Picture: (North West premier, Supra Mahumapelo and Renowned Soothsayer and Author, Credo Mutwa) 

BY REGINALD KANYANE

PREMIER Supra Mahumapelo paid a visit to renowned soothsayer, traditional leader and author Credo Mutwa in Kuruman early this week.

The aim of Mahumapelo’s visit was to meet with Mutwa who was forcefully removed from Letlamoreng Dam in Mahikeng by Bophuthatswana government.

Mahumapelo said government is now revamping Letlamoreng Dam and he wanted to meet with Mutwa as he had a traditional house at the dam.

He said that they want to preserve Mutwa’s house for cultural development cultural practises.

“We need to continue to work together as government with our people. So we saw it imperative to meet with Credo Mutwa. North West government believes that we need to follow the suit in rebuilding our government. Those who were here first had plans, now in order to get it right, we need to understand their vision as well. They laid the foundation, so to continue and take it forward, we must meet with them.

“We also visited former Bophuthatswana president, Lucas Mangope. The nother mater is to rely on the living God for guidance. We need to ask serenity from him. We need to practice humanity because all what we have in this world may perish. To be a good leader, one need to show humanity and listen for advices,” Mahumapelo said.

Mahumapelo expressed concern at how Mutwa was kicked out of the provincial capital saying people like the traditional leader play a positive role in building the society.

“We shared our vision with Mutwa. And we urged him to consider his return to Letlamoreng Dam. We need to learn from previous leader. I am glad that he welcomed us in his home. The aim was to know how we can assist him as we are refurbishing the area. We have budgeted R30m to improve Letlamoreng Dam, so his area will also be used as part of heritage.

“We need to preserve our Africanism and make sure that peace prevails in the province. We have put three concepts as our drive of our economy. Agriculture, culture and tourism are our economy drive in the North West province. We also have renewal, healing and reconciliation. We agree with Mutwa when he mentioned that there will be instability in South Africa. However we are fighting unemployment, inequality and poverty,” he added.

In his remarks, Mutwa said he could not agree more with the vision of the provincial government.

“As small as I am, I agree with your vision. We need to make people at grass root level to be able to feed themselves. They also need to be integrated in the bigger plan which joins to greater things. The culture of a human being is capable of sustaining human being’s life.

“I am disturbed by the noise we see in our country currently. Human beings are working in the name God of to bring upheaval in the lives of the masses. There is danger facing our country. Unemployment, inequality and poverty are rearing its ugly head. We need to come up with good planning to improve the lives of the people,” Mutwa said.

-TDN

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BY REGINALD KANYANE

THE North West health department has acquired the services of two emergency medical services companies to address backlog of ambulances in the province.

Department spokesperson, Tebogo Lekgethwane said they have signed a two year contract with the two companies.

“We believe that their services will assist us in addressing backlog of ambulances. This will improve our service delivery to our people. We have experienced lack of ambulances in the past. So those emergency medical services will assist were we are lacking.

“We do not have many ambulances across the province to render service to all communities. Our people always complain that ambulances take long to reach them. Some people say sometimes the ambulances are engaged,” Lekgethwane said.

He added that people need to bring any grievances forward so that they can address them.

“The service level agreement exists with two private EMS providers to offer inter facility transfers for the department. The private emergency medical services will help to reduce the backlog in transportation of patients.

“The private EMS are also bide by the law to assist if they come across any accident. This is as per the health act. The department uses private EMS service providers when we are very busy as well,” he said.

Lekgethwane said that they do not condone private EMS services that poach calls. He said that EMS services signed the contract for inter facility transfer.

“They are paid as per Board of Healthcare Funders rates. If residents are not happy about the service of the private sectors, they can lay a complainant to the department. We will report them to the Board of Healthcare funders or the health professions council of South Africa.

“We are still assessing the impact that private EMS service providers have on patient care. We also held talks with taxi industry to assist with transport to ferry patients to various medical institutions in daily basis,” he said.

The Taung community was left disgruntled recently over the treatment they allegedly received from one of private EMS personnel.

A concern group chairperson from Taung Voices, Bakang Makuroane said there was a terrible accident recently in Chiefscourt section in Taung.

He said the personnel driving a private ambulance stopped but allegedly refused to help them.

“One person died on the scene in a car accident after one of private EMS personnel stopped but refused to assist. The driver alleged that the accident was not in his jurisdiction. So we wanted to know if the accident was not in his jurisdiction, what he was doing in the area. These private EMS services come to North West just to fill up their pockets. The injured person died on the scene after 30 minutes while trying to call an ambulance,” Makuroane said.

-TDN

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