Can Julius Malema be trusted by voters when he once promised that he would die for President Jacob Zuma?

This was the question Zuma asked in Ikageng township outside Potchefstroom during his election campaign trail in the North West yesterday.

Zuma was referring to the days when Malema fiercely defended the president before he was expelled by the governing party.

“He used to say ‘I will die for Zuma’. How do you trust now that he means what he says?” Zuma asked.

Zuma had earlier addressed a similar gathering in Jouberton township outside Klerksdorp where he also took a swipe at Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and other political parties.

“That man (Malema) used to say ‘the ANC is in my blood; I have the DNA of the ANC’. But today mayibabo!” he said, his trademark exclamation with a giggle suggesting Malema was singing a different tune now.

Zuma urged people not to vote for the EFF and other parties because they have no experience in government and, unlike the ANC, they could not be “trusted”.

He referred to parties without using their names as he continued to mock them and their leaders.

“There is a new one which I am also forgetting its name but I always recognise its leader (as) ill-disciplined, misbehaving and he was sacked; expelled from the ANC. Very angry he formed an organisation for revenge. There is no political objective but the objective is revenge because he was chased away,” Zuma said.

“Why should you worry about such an organisation? I always wonder if I was to vote for that organisation what is it that I am voting for? Ill-discipline, no respect, rude language? The only organisation that represents the interests of the people of this country is the ANC.”

Zuma – who was singing and dancing much to the pleasure of those who had gathered – seemed in high spirits as he continued to undervalue other parties.

Source- City Press

-TDN

Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

 taungdailynews@gmail.com

NORTH West education and sport development department will embark on Letsema Cleaning Campaign at various schools across the province during the weekend after a four week long winter vacation.

Education and sport development provincial spokesperson, Elias Malindi said they are ready to resume with teaching and learning in all the schools in the province.

“The campaign is part of the school reopening readiness. Parents and community members will embark on a cleaning spree in the neighbouring schools across the province.

“Educators are also ready to resume with the syllabus. We expect to wrap the syllabus by the end of August. So that pupils can have enough time for revision programmes in the problematic areas of learning,” Malindi said.

MEC for education and sport development department, Sello Lehari says the province is ready to run with the programme.

“On behalf of team North West Education, I sincerely thank all the parents by looking after our little stars throughout the four week holidays. We are now preparing for the upcoming quarter. Grade 12 pupils embarked on winter camps and we hope they benefited from that.

“We also want to commend all educators for their dedicated efforts. They have spent long hours facilitating the smooth running of the winter camps. We aim to reach for gold in the final examinations,” Lehari said.

-TDN

Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

taungdailynews@gmail.com

NORTH West premier Supra Mahumapelo said that plans are underway for the appointment a new chief executive officer at Mmabana Foundation.

Mahumapelo said his office was in talks with culture, art and traditional affairs department (CATA) MEC, Ontlametse Mochware to speed up the process.

“We want the Mmabana Foundation to have a CEO and that process is underway. The Mmabana Foundation plays a pivotal role in art and culture. We are planning to have extended programmes for school children. They need to engage in various activities after school.

“The provincial government invested heavily on culture and forms part of our economic drive. Young children learn and develop through their early experiences and relationships. As children get older they begin to develop a sense of who they are and where they belong. So, culture is imperative and North West province preserves that,” he said.

The premier added:   “We will also make sure that we acquire unused schools to make sure that the children get those activities at their door steps. Art, culture and tourism complement each other and that’s what our province specialises with. We also have agriculture at the apex of our triangle.”

Mmabana Foundation experienced challenges a month ago when its employees downed tools and embarked on a strike.

Workers demanded that the institution management should commit in writing that it will address their grievances like the review of their salaries and being treated with respect.

NEHAWU provincial organiser, Cassper Nanto said the union has since reached an agreement with Mmabana Foundation management on the issues raised.

He said they welcomed the move to appoint a permanent CEO at the organisation.

“We heard those rumours, but if it is true, we welcome the move. We have engaged with Mmabana Foundation and reached an agreement. The organisation agreed to give employees 7.6% salary increase from April 1, 2016 until 2017. We also agreed that all those who are acting on positions will receive acting allowance. We are also engaged with the Mmabana Foundation management to make the institution accredited,” Nanto said.

Provincial coordinator for workers, Portia Phadi said they welcomed the decision on the appointment of a new chief executive who would take charge of the institution.

-TDN

Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

taungdailynews@gmail.com

BOITEKONG residents in Rustenburg went on a rampage and torched six vehicles on Wednesday night.
  Residents were angry after a disagreement with local mines operating in Ramochana village over their recruitment processes.

  Community leader, Thabo Nthaudi said mining houses reneged on their employment promises leaving residents in the dark.

  Angry residents took to the streets and vented their anger by setting alight an ambulance, a municipal vehicle and four others belonging to a security company.

   “We want to condemn the violent protests, however people were felt short-changed. The mine was supposed to recruit local people but changed their minds on the 11^th hour. However we met with them on Thursday and reached an agreement.

 “They promised to incorporate local business persons to render their services at the mines. People who own cleaning, security and other companies will benefit. We cannot continue to live in abject poverty while we have mines at our door-step,” Nthaudi said.

  Rustenburg local municipality spokesperson, Thapelo Matebesi said it was unfortunate that six vehicles were torched in Boitekong.

  “The torching of vehicles was fuelled by some community members who complained about lack of job opportunities in the neighbouring mines and at municipal sewer plant. The area remains volatile after intervention by the municipality’s public safety directorate in collaboration with police,” Matebesi said.

  North West police spokesperson, Col Sabata Mokgwabone said the police in Boitekong were investigating a case of public violence.

  “The vehicles were set alight at a sport ground in Sunrise Park extension 11. They were allegedly taken individually from the drivers by a group of approximately ten people. Investigations are underway,” Mokgwabone said.

-TDN

Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

taungdailynews@gmail.com

MINISTER for Rural Development and Land Reform, Gugile Nkwinti said that he is impressed with the progress made by rural, environment and agricultural development department (READ) in the province.

Nkwinti said this when he witnessed the first grain value chain agri-park harvest day in Springbokpan on Wednesday.

“Agri-parks are set to boost economic growth. We want to increase our own contribution to growth development plan. Our national development plan is talking about economic growth of 6% by 2030. In order for that to happen, it means sectors of agriculture and manufacturing should bring in more effort noting the challenges we face in other sectors like mining.

“We want to increase GDP through agriculture. Right now this sector is at 3% and this is still less. Establishment and functioning of the agri-parks will take us a long way,” Nkwinti said.

North West premier Supra Mahumapelo said they have put agriculture at the apex of their economy drive. He said they aiming at fighting unemployment, poverty and inequality.

“We have chosen to deal with agriculture, culture and tourism. The harvest attests to the correctness of our decision. We also encourage young and old people to embark on farming. We are reaping the fruit after we conceptualised, planned and executed.

“We also want to bring our people together. They must benefit from the entire value chain of agricultural sector. This will create jobs, deal with inequality and unemployment,” Mahumapelo said.

He said they will also bring in technology to farming, commending READ and RDLR departments for supporting his vision of Village, Township and Small Dorpies development.

“All this big cities like Johannesburg and Pretoria will not succeed if they were not getting their feed from rural provinces. So in terms of economy strategic plan, we are better located than them.

“The major challenge we are facing as the province is youth unemployment. It has reached staggering 37%. However we formed Youth Entrepreneurship Services (YES) and Youth in Agriculture and Rural Development programmes. We must just make sure that we maximise and push much harder to empower young people in agricultural sector. If we reduce youth unemployment, we would defeat hunger,” he said.

READ MEC, Manketse Tlhape said: “We have witnessed the first harvest for the storage. We are building a processing plant next to silos where we will produce maize and other commodities. We are also building a warehouse where we will have our mechanisation.”

She added that they spent R50m on rehabilitation of the silos last year.

“We have injected also injected R4m to do the costing and spent R8m for the mill. We want our people to beneficiate from the whole value chain. We are also having another agri-park in Makapanstad.

“We also did sod-turning for satellite agricultural farmer produce campus. Our department has a farm training centre called Kgora at Ramatlabama in Mahikeng. This will assist emerging farmers,” she said.

-TDN

Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

taungdailynews@gmail.com