By STAFF REPORTER

A Taung man is expected to appear at Kathu Magistrate’s Court for Cash-in-Transit heist ON Wednesday. The suspect was subsequently arrested by the Hawks on Monday after intensive investigations.

The Hawks spokesperson in Northern Cape, Nomthandazo Mnisi said even though the incident took place in January 2020 at Kathu Mall in Kuruman, where heavily armed suspects allegedly attacked and robbed a security guard a trolley bag containing an undisclosed amount of money, they are grateful to make a breakthrough in this case.

“Police responded to the scene, resulting in a high-speed chase which ended in one suspect, Karabo Moshweshwe (37) being apprehended. The rest of the group managed to getaway. However, in the latest turn of event, another suspect was arrested following months of investigations.

“The intensive investigation was effected during a tracing operation in Taung in the North West province by a  team consist of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation, Crime Intelligence and Tactical Response Team on Monday,” said Mnisi.

Meanwhile, Moshweshwe has already made several court appearances and his bail application attempt has been unsuccessful thus far. Mnisi said the remaining suspects are still at large and being pursued.

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By OBAKENG MAJE

The North West Department of Health continues to be marred with corruption, fraud, and maladministration. This comes after four senior officials were suspended for tender irregularities recently.

Two Directors attached to Infrastructure Development Technical Support Chief Directorate unit were suspended on 23 April 2020 for the alleged asymmetrical payments worth over R10 million to the service provider arising from a bid for additions and alterations to existing Mmabatho Nursing College including all related site works.

North West Department of Health spokesperson, Tebogo Lekgethwane said: “It is alleged that the said officials within the Infrastructure Development and Technical Support (IDTS) facilitated irregular insertion of the “Contract Price Adjustment Provision”, which resulted in the contractor undue enrichment in payments.

“The principal building agreement for construction works at Mmabatho Nursing College commenced on 2 November 2015. The value estimated on this matter is amounting to R10 959 472-35 excluding VAT of adjustment/escalation was paid illegally.”

He said in the latest matter, the other two senior officials involve the department’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and the Director responsible for Supply Chain Management. Lekgethwane added that those officials have been suspended due to the allegations of Supply Chain Management irregularities.

“This arises from the security tender. The appointment letter of the successful bidders allegedly contained the prices which materially varied from what those bidders had bid for thus inflating prices and causing the department serious financial loss.

“The value of the financial loss is not yet known as investigations are to start after their suspension. The department wishes to state that the suspension of these officials is not a conclusion that they are guilty. The suspension intends to allow the department to investigate the above allegations as they are of a serious nature,” said Lekgethwane.

The officials will remain suspended until the investigations and disciplinary hearings against them are completed, says Lekgethwane.

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Picture: Daily Maverick 

By REGINALD KANYANE

The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) in the North West on Monday urged the criminal justice system to ensure that the release of 19 000 low-risk offenders from the Department of Correctional Services is properly managed to eliminate blunders previously associated with the parole system.

This comes after the South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa recommended the release of 19 000 low-risk offenders to avoid overcrowding in various correctional services facilities across the country amid COVID-19 pandemic.

SANCO provincial chairperson, Paul Sebegoe also calls on beneficiaries not to abuse humanitarian grounds that influenced the decision to grant them conditional parole to ease overcrowding including the internal and external threat posed by the spread of COVID-19 to the prison population.

“Mandatory Victim-Offender Dialogues that unfolded as part of the parole process have laid the foundation for reconciliation necessary for acceptance and community reintegration.

“We welcome the exclusion of inmates who are serving sentences for sexual offences, child abuse, murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, sedition, high treason, sabotage, terrorism, offenders declared as dangerous by the court in terms of Section 286 A of the Criminal Procedure Act, 51 of 1977 from the remission of sentence process,” he said.

Sebegoe added that communities should give those earmarked for release into community corrections that include inmates with underlying health problems, elderly (above 60 years) and female offenders with infants a second chance and support them. He insisted that early warning systems must be put in place to monitor on the case by case basis deviant behavior of parolees outside the confines of the correctional services environment.

However, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said it does not support the decision by Ramaphosa to authorise the parole of thousands of selected categories of sentenced offenders in order to reduce overcrowding in prisons in an effort to slow the spread of Covid-19.

DA’ Member of Parliament (MP) and Shadow Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Glynnis Breytenbach said while South Africa’s overcrowded prisons create unique challenges for the Department of Correctional Services in the fight against Covid-19, they believe that the government has not adequately explored all of its options in this regard.

“This release of prisoners may lead to a greater humanitarian crisis than that which it is attempting to avoid. Many of the prisoners who stand to be released do not have families or homes to return to. Those who do may well return to a home where there is already little or no food. Finding employment, difficult enough under the best of circumstances for those with a criminal record, will be impossible in the current economy.

“So, all of these factors will increase the possibility of re-offending, contributing to South Africa’s high recidivism rate. It also adds a high social burden on already struggling families and communities,” Breytenbach said.

She said the government should have explored alternative means of reducing overpopulation in prisons, such as converting unused Department of Public Works properties into low-security correctional facilities for petty offenders and those nearing the end of their sentences.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Correctional Services and Justice, Raymond Lamola said: “The DCS has continually adopted a conscientious approach in implementing its Covid-19 Disaster Management Response Strategy across all its centres and offices. This strategy entails prevention, containment, treatment and recovery.

“We are confronted, however, with the glaring impossibility of maintaining physical distancing in our centres due to overcrowding. Those earmarked for release through the COVID-19 conditional parole must equally shoulder the responsibility that comes with the restorative justice system and demonstrate conduct that supports its intended objective to reassure victims and communities that a chance of them re-offending is remote.”

Lamola emphasizes that behind Correctional Centres walls, offenders are being rehabilitated. He further said there are programmes which are aimed at correcting offending behaviour, aide human development and promote social responsibility and positive social values.

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By OBAKENG MAJE

Many teachers across the North West are ‘disinclined to return to work’ amid COVID-19 pandemic. One of the teachers in Mahikeng who refused to be named for fear of reprisal said they cannot go back to school, while the country is experiencing an increase in coronavirus disease infections.

“The re-opening of schools is premature as that might put our lives in danger. I just wonder how we are going to manage level 4 of lockdown regulations while having learners all over the place. Bringing in Grade 12s and 7s only will not guarantee prevention from the spread of the virus.”

Another teacher from Taung shared the same sentiments.

“We have so many schools in the sub-district where we experience overcrowding and shortage of water. How will the department afford to deal with coronavirus disease, while it is difficult to address basic services?”

However, the North West MEC for Education, Wendy Matsemela said her department has an enormous plan to address all those challenges. Matsemela said they were supposed to re-open on Monday 11, but that did not materialize because of some challenges.

“We are still waiting for Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to arrive. Indeed, we all anticipated that we might be ready on 11 May 2020. However, by Thursday last week, a number of provinces highlighted that they were not ready. So, we informed our School Governing Bodies (SGBs) including our Senior Management Teams (SMTs).

“We are speaking about people who are less than seven at some stage and this number is favourable. If, we shall open today, we could have managed because we are dealing with a very sizeable number. The reason why we have not yet re-opened was that we have not received a consignment on the Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) we have placed order upon,” she said.

Matsemela added they are expecting to receive those PPEs before the end of this week and that will allow some of senior management and teachers back at work. She said only Grade 12s and 7s learners will be allowed back at school.

“We are expecting that teachers and staff to come back on the 18 May 2020. And also, it cannot be the entire staff of the school. It means that only teachers who are supposed to teach those classes in line with the phase-in programme will be allowed.

“We have also agreed that all teachers who are between the age of 50 and 60 and having underlying conditions should not come back until the situation is eased. The department will also ensure that is in line with what the Department of Public Service has also prescribed,” said Matsemela.

She said her department will implement a non-negotiable approach and ensure that level 4 of lockdown regulations such as social distancing, PPEs, sanitizers, masks, and decontamination of offices and classrooms are applied.

“Our staff and learners will be screened and tested before resuming classes. The department will also ensure that our staff and management are orientated. We have collaborated with other stakeholders like mining companies in Bojanala where they committed to buy us PPEs.

“We have 38 000 Grade 12s and 68 000 Grade 7s across the province. The department will also take Grade 12s to camps to avoid moving in and out of their communities. Those learners will be screened and tested before being taken away to various camps,” said Matsemela.

She further said Grade 12s are expected to sit for a fully-fledged curriculum examination paper and they need to work hard to cover the syllabus.

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