For six days, a search party went down into the earth’s belly to comb through dark tunnels in an attempt to find a “missing mine worker” who did not want to be found.
While the drama unfolded underground, Implats – the world’s second largest platinum producer after Amplats – had already halted production.
Nothing could be done until the missing employee had been accounted for, leading to a week’s production lost. That is equivalent to approximately 1 000 ounces of platinum worth nearly R16 million, according to Implats spokesperson Johan Theron.
A man and his two children luckily escaped a serious injury after their vehicle veered off the road and landed in a ditch at Jouberton location, in Klerksdorp on Friday morning.
ER24 spokesperson, Chitra Bodasing said the man lost control of the vehicle while driving in Ext 7 in Jouberton, Klerksdorp.
Upon arrival at the scene, ER24 paramedics found the man, believed to be in his 30’s, and the two children, believed to be 12 and 7, out of the vehicle.
“Upon assessment, it was found that the man was not injured and children sustained minor injuries. The children were taken to hospital for further assessments,” Bodasing said.
The exact cause of the incident is unknown and authorities were on scene for further investigations.
A TOTAL of 224 Atamelang residents received title deeds from the provincial government.
Premier Supra Mahumapelo and local development and human settlements MEC Fenny Gaolaolwe handed over the title deeds to ecstatic residents on Tuesday.
Mahumapelo said they would continue to improve the lives of the people, especially those in rural areas. He said the government reached an agreement to hand over houses, even those built during the Bophuthatswana era, to those who occupied them but had no title deeds.
Mahumapelo said: “We want to improve the lives of people, especially from the far-flung areas. The initiative is part of the villages, townships and small towns project. Our people were living in abject poverty and paying rent on those houses.
“They have spent more than 38 years staying in those houses without title deeds. Now we want to make their dreams possible. However, there is a concern because some of the houses were roofed with asbestos. We will look into that matter and come up with a strategic plan in changing the roofing.”
Gaolaolwe said her department would continue to deliver title deeds across the province.
She said: “We need to make sure that our people have roofs over their heads. We took a decision as an ANC led government that we will hand over their title deeds without charging them.
“It would be inappropriate to sell those houses to them because they have been renting them for so long. We also urge those who benefited to take care of the houses. They must not be deceived by anyone because we know people masquerade as lawyers and eventually steal from the poor.”
Gaolaolwe said more would be done across the province and a community hall in Atamelang would soon be revamped as well.
Beneficiary Ramogotsi Andries Tlhale said: “I cannot express how I feel. I have been occupying this house for so long and never knew what would happen.
“Now I will sleep peacefully knowing that the house belongs to me. ”
Another resident, Johannah Sikhosana, said the government was trying its best to improve the lives of the masses.
At last: Mampe-Joe Morolong’s wife, Grace, shakes hands with Dr Magome Masike at the official opening of Joe Morolong Memorial Hospital in Vryburg, a state-of-the-art facility for the local community. Picture: Mpho Bilwane
The Joe Morolong Memorial Hospital, built at a cost of R553m to cater for the community of Vryburg, has been officially opened, four years after admitting its first patients.
Health MEC Magome Masike officially opened the hospital and unveiled a memorial stone in honour of the late freedom fighter, struggle icon and the man whose name, Kesimolotse Taolo Joseph Morolong, was given to the hospital.
The struggle veteran was involved in anti-apartheid and defiance campaigns of 1952 along with Ruth First, an anti-apartheid activist and scholar, killed by a parcel bomb in Mozambique in 1982.
The construction of the hospital was completed in 2009. It admitted its first patients in 2011.
The delay in the official opening was caused by a long-standing dispute regarding the construction of a stretch of road leading to the hospital.
Masike said that his department wanted to make sure that all roads leading to the hospital were tarred and of good condition, but that the squabbles and disagreements caused the delay.
“I wanted to make sure that our ambulances were not damaged by the poor road infrastructure we had before. Now we are happy because we have the best hospital for the people of Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District. We also have good road infrastrcure leading to this hospital. This allows us to render quality health services for our people which they deserve,” he said.
The new hospital replaces the old Vryburg Hospital built just before the onset of apartheid in 1948.
The new hospital has 120 beds and a range of services that include in-patient and out-patient and accident and emergency units. It has a digital radiography and other related top-class facilities.
It also has a rehabilitation unit, theatre and six-bed high-care unit, on-site laboratory and blood blank and a forensic mortuary.
“I’m pleased today because we are giving you a facility which defines us as people who matter. These are the kind of services that freedom fighters like the late Joe Morolong fought for. During the apartheid era, only whites were good enough to utilise facilities like these. Blacks did not benefit from services like these,” Masike said.
The new hospital has a residential area with eight three-bedroom houses, 10 two-bed room houses, 46 bachelor flats, a club house and sporting facilities including a tennis court.
“We are making sure that our facilities have quality residential areas to attract health professionals and retain those that we have. Having them stay within our facilities also make it easy for them to attend to their daily responsibilities and ensure that we achieve our mandate of providing quality health care for our people,” Masike said.
The MEC for Department of Community Safety and Transport Management, Dr Mpho Motlhabane along with the Greater Taung Local Municipality Mayor, Kaone Lobelo recently opened a new taxi rank at Taung Shopping Complex.
Community of Taung and stakeholders came in numbers to witness the opening of the rank that will make their lives easier. The taxi rank was built to serve the community and Taxi owners of Taung. The commuters will have access to Government Services (Labour, Home Affairs, Education, Agriculture, SASSA, and Municipality) because they are all close to the taxi rank.
MEC Dr Motlhabane said the community of Taung should be grateful and be passionate about this taxi rank.
“The Taxi rank was opened just after Madiba’s Birthday18 July, this simply means that people of Taung must be very proud of their gift which came during Mandela month the greatest leader of all times. This taxi rank will improve the local economy of Taung and is aligned to vision of our Premier, Supra Mahumapelo of Rebrand, Reposition and Renew Bokone Bophirima through Saamtrek, Saamwerk”, said Motlhabane.
MEC Motlhabane further said that the Department will ensure that surveillance cameras are installed in the taxi rank to monitor and reduce crime to make commuters feel safe and free in their taxi rank. Those who do illegal stuff will be brought to book and dealt with.
“We will have a peaceful and safe taxi rank,” concluded Motlhabane.
The taxi rank which is 2000 square meters caters for local and long distance routes like Johannesburg, Kimberly and other areas.
Kgosi Tshepo Mankuroane thanked the Department, Municipality and Taxi Associations for their team work.
“Working together is important because we achive more. Let’s maintain the relationship and ensure that we keep the rank clean at all times and report illegal activities to the Police,” said Mankuroane.
Kgosi Motlhabane who was amongst the other Chiefs gave a vote of thanks and thanked MEC Motlhabane and government for keeping their promise and ensured that Taung will become a better village.
MEC for rural, environment and agricultural development department (READ), Manketsi Tlhape has appointed a new board of directors for Magaliesberg Biosphere Reserve.
The inauguration ceremony took place on Wednesday. The key stakeholders included landowners, representatives of Gauteng Provincial Government, local municipality representatives and community representatives around the Madibeng.
The committee consists of 9 members and will serve as a management authority. They will also provide strategic and policy direction for the promotion and sustainable development and utilisation of the biosphere reserve.
The Magaliesberg Biosphere’s unique geological landscape, rich biodiversity, human evolution and history is listed as a biosphere with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and recognised, appreciated, protected and enjoyed by resident land owners, South Africans and the international community through appropriate and sustainable development, use, research and education.
Tlhape said that formal endorsement by UNESCO will support the protection of the unique and diverse biodiversity of the area. She further indicated that it was important to note that “recognition of the presence of a biosphere in a particular landscape does not guarantee that a biosphere-inspired and bioregional approach to land and water resource management will be applied at the local level.
“It is important that the biosphere fully understands and utilises the full range of legal interventions that can support its protection. The road ahead is challenging. Today we are here to officially thank those of you who participated in the process by nominating candidates. We also want to thank those who were nominated for the work done during the time they had to mobilize support for them to be voted into office.
“You played a very critical role in that as you were mobilising for support, you actually created awareness about the Biosphere. It is through your work that today more people know about the Magaliesberg Biosphere Reserve,” she said.
Tlhape further encouraged the management authority to be selfless in their role.
“The role of the management authority is to represent the many interest groups and to provide strategic and policy direction for the promotion and sustainable development and utilisation of the Magaliesberg Biosphere. Management authority members will represent organisation/s by which they are nominated and will therefore not have a seat in their personal capacity and will not represent their personal interests,” she highlighted.
MEC emphasised that the members will do their work without any compensation and it means their work should be out of passion.
The Chief Director for Environmental services, Mafu Nkosi said the next step was for the members to elect a chairperson. He said that Management plan submitted to UNESCO dictated that the chairperson of the Board will be elected from amongst the management authority members during a formal meeting of the management authority. A meeting to fulfil this has been arranged for later this month.
TWO suspects aged 25 were arrested in Tlhabane near Rustenburg on Thursday. The police said the suspects were allegedly in possession of suspected stolen goods.
Provincial police spokesperson, Sgt Kelebogile Moleko said the incident took place at around 9am.
“According to information, the police received a tip off from community members about a suspicious vehicle roaming around Motsamai Street in Tlhabane. They were summoned to the scene and found a white bakkie with two occupants inside.
“The police searched the vehicle and allegedly found a suspected stolen copper cable estimated at the value of R8000. The suspects were arrested after they failed to account to it. They are expected to appear in Bafokeng Magistrate’s Court on Monday,” Moleko said.
NORTH West police was killed in the early hours of Thursday. Provincial police spokesperson, Col Emelda Setlhako said a police constable, 32 was stationed at Hartbeesfontein Police Station.
“The police was allegedly killed while responding to a business burglary alarm at a local bank in Hartbeesfontein. The preliminary investigation indicates that the deceased and his colleague were responding to a call out from the local security company.
“The suspects allegedly opned fire at the police and fled the scene in a vehicle belonging to a security company afterwards. They allegedly hijacked the vehicle from a security guard earlier on,” Setlhako said.
North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane has condemned the incident. Baile also sent her heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased.
“We will do everything possible to track down those heartless perpetrators who committed the heinous crime. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (HAWKS) is investigating the case,” Baile added.
In the spirit of being more like the great Nelson Mandela himself, the North West MEC for Tourism Desbo Mohono joined the Minister for Cooperate Governance and Traditional Affairs, Des van Rooyen in Ventersdorp to celebrate Nelson Mandela International Day.
Mandela Day is celebrated worldwide by people from all walks of life as a day for goodwill, volunteerism and good old philanthropy towards those that are less fortunate in any manner.
This year the provincial department of tourism and the National Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs spent their time in the small township of Tshing where they first visited the JB Marks’ Grave which is a Heritage site and the grave of the former Mayor of Ventersdorp Local Municipality, Cllr Kabelo Mashi.
The high profiled delegation ended their day by visiting the Mogomotsi family, which is one of many that are headed by children, in Extension 5, Tshing Township.
This is where MEC Mohono and Minister van Rooyen did their 67 minutes in honor of Nelson Mandela where they helped with panting of the house, cleaning the yard and donating clothes. MEC Mohono urged the community to lend a helping to the family.
“Let us not only be generous on Mandela Day, let us carry the spirit of kindness with us at all times. Let us be more like Mandela and help those that are less fortunate for our purpose in this life is greater than us as human beings. In our culture it takes the whole village to raise a child and these children should not feel like they do not have parents, they should be loved and embraced by all community members”, said Mohono.
Minister van Rooyen urged the people of Tshing to work together with government in ensuring that there is constant and sustainable development.
“People should not be afraid to approach local government representatives in their area to collaborate service delivery. Mandela fought for our freedom and democracy so we need to ensure that every day is Mandela Day. We need to take good care of our elders, educate our children, and provide food, shelter and a secure environment”, said van Rooyen.
The 2016 Nelson Mandela International Day is celebrated under the theme “Education and literacy, food security, shelter and the environment.”
Two suspects aged 19 and 21 will appear in Stilfontein Magistrate’s Court on Friday in connection with murder. North West police spokesperson, Sgt Kelebogile Moleko said the suspects from Khuma location in Stilfontein were arrested after they allegedly murdered Vusi Qholoma back in 2015.
“It is alleged that Qholomawas walking from the taxi rank when he was robbed of his cellphones and fatally stabbed by the suspects. Investigation was conducted and that led the police to the arrest of the suspects.
“The first suspect was arrested at Ikageng location, Potchefstroom on Tuesday while the second suspect was nabbed in Rustenburg on Wednesday,” Moleko said.
She added that both suspects were also linked to other two different rape cases.
For six days, a search party went down into the earth’s belly to comb through dark tunnels in an attempt to find a “missing mine worker” who did not want to be found.
![20160625_084724[1]](https://taungdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/20160625_0847241.jpg?w=560)
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