in rural areas, this phase often brings challenges that push them out of school and social activities. These challenges have often been underplayed, even though research has shown that their effects are significant.”
Grade 7 pupil, Onthatile Maleta shared the same sentiments. She said the initiative was good as some of the pupils come from poor backgrounds. However this will cease the situation.
“Some of learners come from poor background and that pushes them to miss classes. However it eases one’s mind knowing that you can always approach teachers for help with sanitary towels. Some girls are very shy to talk about these new developments within their bodies, but we encourage them to get educational help to understand what’s going on,” Maleta said.
-TDN
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Boity and Cassper’s relationship seems to be over for reals this time, as Boity has been spotted canoodling with a new man.
Drum reported that Boity’s new man is non other than her photographer and social media influencer Anele Papu.
“According to our source Boity and Anele have been going out for a little while and she seems to be very happy. ‘Anele is actually staying with Boity and they are happy,’ our source tells us.” Drum revealed.
The pair have been showing each other major love on social media, and by the looks of things, been mixing business with a bit of pleasure.
Okay, so here’s what we know about Boity’s new love so far.
http://www.channel24.co.za/The-Juice/News/5-things-we-know-about-boitys-new-bae-20160509
Source- Daily Sun
A mole, who was also involved in staging the show, said Mampintsha of Big Nuz told the organiser “he had a disagreement with (his boss, DJ) Tira” and apologised for the inconvenience. He took full responsibility and said they will refund the organiser his R55000.
Event organiser, Boss Shunguve of Melokuhle Entertainment and Events confirmed that the kwaito singer had called him and apologised.
Called for comment Tira responded: “Please call Mampintsha and ask him why they did not perform.”
Mampintsha’s phone rang unanswered and he did not respond to our SMS.
Source: Sowetan
ANC chief whip at the North West Provincial Legislature, Hoffman Galeng lambasted the DA and EFF after the two opposition parties refused to participate in voting for the local government and human settlements department budget.
Galeng described the opposition parties’ move as dismay. He said what was displayed by both parties a political gimmick.
“This was important budget vote of local government and human settlements. The EFF and DA’s collective gripe is that the budget allocated for the provision of low cost housing to the value of R2bn. Both parties played to the gallery and politics of rank opportunism, instead of contributing to the national discourse.
“This conduct of the DA in particular seeks to defeat the advancement of the course of the black people. The very same population group whose vote they so desperately want. This is despite the fact that the portfolio committee on local government and human settlement chaired by Motlalepula Rosho,” Galeng said.
He said all political parties were represented in the legislature portfolio committee that expressed its satisfaction of the department’s progress.
“The local government and human settlements department mandated to uplift and ameliorates the conditions of our people. The aim is to free them from shackles of homelessness and restore their human dignity.
“We commend the work done by the department and further urge Mahumapelo to forge ahead with the commitment of pushing back the frontiers of poverty. This can be achieved by promoting employment opportunities and reducing the gap of inequality that exists among the people of Bokone Bophirima province,” Galeng said.
DA provincial leader, Joe McGluwa said the country has made a significant progress since 1994. He said the DA salutes struggle icons and praise them for that. However McGluwa said the country was at a crucial crossroads today.
“There is a concerning growing trend of corruption in the sphere of local governance and human settlements department. The department is the cold face of service delivery. It is this department’s mandate to create decent living conditions for the people of the North West province.
“There are too many administrators in local government and human settlements department and municipalities. The province has too many acting directors, too many acting senior managers and too many acting municipal managers. The department’s 2015/16 Annual Performance Plan stated that ten projects called a package of priority projects, however only three projects were successful,” McGluwa said.
He added that the current housing backlog is at 238 000 households. McGluwa said approximately 14 800 households still require basic sanitation.
“Over a million household are still without adequate water. Municipalities such as Ditsobotla have gone through six different municipal managers in just three years. Also numbers of our municipalities are actually totally dysfunctional. Our poor communities in Ditsobotla are paying R2700 for an electricity meter worth only R300,” he said.
-TDN
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THE health department in North West has paid over R41m for medical negligence.
This came to light after it emerged that 161 lawsuit cases were raised since 2011.
The department spokesperson, Tebogo Lekgethwane said they have put in place measures to improve services at public health institutions.
Lekgethwane said they have experienced increase on lawsuit during 2014/15 financial year.
“We have already paid over R19 million during 2014-15 financial year alone. We aim at reducing the number of medical negligence claims. This includes introduction of quality improvement projects. All patients will get pre-op exam from anaesthetist and will undergo x-rays prior to anaesthesia.
“We will also ensure that all health facilities have clinical guidelines. Our nurses and doctors will adhere to the guidelines as a preventative measure. They are also trained on adverse events management. The department will also ensure that there is competency testing and certification for doctors and nurses which is done before performing clinical procedures,” Lekgethwane said.
He said the department will engage with stakeholders, in particular the people they provide services to. Lekgethwane said this was in a quest to improve how they serve them.
“Internally, a policy on Health Adverse Incidents Management was developed. The policy focuses on proactive management of patient safety by identifying causes and strategies for prevention. The department also proposes redesigning organisational systems and behavioural choices. This is based on learning through analysis of adverse incidents.
“When an adverse incident occurred, the department will look for ways in which its health care system can be improved. We have also adopted managerial and staff behavioural choices. This will help to reduce the likelihood of a recurrence of the same event significantly,” he said.
According Lekgethwane they have also conducted internal investigation into cases of negligence. He said some of the findings included the fact that staff shortage was a particular concern in rural areas.
“There is often only one professional nurse to deal with all types of patients at each clinic. This sometimes results in neglecting emergencies. Shortage of health professionals is a national problem. However the province continues to do all possible to increase the intake of new students.
“The students are trained as doctors and nurses each year. However budget shortfalls also has a bearing on the numbers of intake. Clinical guidelines have since been distributed to all health facilities across the province. We will continue with health professional orientation and also training will be available for staff,” he said.
Lekgethwane said that the North West was the least in terms of cases and money spent on medical negligence compared to the rest of other provinces. He said that surfaced in 2014 on a seminar that was called by minister of health, Aaron Motsoaledi.
DA provincial spokesperson on health and social development, Dr Tutu Faleni said: “We are very concerned about the escalating costs of litigations brought against health department. DA is of the view that litigations against the department increase as a direct result of the ever increasing number of patients.
“Also acute shortage of critically essential medical equipment and long hours of work by health practitioners can compromise the quality of medical care. And that leads to acts of medical negligence which ultimately exposes the department to escalating costs of litigations.
Faleni said they call upon government to increase its budget allocation for the department. He said that will avoid a decline of standards in medical care at public health facilities in the province.
-TDN
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AN elderly woman was allegedly murdered on the eve of Mother’s Day in Phela village in Moses Kotane local municipality on Saturday night.
North West police spokesperson, Col Sabata Mokgwabone said the police were summoned to the scene after an elderly woman was killed.
“The elderly woman was allegedly murdered on Saturday night. No one has been arrested and police urge anyone with any information that could lead to the arrested of the perpetrator to come forward. According to information, the woman was staying alone and was attacked by unknown suspect/s,” Mokgwabone said.
The motive of the murder was also not clear at the moment but police investigations are likely to reveal more once arrests are made.
Moses Kotane mayor, Fetsang Mokgati condemned the murder and urged that people should repent to such barbaric deeds and learn to take care of elderly people.
“We want to condemn the incident in the strongest possible terms and urge our people to care of our elderly folks. The elderly woman stayed alone in the house and she was vulnerable. Please let’s make sure that we work with the police to arrest the perpetrator/s. We cannot live in fear in our own houses,” she said.
The mayor decried the situation in the area where it is alleged that the community has become a drug den.
“Crime does not pay but leave painful scars in our lives. The use of drugs and abuse of alcohol in Phela village is rife. So we urge the youth to live their lives positively and refrain from criminal activities,” Mokgati said.
-TDN
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The Guardian 