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BY REGINALD KANYANE

North West Premier, Supra Mahumapelo lambasted SA Express after he arrived two hours late at President Zuma’s cabinet Lekgotla on Friday.

This follows challenges associated with air flight company. Mahumapelo confirmed that he personally felt the inconvenience that was often reported about SA Express flight schedules.

“Other passengers were also angered by what they referred to as the inefficiencies of SA Express. The Executive Council of the North West province has since last year received complaints of flights that arrive and depart later than the scheduled time,” Mahumapelo said.

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A total of 493 students will benefit from the R48million set aside by the North West Provincial Government in bursaries for the current academic year. Of this total, the provincial government will spend R29million to support 232 new bursary beneficiaries, while the 261 existing bursary holders will be supported with R19million. More than 70% of these beneficiaries are from villages across the province, the majority of whom are for University studies.
This was revealed today, Wednesday 01 February, by Premier of the North West, Supra Mahumapelo while addressing members of the media on some of the resolutions and highlights of the Executive Council (EXCO)’s first sitting of the year, which was held today in Mahikeng.

Premier Mahumapelo who was joined by MECs Manketsi Tlhape of Rural, Environment and Agricultural Development and Fenny Gaolaolwe of Local Government and Human Settlement, also announced that a further 129 students from the province will be funded by the department of Basic Education through Funza Lushaka bursary this year, to train as Educators.

“Moreover, we are now for the first time since the launch of Kgetsi-Ya-Tsie Bursary and Skills Development Fund in 2015, able to tap into the fund to assist deserving and needy students who have applied”, said Premier Mahumapelo adding that performing and needy students who applied for funding will be assisted with registration costs and clearing of outstanding balances.

Expressing his profound gratitude to members of the public who have responded to the call for donations towards this fund, Premier Mahumapelo said, “Kgetsi-Ya-Tsie fund is a moral responsibility of every citizen of this province, and has indeed been an exemplary demonstration of Bokone Bophirima’s commitment to the spirit of Saamtrek-Saamwerk.

“The money that has been collected so far is however not enough to assist all the applicants. We are appealing to individuals and the private sectors to join hands and help us sustain this initiative”, Mahumapelo pleaded.

The Premier also announced the launching of a Denel Technical Academy Satellite Campus in Mahikeng in June this year, which will be in partnership with Denel Technical Academy. The first group of forty (40) students with matric passes in Mathematics and Science will be trained on aircraft electrical trade, aircraft mechanical trade and engineering mechanical trade, and will receive full government bursaries of R150 000 per student.  

The province has in the past financial year empowered about 1 034 youth through various skills development initiatives to the tune of over R100million, this in partnership with organisations including Skills Education and Training Authorities (SETA’s).

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Cape Town – First he said he knew student leader Mcebo Dlamini very well, then a few days later the state security minister backtracked on the extent of their relationship.

Now, minister David Mahlobo will have to face the powers and privileges committee to explain if he lied to Parliament in November.

The Speaker’s office announced in Parliament’s announcements, tablings and committee report papers on Wednesday that the matter had officially been referred to the committee.

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Pretoria – Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu has resigned in the wake of a report into the deaths of mentally ill patients, Gauteng Premier David Makhura said on Wednesday.

He received her resignation letter on Tuesday night and accepted it, Makhura told reporters in Pretoria.

He was speaking at a briefing on the outcome of an investigation into the deaths of mentally ill patients transferred from the Life Esidimeni facility to several NGOs in 2016, as part of the provincial health department’s cost-cutting measures.

At least 94 of the patients died between March 23 and December 19 last year, Health Ombudsman Malegapuru Makgoba said at the briefing.

Mahlangu had lost credibility and her actions and those of two senior officials were “chaotic, hurried, in a rush, and a total shambles”, he said.

Makhura said Mahlangu understood that if something went “profoundly wrong, you take direct accountability”.

Mahlangu initially claimed that 36 patients had died. Makgoba suspected that the number of deaths could be higher than 94. He said many families were not informed about the deaths of their relatives.

Makgoba said 18 out of 47 transferred patients died at Precious Angels NGO shortly after Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi instructed him to investigate.

None of the 27 NGOs had valid licences. This was unlawful, as the victims were vulnerable, and all the NGOs had to face the law, he said.

One of the family members broke down during the briefing as Motsoaledi spoke about the reasons for the investigation.

“I’m not embarrassed,” Motsoaledi said.

“I’m distressed and very angry. Something like this should have been avoided.”

Life Esidimeni cared for about 2 000 patients and received its funding from the department.

Makgoba said he interviewed more than 70 witnesses and worked with eight psychiatric experts.

Makhura said he would appoint Deputy Health Minister Gwen Ramokgopa as health MEC. She was formerly Gauteng health MEC.

In the meantime, Gauteng social development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza would act as health MEC. Makhura said Mahlangu would release a public statement soon.

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Johannesburg – National Prosecuting Authority head Shaun Abrahams ordered an investigation into advocate Gerrie Nel and other senior prosecutors just three days before Nel resigned.

Abrahams asked a senior prosecutor in KwaZulu-Natal to provide him with a progress report relating to a complaint lodged against Nel and three senior advocates, for bringing the administration of justice into disrepute.

News24 has learnt that Nel was part of a complaint a Laudium businessman laid against him and the prosecutors in Pretoria.

Nel resigned on Monday to join lobby group AfriForum as head of its private prosecutions unit.

The complaint, which was registered on December 20 last year, relates to an allegation of tampering with evidence.

Pressure

Speculation is rife among the legal fraternity that Nel was under some sort of pressure in the National Prosecuting Authority before he left, just five years before retirement, after a 36-year career. Insiders believe this complaint may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Days before Nel’s resignation, Abrahams responded to the complainant in a letter News24 has seen, indicating he was taking the allegations seriously.

The letter titled “Bringing the administration of justice into disrepute by virtue of the conduct of senior members of the National Prosecuting Service” was signed on January 27.

Abrahams allocated the complaint to the director of public prosecutions in KwaZulu-Natal, advocate Moipone Noko and asked for a progress report by February 24.

“I reiterate the seriousness of the allegations and remain committed to resolve this matter soonest,” Abrahams wrote.

While the letter by Abrahams does not mention who in the NPA is being looked into, the original complaint specifically names Nel and three senior NPA members in the Pretoria area.

NPA spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku said they would be guided by Noko once her investigation had been completed.

Hawks involved

News24 learnt that the complainant in the matter had approached the Hawks with the case.

Gauteng Hawks head General Prince Mokotedi confirmed this, but said a case against Nel had not been registered yet because they were waiting for the complainants to depose statements.

“We were approached this past weekend and we were arranging to meet the complainants with their lawyers this coming Friday. I have directed a senior investigator to look into that matter should the complainants and their lawyers revert to us,” Mokotedi said.

When Nel was asked if he was aware of the complaint against him and if this had anything to do with his resignation, he replied “not at all”. He did not comment further.

Dispute with prominent family

The complainant is a businessman who has had four cases opened against him. All of them stem from a dispute he has had with a prominent family. The family, also from Laudium, he alleges, have had numerous criminal cases against them dropped and have “untoward personal relationships” with members of the police and NPA.

The dispute led to a shooting at a supermarket in Laudium in 2015. According to the businessman, five men vandalised his car. He heard what was happening and ran out the shop. When the men surrounded him he pulled out a firearm and shot two of the men, injuring them. His version is that the men were armed and he fired shots to defend himself. Criminal cases were opened on both sides after the incident.

He said that from the start, the normal course of justice appeared to have been interfered with. The senior prosecutor in the case allegedly admitted to having a romantic relationship with a relative of one of the men involved in the supermarket shooting.

He complained and the prosecutor withdrew from the cases. Nel and a colleague then took over. The businessman asked that the NPA look into how the cases were reassigned as he believed the two prosecutors took over as a favour to their colleague.

He said the prosecutors appeared to have a familiar attitude with the Laudium family and he alleges that Nel was seen taking selfies with them in court.

CCTV footage

At the heart of the complaint is CCTV footage of the shooting. The complainant said a shorter, edited version of the footage was submitted to the court which supported the five men’s version of events.

The defence told the prosecutors they had longer footage, which showed that the video submitted to court had been edited.

The prosecutors did not bring this to the magistrate’s attention, said the businessman. The footage was allegedly given to a private company and not the state forensic laboratory to analyse, which is not normal procedure.

The businessman said this was tantamount to tampering with evidence and hence his complaint of defeating the ends of justice.

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