FOUR people died in a horrific accident involving a North West health department’s patient transport vehicle in Coligny yesterday (Wednesday) morning.

The driver, a woman in her forties and two minors died on the scene. They were part of patients travelling from Bophelong in Mahikeng to Chris Hani-Baragwaneth hospital for medical attention.

Provincial health department spokesperson, Tebogo Lekgethwane said the accident happened at about 3:40am.

The vehicle collided with a truck.

“Our Emergency services personnel responded swiftly and patients were ferried to the neighboring General De La Rey hospital. Those with serious injuries were transferred to Mafikeng Provincial Hospital while others were transferred to private hospitals.

“It is with a great sadness to announce that four of the people who were part of that transport have passed on including the driver. All other patients were taken by their relatives from General De La Rey Hospital while the other reminding five will be offered counseling in the hospital before they can be delivered to their respective homes,” Lekgethwane said.

The department will also trace patients that were taken by their families and relatives so that they can also receive counselling.

-TDN

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BY REGINALD KANYANE

NALEDI Local Municipal Manager, Modisenyane Segapo may face criminal charges if what North West Provincial Legislature’s Standing Committee on Provincial Accounts (SCOPA) is anything to go by.

Chairperson Mahlakeng Mahlakeng met with MEC for local government and human settlements department, Fenny Gaolaolwe to brief her about the behaviour of Segapo.

Segapo walked out of the meeting on Wednesday last week at the legislature. The municipality appeared before North West Provincial Legislature’s Standing Committee on Provincial Public Accounts to account on the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) outcomes of the 2014-15 financial year.

He was supposed to answer on Auditor General report.

Mahlakeng said Segapo’s behaviour was uncalled for.

“Segapo appeared before the committee without having the MFMA documentations. When I asked him about it he took exception. We requested the mayor to speak to ask him to come back, but he still refused. We cannot have officials who refuse to account. This is taxpayers’ money.

“In terms of the Constitution, Sec 114(2) (a) states that a provincial Legislature must provide for mechanisms to ensure that all provincial Executive Organs of the state in the province are accountable to it. Furthermore provisions of the North West Provincial Legislature Standing Rules, Rule 239, provides that Segapo is in contempt of the Legislature as he had actually interfered with the ability of the Legislature to perform its function, more so by failing to report to the Committee when required to do so and by failing to obey any ruling, order or resolution of the Legislature,” Mahlakeng said.

According to the provincial Auditor General’s office, the Naledi Local Municipality is struggling to pay their debtors including Eskom. It was also discovered that most of the officials owe the municipality a lot of money for rates and services. Some of officials and councillors are doing business with the municipality too.

“There is unauthorized expenditure of R107m that need to be accounted for. There is another R32m for fruitless expenditure. We will pursue criminal charges against the municipal manager.

“We have already informed the North West provincial legislature speaker, Sussan Dantjie. Segapo disdained the rules and regulations of the legislature. We will launch charges with NPA on Friday,” Mahlakeng said.

Gaolaolwe said the municipality must take drastic measures against Segapo.

Naledi Local Municipal Mayor, Langa Modise said they wrote a letter to Segapo to explain why he must not be suspended.

*NB: Our attempts to reach Modisenyane Segapo were proven to be futile

-TDN

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BY KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

A 61-year-old woman was sentenced to life imprisonment after poisoning her her boyfriend. Patricia Nombuyiselo Maponya appeared in Klerksdorp Magistrate’s Court last week.

She murder poisoned her Namibian boyfriend, Andreas Elago Haikwuy, 42.

North West police said Maponya hid Haikwuy’s his body inside the garage.

The accused was arrested after her neighbour blew the whistle. Maponya requested the neighbour to help her remove something from her house.

The victim’s body was found inside the garage when the police searched the accused’s house. The incident occurred in July 2015 in Kanana near Klerksdorp.

The North West Provincial Commissioner, General Baile Motswenyane lauded all role players involved in securing the convictions. She said that they will definitely send message that those who commit crime will be dealt with harshly.

-TDN

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BY KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

A 43-YEAR-OLD man was incarcerated for life imprisonment by Taung Magistrate’s Court on Monday after raping an eight-year-old minor. The accused who was the victim’s stepfather, raped her after her mother went to the shop.

The police said the incident occurred in April 2012 at Motsweding village near Taung.

The victim told her mother that the accused started raping her back in 2010.

-TDN

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BY REGINALD KANYANE

MEC for local government and human settlements and finance, economy and enterprise development departments, Fenny Gaolaolwe and Wendy Nelson respectively will have a two-day joint session with mayors, municipal managers, members of mayoral committees (MMC) of finance and local economic development and chief financial officers to engage on local government and financial management matters in the province.

Local government and human settlements department spokesperson, Ben Bole said: “The session will starts on May 26-2. We will also look into the provincial government priorities for 2016/2017 and municipal financial performance for 2016-17.”

The event will be held at Christiana Hotel at 8am.

-TDN

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BY KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

A 25-YEAR-OLD Nigerian man was arrested at Motata Hostels in Ipelegeng Location in Schweizer-Reneke on Wednesday. He was arrested for allegedly dealing with drugs.

Pudimoe cluster police spokesperson, Sergeant Tebogo Thebe said Amalia police in conjunction with Vryburg K9 pounced on a suspect after receiving a tip-off.

“Police have been after the suspect for some time. We have received information from our mole. The suspect was found with a drug which is known as “Cat”, small cuttings in 33 bags with an estimated street value of R3300 as well as an amount of cash.

“Seventeen cellphones were allegedly confiscated with R5310 cash. VISPOL commander at Ipelegeng Police Station, Capt Mothibi commended the police for their swift arrest,” Thebe said.

Mothibi said he is relieved that they finally managed to arrest the suspect. He said the suspect arrest will go a long way in plummeting crime within his police station precinct.

In a separate incident, a 50 year old female was also nabbed for dealing in dagga. It is alleged that police found dagga with an estimated street value of R550.

The dagga was allegedly found hidden at her place of residence. Thebe said police acted on information on both cases and search warrants were used to search the suspects’ premises.

-TDN

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BY REGINALD KANYANE

North Cape Transport Department will host Provincial Road Safety Summit on Friday. Two hundred youth will attend the event.

MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison Pauline Williams said the summit is a partnership between the National Department of Transport and the Province.

She said they want to take bold steps to reduce road carnage.

“The carnage affects mostly the youth of this country. The theme is #BEINGSAFEISCOOL. The summit comes as a result of the 2015 Road Safety Summit held in Cape Town. It is a strategic intervention aimed at combating road carnage.

“The aim of the upcoming youth engagements is to have the youth organised and robustly participating as an integral part of the Road Safety programmes. The department serves to complement the existing efforts in place to curb road carnage,” she said.

Williams said the summit will give a voice to young people and award them an opportunity to contribute to a shift in attitudes and behaviour towards road safety among their peers.

“Forty young people will join the National Youth Road Safety Summit in June which will be led by Minister Dipuo Peters and her Deputy Minister, Sindisiwe Chikunga,” she said.

The Provincial Youth Road Safety Summit Welcome Gala will be held at

Horse Shoe Hotel in Kimberley at 7pm.

-TDN

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BY REGINALD KANYANE

A 41-year –old man was arrested after he was allegedly found in possession of copper wires on his farm just 50 Km outside Kimberley. Northern Cape police spokesperson, Lieutenant Olebogeng Tawana said the suspect was arrested on Tuesday.

“Police received a tip-off that the farm owner stored a suspected stolen copper on his farm. During investigation on the farm, we found six bags with copper weighing 197 kilograms  estimated to the street value of R13 000 hidden in the store room.

“The suspect is facing a charge of possession of stolen property. He appeared in Kimberley Magistrate’s Court today,” he said.

-TDN

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BY REGINALD KANYANE

HUNDRED and thirty eight athletes from North West province will contest in the 91^st edition of the Comrades Marathon on Sunday. The episode will be hosted in Kwazulu-Natal.

Education and sport development department MEC, Sello Lehari said 2015 comrade marathon winner, Gift Kelehe will also be part of the occurrence.

Lehari said they hope Kelehe will defend his title.

According to Lehari, the high participation of athletes from the North West province is a thrilling sensation. He said: “We want to encourage and motivate our athletes from the province to perform well. They will be representing the province and they must hold the province’s flag high.

“This can be achieved through excellent performance. We also provided sustainable mass opportunities across the age spectrum to promote physically active lifestyles.”

Lehari also commended all institutions with good infrastructure. He said they have increased participation and excellence in sport.

The send-off ceremony for the provincial athletes will be held at Klerksdorp Recreation Centre on Thursday at 4pm.

-TDN

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BY REGINALD KANYANE

MADIBENG- THE water and sanitation department said it will complete its task to restore water in all affected areas across Madibeng.

Water and sanitation department spokesperson, Katlego Mokaila said this came up following a rapid intervention aimed at making sure that water resources are available to all communities.

“The Brits Water Treatment Works is currently being extended to deliver water resources from 20 Millitres (ML) to 80 ML/day. Work on the Raw Water Pump Station and a new delivery pipeline costing R126 million is in progress.

“An amount of R20m has been approved through the Municipal Water Infrastructure Grant (MWIG) for refurbishment of boreholes in Maboloka. An amount of R4. 5m will also be spent in Letlhabile to fix boreholes and pipe leakages as part of the Water Conservation and Water Demand Management (WDWCM),” she said.

Mokaila further added that Majakaneng Phase 2 DWS is engaged with communities to proceed with work to install water infrastructures in the area.

“The Jericho Project 1 is now delivering water to approximately 70% of the community, whilst operations and maintenance of the Brits Water Treatment Plant continues to deliver water at maximum capacity.

“Approval has been granted by DWS Director-General (DG) for the completion of the refurbishment of 13 pump stations. Generally, water restrictions have been implemented and awareness campaigns are being conducted through local radio stations,” she said.

-TDN

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