​

BY REGINALD KANYANE
Bokone Bophirima Premier, Supra Mahumapelo vehemently dismissed media reports alleging that he has withdrawn his defamation case against the North West Business Forum (NWBF).

Provincial Government spokesperson Brian Setswambung said the case has been removed from the court’s urgent roll with costs reserved. Setswambung further said this followed an agreement between the two parties.

“Lawyers representing Mahumapelo served the NWBF’s Fana Moraka, Sello Mogodiri, Themba Gwabeni and Oupa Mphomane with papers calling on the group to end its smear campaign against him. 

“The papers also demanded that the group stops its attacks on Mahumapelo’s reputation and good name, among others. Mahumapelo’s lawyers demanded that the group stops its actions and provide a written apology or face litigation,” Setswambung said.

He said Mahumapelo initiated legal proceedings against the group following its endorsement of two songs which purported the Premier to be corrupt. 

“This was followed by a sustained campaign on various media platforms where the same allegations were repeated, including a media briefing on 14 February 2017 in Mahikeng.

“The Premier would like to set the record straight and debunk the myth that claims that the defamation case against the NWBF has been withdrawn,” Setswambung said.

“The fact of the matter is that the case has been removed from the urgent roll and the respondents, who agreed to the removal were consulted. The matter will still sit, albeit not on an urgent basis,” he said.

Setswambung said the group has, in its papers, stated that they do not intend to defameahumapelo or commit any violence or influence any party to do such.  

 taungdailynews@gmail.com

​

BY BAKANG MOKOTO
MEC for  Education and Sport Development department, Sello Lehari said they are saddened by the untimely death of Tshegofatso Witkooi (15) at Thuto Lore Secondary School in Bloemhof on Monday.

Witkooi passed away upon arrival at Boitumelong clinic where she was rushed to after constant vomiting after school lunch break.   

Lehari said the cause of death is not yet known and the department is waiting for autopsy results from the forensic pathology.

“We want convey our message of condolences to the family. We have also arranged counselling for Tshegofatso’s family, learners and teachers at the school. 

“The department is also aware of the unfounded allegations by the Progressive Student Movement (PSM) that the learner died as a result of food poison at the school,” he said.
Lehari wishes to inform the public that the cause of death is not yet known to the Witkooi family or the department and wishes the PSM or any member of the public to give the family the descent grieving period it deserves. 

“A memorial service for Witkooi will be held next week at a date that will soon be communicated while the funeral will be on Saturday, 25 March 2017,”Lehari said.
taungdailynews@gmail.com

​

North West Legislature Portfolio Committee on Education Lambasts Department for Challenges Found at Schools
North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Education, Sports, Arts, Culture and Traditional Affairs met with the Department of Education to address challenges the Committee had discovered while conducting oversight visits to over 200 schools around the province, including special schools.

The Committee Chairperson, Boitumelo Moiloa said they had discovered, amongst others, challenges of Infrastructure; schools whose roofs were blown-off; Storm damaged school buildings; lack of security at schools: vacant posts and challenges in filling them; employment of Foreign Educators, issues of temporary educators; and National Schools Nutrition Programme.

MEC for the Department of Education and Sports Development, MEC Sello Lehari and the Head of Department (HOD) Dr. Itumeleng Molale including senior management of the department attended the meeting.

Infrastructure Director, Lebogang Tire made a presentation to the Committee on progress made in attending to schools that have been identified in previous reports on school visits. 

He also reported on Special Schools, schools affected by the storms and those vandalized or torched during service delivery protests. 

Although Moiloa commended the department on progress made in filling of vacant principal posts and progress made in paying outstanding salaries of temporary educators, she stated that she was not happy with the department’s delay in responding and dealing with emergencies at schools. 

She also expressed her unhappiness with dire conditions the Committee found at the schools. 

“Ablution facilities in most of the schools I visited are in the worst conditions. In Batlhalerwa and Moshosho Primary School the pit toilets are full. In Loselong Primary, the Department of Labour has written a letter that the school must be closed because of the inhumane condition of the ablution facilities. 

“There is a school in Bojanala where 3 classrooms were built by the School Governing Body (SGB) without an inspector or engineer, approving the construction. What if that building falls on the learners?” she said.

Moiloa said Area Managers were supposed to be on the ground checking all these things.

The Committee also raised sharply the case of Onkgopotse Tiro Comprehensive School principal, Teach Kgonothi who took the Department to court after admitting and being found guilty of fraud and corruption.

Moiloa said she feels that the department is disregarding and disrespecting the Legislature. 

“It saddens me that this Committee tabled this issue in the Legislature House and a Resolution was taken that the settlement agreement between the department and Mr Kgonothi must be implemented. 

“The Settlement was not even expelling him after having admitted that he committed fraud and corruption, but it was offering him a post in office, instead he took the department to court,” Moiloa said.

Responding to the issues raised by the Committee, Dr Molale, indicated that the delay in addressing the challenges at schools is caused by budget constraints. 

“Our budget gets over stretched due to amongst others, increased storm damages and schools that are torched by communities during service delivery protests. These are not budgeted for but learners have to go to school and therefore the department has no choice but to provide interim resources. 

“The department appreciates the Oversight work done by the Committee as it enlightens us to the existing challenges that schools have on the ground,” Molale said.

The department is expected amongst others, to submit the judgement on Mr Kgonothi’s case, including Heads of argument by the department.

A detailed report on Mokasa primary school principal ,allocation of 60 mobile classrooms to prioritised schools; a security report for schools; and a refined National School Nutritional Programme menu that is suitable for the mental and physical health of learners. All reports are expected within 7 working days.

taungdailynews@gmail.com

​

By Thabo Sematle
Community Safety and Transport Management MEC, Dr Mpho Motlhabane condemns vandalism of contracted learner transport buses by the learners in the province. 

Motlhabane condemned the recent incident where learners of Blydeville in the Ditsobotla Municipality vandalized the scholar transport bus.

“This bus transport learners was from their residence in Blydeville to Boikhutso Village. The arrangement was made since there is no high school in Blydeville and many of these learners had to walk long distances to the nearest school. 

“What saddens the department is that this operation has not been very long in the area, it’s only been a month in operation but already been vandalised,” Motlhabane said.

He further said the operation came recently as an intervention after the community demanded the service which they have since acceded to. 

“Through the involvement of the Ditsobotla Local Municipality and the Department of Education and Sport Development, we then made means to introduce an operator here.

“Again in recent weeks, learners from Welverdien in the same area of Ditsobotla also protested and demanded learner transport operation after the operator who was contracted by the department withdrew his services in the area following continuous vandalism of his bus,” he said.

Motlhabane added that the service provider wilfully terminated his contract with them due to continuous vandalism of his bus. He further said the department had to start the procurement processes of appointing another service provider.

“It was notably disturbing that the same learners who led the previous service provider to terminate his contract, have now ran to the media and claimed not to be attending school because they don’t have transport, whereas they are the ones that drove the service provider away,” Motlhabane.

The MEC said if learners and communities continue with this kind of behaviour, the department will end up struggling to get learner transport service providers in certain areas of the province. “No one will allow his property to be damaged especially deliberately. We humbly request our learners to behave and stop these strange acts of vandalism,” he said.

Motlhabane said the department continue to be committed to provide learner transport service to learners traveling more than 7km to schools across the province.

taungdailynews@gmail.com