BY BAKANG MOKOTO

MEC for Local Government and Human Settlements in Bokone Bophirima, Galaletsang Gaolaolwe has opened up to the National Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements on the challenges experienced by the department in its endeavor to deliver quality houses to benefitting communities.

Gaolaolwe said that the province has a huge back log on title deeds as a result of township establishment and townships not proclaimed which delays the process of issuing out of title deeds.  

She further said the fact that the province is highly dolomitic (67%) also posed as a challenge. However, Gaolaolwe indicated that the department has commissioned a report on the dolomitic areas in the province.

“Another serious challenge is on informal settlements which are either located on private land or are not feasible for upgrading because they are close to environmentally sensitive areas i.e. mines and flood plain, ’’ she said.

Gaolaolwe added that the department has included a punitive clause on contractual agreements and poor performing developers get terminated whilst poor performing developers get scaled down.

The committee members are in the province for the entire weekend to interact will both the Departments of Local Government and Human Settlements, the National Department of Human Settlements, local municipalities (Mahikeng, Matlosana, Moses Kotane, Rustenburg, Madibeng local municipalities) and other stakeholders on matters of human settlements.
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Picture: Former Rustenburg mayor, Matthew Wolmarans to replace embattled Brian Molefe in Parliament

FORMER Rustenburg Local Municipality mayor, Matthew Wolmarans will replace embattled Brian Molefe in parliament. African National Congress (ANC) in North West officially confirmed that during a press conference at their provincial office, Mpekwa House in Mahikeng on Thursday.
ANC provincial secretary, Dakota Legoete said: “We have identified Wolmarans as former Eskom CEO, Brian Molefe’s replacement. Molefe requested to be excused from the post and we accepted his request. The ANC Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) is content that Wolmarans will represent us well.
“We are aware about wild accusations that were levelled against Wolmarans, but we believed that he is still innocent. With his vast experience, we have confidence in him as the party. Our main objective is to ensure that we provide service delivery to our communities and carry its mandate.”
Wolmarans was jailed for 20 years in 2012 for the murder of whistle-blower councillor Moss Phakoe. The Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court sentenced his former bodyguard, Enoch Mtshaba to life in prison.

However, the two appealed the sanctioned after spending two years in prison. They were acquitted after their lawyers poke holes in the witnesses’ statements.- Newsnote taungdailynews@gmail.com

Picture (Facebook): Beleaguered Onkgopotse Tiro Comprehensive School principal, Edwin Teach Kgonothi suspended 

BY BAKANG MOKOTO

NORTH West education and sport development department has finally suspended a principal at Onkgopotse Tiro Comprehensive School in Zeerust. Edwin Teach Kgonothi faces a slew of graft charges.

The department spokesman, Freddy Sepeng said Kgonothi was implicated in mismanagement of funds.

Kgonothi was initially slapped with 13 charges of fraud and corruption. Some of the charges emanated from alleged submission of falsified quotations. In one instance, Kgonothi is said to have concocted a quotation of R92 430 directed to the school.

The quotation was designed as if it was sourced and submitted by KC Chemicals Company.

The department also alleged that Kgonothi submitted another false quotation to the amount of R114 130 to his school, pretending that the submission was from LKAB Company.

He was also charged for failure to execute functions and responsibilities of his duty as the principal.

Kgonothi allegedly approved and paid travel or transport claims of the School Governing Body members and educators in the amount of R103 775 for 2013/2014 without the necessary or required documents attached to each of the claims submitted. Moreover, the principal faces close to R1m in moneys not properly accounted for.

The department said he allegedly pleaded guilty to three charges mounting to R330 000 and reached an undisclosed agreement with the North West Education and Sport Development department.

However, Kgonothi felt that the sanction was biased and added that he signed the agreement under duress.

North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Education and Sports, Arts, Culture and Traditional Affairs Chairperson, Oageng Molapisi said they held a meeting with the department on 26 April 2017. Molapisi further said the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the outstanding disciplinary cases in the department and the challenges the department is facing in finalising such cases.

“The case against Kgonothi started in 2012 where there was investigation against him for mismanagement of school funds. It was alleged that Kgonothi used some of the school money for his personal benefit. In 2014, there was a precautionary suspension against him, and the department appointed a forensic team to do investigations.

“The team came with the same conclusion that Kgonothi was guilty and must be charged. It was agreed that Kgonothi must be removed as the principal and be placed at the department to work there. The department failed to implement the recommendation,” Molapisi said.

He further said an instruction was given by Court on 2 February 2017 for the department to conduct a disciplinary hearing against Kgonothi. Molapisi added that the department took a decision to outsource the Public Protector and Labour Relations from Gauteng Province in order for the case to get a fair trial.

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