Rustenburg – An AMCU branch treasurer was gunned down outside the Impala Platinum mine in Rustenburg on Tuesday morning, the trade union said.

In a statement, Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) president Joseph Mathunjwa said he will not speculate on the motives behind Mpeke Nonyana’s murder.

He said the organisation made a pledged at the “horrific scene” where Nonyana was gunned down to ensure “senseless killings stop”.

North West police said they are investigating the incident.

“Additional information is not available at this stage,” police spokesperson Colonel Amanda Funani told News24

Mathunjwa said assassination attempts are nothing new in the area.

“Not only do we make a plea for the killings to stop, we will continue putting more efforts to go to every shaft/branch to address workers about this senseless killing.”

Mathunjwa called on unity at mines to fight the retrenchment of “thousands of workers” at the mines countrywide.

“We must be united, put aside petty differences in the interests of the workers of this country,” he said.

Source: http://www.news24.com

Picture: North West Premier, Supra Mahumapelo 

BY REGINALD KANYANE

NORTH West Premier, Supra Mahumapelo said part of the provincial strategy to deal with the high percentage of unemployment among the youth in the province is to refocus the existing Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) from being mainly about cleaning of environment to being innovation focused and skills development driven.

Mahumapelo addressed the VTSD Skills Development Lekgotla held at Madiba Banquet Hall in Potchefstroom recently.

“Important about the refocused EPWP will be to ponder extension of the employment contract from 12 to 24 months, to enable beneficiaries’ sufficient time to be trained before being released for their actual work through applicable recruitment processes”, he said. Mahumapelo added that some of the schools closed as part of the rationalisation process must be used as innovation and training centres for these EPWP beneficiaries.

Mahumapelo said through the North West Development Corporation (NWDC), EPWP beneficiaries will also be trained on fields such as security services, this with a view to pave way for them to be absorbed or recruited by institutions such as the South African Police Service (SAPS), the South African National Defense Force (SANDF), State Security Agency (SSA) and other government institutions in the province.

He said the EPWP beneficiaries’ involvement in the Agriculture, Culture and Tourism sectors cannot be over-emphasised.

“In an attempt to increase the impact of agricultural extension in particularly our villages, we will have to identify these EPWP beneficiaries and give them a short training on the basics of agricultural extension, this to ensure that they contribute meaningfully in the province’s endeavor to improve delivery of services in this sector.

“We call on young unemployed youth to take advantage of initiatives introduced by the provincial government through EPWP, to better their lives. The province will ensure that the refocused EPWP is rolled out before the end of this quarter,” he said.

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Picture: ANCYL President, Collen Maine 

THE ANC Youth League  (ANCYL) president, Collen Maine paid homage to struggle stalwart Anton Lembede who was described as being part of a generation that altered the struggle patterns in South Africa.

This was during the ANCYL’ s 73rd anniversary in Klerksdorp. Maine compared Lembede with the likes of the late ANCYL Secretary-General Sindiso Magaqa.

“We meet here to celebrate a collossus of the ANC struggle for a non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous South Africa.

“President Lembede was part of the youth that altered the struggle patterns in South Africa. He was part of the generation that introduced militant tactics and radical views,” Maine said.
Lembede is accredited with the motto of “freedom in our lifetime” of which the likes of Mxolisi Majombozi, William Nkomo, OR Tambo, Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu were also a part.
“As we celebrate and commemorate the life of president Lembede we are sad to have learned of the untimely departure of one of the pioneers of the generation of economic freedom fighters, Sindiso Magaqa,” Maine said.
He further said Magaqa was also a courageous leader who believed that the ANC was the only party to usher in economic freedom, just like the generation of Lembede.
“As ANCYL, we are engaged with government and private sector on a number of issues to ensure that youth development takes centre stage in the transformation of our country,”
Maine said the future is now in terms of the ANCYL growing in its wisdom and durability.
Source: www.thenewage.co.za

BY KEDIBONE MOLAETSI 
MORE than 50 children will return back from Free State province and re-unite with their families in Madibogo and Setlagole villages, outside Mahikeng on Tuesday. 

The minors were employed as labourers by a farmer. 

MEC for Social Development department, Hoffman Galeng will welcome them at Letsapa Community Hall in Setlagole village at around 6pm.   

Galeng said more than 254 adults and atleast 20 children from the North West province were employed as labourers. He further said children will be accommodated at a ‘place of safety’ in Mahikeng, while adults will be disbursed to their respective villages and townships upon their arrival.

“We have deployed a team of social workers to provide counselling to the adults and await another group of 19 children who are to be returned from Free State to North West.

“The return of adults and children is part of the 5th administration concretes to reconcile, heal and renewal. The initiative also aims to create unity amongst the people of the North West who were mistreated,” he said.

According to media reports a case of child labour was opened against a farmer in Wesselsbron after under age children were found to be working illegally at Drie Hoek Farm.

The farmer allegedly brought minors from Setlagole, Madibogo, Delareyville and Makwassi to work at his farm and continually mistreating them by not giving them proper food and reasonable wages. 

The court has ordered Galeng to ensure that children who were rescued at a farm in Allandridge in Wesselsbron in Free State were retained to a ‘place of safety’ by Tuesday.

The labour department spokesperson, Teboho Thejane said  204 seasonal workers were rescued after being exposed to inhumane conditions.

“We will continue to protect vulnerable workers. Sixty four children were also rescued from a non-compliant employer also operating as an “illegal” labour broker in the Wesselsbron area. Some of those children are from poverty-stricken areas, in Ratlou Local Municipality,” he said.

Thejane said: “The department has been hard at work to crackdown what now seems like a syndicate of mischievous employers paying their workers next to nothing, if at all they get paid, for working their fields.  

“Since this clampdown, inspectors of the department have been very alert and leaving no stone unturned in making sure that these criminals are brought to book.” 

He further said they are determined to make a clean sweep of the whole Lejweleputswa district. 

“We stopped a truck ferrying 31 seasonal workers from one of the Wesselsbron farms back to the North West province. 

“The driver of the truck was ordered to head to a local police station together with his passengers.  Upon impeccable and thorough investigation by Labour Inspectors and the police, it was discovered that these passengers were seasonal workers and were being transported back home,” Thejane said.

One of minors who once worked at the farm shed more light on the matter. 

Tshepiso Mongale, 16, once worked as a labourer at Wesselsbron back in March this year. Mongale who stays with his father and other four siblings said: “I went to the area back in March. I wanted use the money to buy myself a school uniform. No one is working and it is hard to survive. My father is doing odd jobs and he has no basic salary.”

“I was paid R300 after working for two weeks. I want to continue with my studies, but it is hard with abject poverty that we living in. I am doing Grade 7 at Mmadisebo Primary School in Madibogo village.”

The school principal, Evah Bolokang said: “Most of our learners live in appealled conditions. The area is poverty-stricken and that forces them to quit school. Mongale is very intelligent boy. However, the support system he receives is not enough. Anyone who can assist must come forward because we do not want to see his future vanish in thin air.  

The Hawks spokesperson, Brig Hangwani Molaudzi said the case has been opened and investigations are under underway.

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​BY BAKANG MOKOTO
FORMER ANCYL secretary-general, Sindiso Magaqa past away on Monday. ANC spokesperson, Zizi Kodwa said Magaqa succumbed to death after s shooting in July. 

“The African National Congress has received the news of the passing on of a young lion and one of our movement’s most brave and fearless fighters, Sindiso Magaqa. Magaqa succumbed to injuries sustained in a shooting incident in July and passed away earlier today. 

“Magaqa was part of a generation of young people in the ANC who fought tirelessly for the realization of the vision of economic freedom. Elected at the ANC Youth League’s 24th National Congress, he formed part of a collective which lived true to the clarion call by Frantz Fanon, that “each generation, out of relative obscurity, must discover its mission, fulfill it or betray it,” Kodwa said. 

He further said Magaqa and his comrades suffered differences with the leadership of the organization and marginalization within the structures of the movement. 

“A true product of the revolutionary movement, Magaqa remained loyal to his organization, the ANC, eventually returning to the fold and deployed as a councillor in the Umzimkhulu Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. 

“He understood that his generational mission remained unfulfilled and affirmed his belief in the ANC as the only reliable tool in the hands of the people to drive it. He served with diligence and distinction in the  Council and as Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) at the time of his passing,” Kodwa said.

He added that Magaqa’s life was testament to the abiding belief he had that the cause of the people shall triumph. Kodwa said Magaqa lived his life boldly and courageously, standing true to his convictions, in even the most trying times. 

“He will forever be remembered as a gentle soul and a fearless fighter. His contribution to the struggles of youth and South Africans in general for economic freedom will never be forgotten. He leaves behind his unfinished life’s work and we trust it calls upon the current generation of youth and youth activists to pick up his fallen spear and continue the mission for the realization of economic freedom in our lifetime

“The African National Congress sends its deepest condolences to Magaqa’s family. May they find solace in the knowledge that we painfully share their loss and thank them for having borrowed the ANC and the country this incomparable son of the soil,” he said.

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