By OBAKENG MAJE

South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa said job creation, re-industrialisation of economy, focusing on growing small businesses, to accelerate economic reforms to unlock investment and growth including combating crime and corruption are some of the components to implement in his Economic Recovery Plan strategy.

Ramaphosa said all these objectives are linked to the vision of our country set out in the National Development Plan (NDP).

“In contrast to the State of the Nation Address, where we address the broad programme of government for the year, today I want to focus on the extraordinary measures we must take to restore our economy to inclusive growth following the devastation caused by COVID-19 to our people’s lives and our country’s economy.

“This has far-reaching implications in every area of human development, from education to health, from food security to poverty alleviation, from the empowerment of women to social stability,” he said.

Ramaphosa further said the pandemic continues to cause severe damage to the global economy, affecting trade, investment, production, international travel and global supply and demand. He said in South Africa, the pandemic has caused great hardship and suffering.

“In the 220 days since our first recorded case, more than 18,000 people are confirmed to have died from COVID-19. We must rebuild, repair and restore our country, not after COVID, but in the midst of COVID.

“Poverty and inequality has deepened, threatening many South Africans with hunger and a sudden loss of income. Our economy, like other economies, has contracted sharply, businesses have closed and jobs have been lost,” said Ramaphosa.

He added that more than 2 million people lost their jobs in the second quarter of this year. Ramaphosa said the economy contracted by 16.4% when compared to the previous quarter.

“National Treasury expects a significant shortfall in revenue collection. This economic shock is unprecedented in our country, and it will take an extraordinary effort to recover from it. As even the darkest of clouds has a silver lining, we need to see this moment as a rupture with the past and an opportunity to drive fundamental and lasting change.

“It is an opportunity not only to recover the ground that we have lost over the course of the pandemic but to place the economy on a new path to growth. We are therefore presenting before this joint sitting of Parliament and the country a reconstruction and recovery plan to drive growth that is inclusive and transformative,” he said.

Ramaphosa said the South African Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan builds on the common ground established by the social partners – government, labour, business and community organisations – through intensive and detailed consultations over the last few months.

He said it is informed by the work of Cabinet’s Economic Cluster working together with government departments and Cabinet itself and draws on the contributions of the leading economists who make up the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.

“I wish to applaud the remarkable efforts, particularly from our social partners in NEDLAC, in reaching consensus on the actions required to rebuild our economy, and the firm actions that all social partners have committed to contribute to the country’s recovery.

“We know from the examples of several other countries that social compacts are essential to effective and sustainable growth and development. As we implement this plan, government remains committed to the agreements reached through the NEDLAC process,” said Ramaphosa.

“The creation of jobs is at the centre of the Reconstruction and Recovery Plan. We must get our people back into the jobs they lost in the pandemic. We are determined to create more employment opportunities for those who were unemployed before the pandemic or who had given up looking for work.

“This means unleashing the potential of our economy by, among others, implementing necessary reforms, removing regulatory barriers that increase costs and create inefficiencies in the economy, securing our energy supply and freeing up digital infrastructure,” he said.

Ramaphosa further said this plan directly responds to the immediate economic impact of COVID-19 by driving job creation and expanding support for vulnerable households. He said they aim to do this primarily through a major infrastructure programme and a large-scale employment stimulus, coupled with an intensive localisation drive and industrial expansion.

“The interventions outlined in this plan will achieve sufficient, secure and reliable energy supply within two years. Create and support over 800,000 work opportunities in the immediate term to respond to job losses and unlock more than R1 trillion in infrastructure investment over the next 4 years.

“It will reduce data costs for every South African and expand broadband access to low-income households, reverse the decline of the local manufacturing sector and promote re-industrialisation through deeper levels of localisation and exports and resuscitate vulnerable sectors such as tourism, which have been hard hit by the pandemic,” said Ramaphosa.

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By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI  

Heartfelt condolence messages continue to pour in after the death of African Jazz legend, Paula Motswaiwa-Naane. North West MEC for Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation, Virginia Tlhapi said Motswaiwa-Naane was humorous and loved across the community of Mahikeng including Bokone, Tlhabologo, and Lerwaneng villages.

Tlhapi said the late Mama Paula as Motswaiwa-Naane was affectionately known in the entertainment fraternity was one of the enthusiastic artists in the pot of the arts. She added that Mama Paula also never forgotten their Kofifi language which many young stars did not understand.

“Mama Paula aged gracefully and lived her life with a purpose. We will miss her dearly and we will always cherish her performances. We are talking about the mother of the artists in the province who nurtured and polished some rough diamonds in the arts industry.

“Mama Paula had a rhyming character and she was comfortable when on the stage. She was the fuel of singing and the oiled-machine of singing. One could say Mama Paula was born for that as she would just jump on to the stage, grab the mic, and serenaded the audience with her rhythmic, golden voice leaving them mesmerised by her unbelievable energy,” she said.

Tlhapi further said Mama Paula, with her bragging character ‘SelogatlatlanakaSontaga’ was one of the creamy classical singers in the province. A 76-year-old singer was born in Manzenville near Krugersdorp and started her in Johannesburg around the 70s at Dorkey House.

“Mama Paula distinguished herself in the late fifties as one of the vocalists in the Elite Swingsters, which featured the likes of the late Mama Miriam Makeba, Dolly Rathebe, Abigail Khubekha, Dorothy Masuku just to name a few.

“She represented the North West province and South Africa at large in the neighbouring countries such as Botswana. Mama Paula also performed Freedom Melody in Gaborone on the 1980s, featuring Botswana Pioneers, Thandi Klaasen, Sharptown Swingsters to name but a few.

“The legendary shared the staged with Mzwakhe Mbuli performing Unbroken Spirit that was released in 1989 with songs like The Last Struggle, Don’t Push Us Too Far, Nobel Peace, and many more.

“On the 31^st of October 2015, Mama Paula participated and provided a classical performance during the Breast Cancer Awareness Concert at Mmabatho Stadium in Mahikeng,” said Tlhapi.

She added that her department in partnership with the South African Traditional Music Awards (SATMA) recognised Mama Paula with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her talent and contribution in the arts industry.

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By REGINALD KANYANE

A fraud case against Taung Agricultural College principal, Prudence Matlhoko has been postponed to 14 April 2020, reported our sister publication, The News Pulse. Matlhoko (38) briefly appeared at the Taung Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday after she was arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption investigation team at the college on 4 May 2020 for fraud.

The Hawks spokesperson in the Northern Cape, Lieutenant Colonel Philani Nkwalase said: “The suspect allegedly submitted fraudulent travel claims exceeding R17 500. The investigations revealed that she allegedly used a state vehicle in October 2017 and fraudulently claimed official kilometres although she used her private vehicle whilst executing work-related duties.

Matlhoko’s R1000 bail was extended and witnesses in this case were also urged to avail themselves when needed. The case was also transferred to the Taung Regional Court.

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By BAKANG MOKOTO

The African National Congress (ANC) Chief Whip in the North West Provincial Legislature, Paul Sebegoe on Wednesday welcomed the appointment of an independent investigators to assist provincial departments and public entities to fast track investigations into financial irregularities.

This comes after the North West Premier, Professor Tebogo Job Mokgoro’s response to questions asked by Sebegoe for an oral response on measures to tackle corruption during the special sitting of the Legislature held on Tuesday.

Mokgoro said that the project instituted by the Provincial Treasury has commenced and is in progress. He added that the new internal control models were introduced in the supply chain process to ensure the procurement complies with all laws and regulations.

“The compliance of the control environment is being monitored regularly by various stakeholders. Independent verification of the system for tenders valued above R10 million prior to awarding was introduced as from 1 April 2019 in order to reduce possible fraud or corruption in the procurement system.

“The roll out of risk management strategies in departments and entities by the Provincial Risk Management will pick up any possible gaps in the controls and other service delivery processes,” he said.

Mokgoro also pointed out that the province has pushed a drive to intensify the fight against fraud and corruption by raising awareness in collaboration with various law enforcement agencies and civil society and business. He added that the province has continued to promote whistleblowing as part of encouraging the public to report cases of fraud and corruption to the National Anti-Corruption number (0800 701 701)

Sebegoe said: “Consequence management introduced for non-compliance must be tracked, early warning systems put in place regularly monitored to ensure that service delivery happens without compromise of value for money and a systems bleed.”

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By REGINALD KANYANE

A trial against Taung Agricultural College principal, Prudence Matlhoko is expected to resume at Taung Regional Court on Wednesday. Matlhoko (38) was arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption investigation team at the college on 4 March 2020 for fraud.

The Hawks spokesperson in the Northern Cape, Lieutenant Colonel Philani Nkwalase said: “The suspect allegedly submitted fraudulent travel claims exceeding R17 500. The investigations revealed that she allegedly used a state vehicle in October 2017 and fraudulently claimed official kilometres although she used her private vehicle whilst executing work-related duties.”

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By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

A 20-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced to ten years imprisonment for rape. Richard Senelo was found guilty of rape by the Kimberley Sexual Offences. Northern Cape police spokesperson, Lt Colonel Dimakatso Mooi said Senelo raped a girl (17) at his shack back in 2018.

“The incident happened on 26 May 2018 at about 18:00 when the accused accosted the victim while she was on her way to her boyfriend. He forced her to a shanty at Madiba Shacks where he raped her. The victim managed to escape and the matter was reported to the police.

“The accused was found at his shanty still asleep and was arrested on the same day of the incident. The Unit Commander of Galeshewe Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit, Lieutenant Colonel Marli Strydom, commended the Investigating Officer, WO Reginald Zephe, on a sterling investigation which secured a conviction,” she said.

In another separate incident, the Northern Cape High Court in Hartswater sentenced Elvis Malebo (26) to 25 years in prison for the brutal murder of his girlfriend, Evelyn Mocumi (27). According to information, Malebo bludgeoned Mocumi to her death with a panga and stabbed her 34 times with a knife.

Northern Cape police spokesperson, Capt Sergio Kock said: “The incident happened on 14 June 2020 at about 07:30am when the accused found Mocumi with a 33-year-old male in her shanty at the Asgat Informal Settlement in Hartswater.

“Malebo went to his house to fetch the weapons and threatened the male with the panga. The male fled the scene and the accused murdered the female. He was arrested by Hartswater SAPS minutes later and remained in custody up until his sentencing.”

Kock added that Malebo pleaded guilty and received 25 years for the murder and 12 months for assault on the male. He said the sentences will run concurrently.

The acting commissioner for the Northern Cape Police, Major General Phiwe Mnguni commended the investigating officer, Sgt Abraham Mokae from Hartswater Detectives for a job well done. Mnguni also condemns the incident and reiterated that the sentence will send out a stern message to all persons who think of committing GBV crimes.

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By BAKANG MOKOTO

Democratic Alliance in the North West said it is concerned about the safety of the victims of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) at Khuseleka One Stop Centre in Vryburg. This comes after the DA spokesperson on Health and Social Development, Gavin Edwards, Member of Parliament, Sello Seitlholo and Councillor Hendriette van Huyssteen visited the centre on an oversight inspection recently.

Edwards said the purpose of the centre is to house victims of violence and crime that is referred for shelter by the South African Police Services (SAPS). He further said these women and children’s lives are often endangered and therefore optimum security is a non-negotiable necessity.

“It is concerning that the centre has no empowerment programmes in place to assist victims to develop skills or find jobs to rebuild their lives after leaving the centre. The recreational activities available are limited to a TV room, gym equipment and library consisting of a few books and computers.

“There are currently no tutors to assist with computer classes or other skills development programmes. Due to the Covid-19 regulations, the children staying at the centre are unable to attend Early Learning Centres,” said Edwards.

He added that the centre has a playground, but there are no other resources to ensure learning activities. Edwards said this concerning especially for children housed for an extended period of time.

“The centre management has, on several occasions, contacted the Naledi Local Municipality to unblock the overflowing drain, but to no avail. There is also a broken water pipe on the premises that has not yet been repaired by the Department of Public Works. The area is not cordoned off, posing a safety hazard to residents and staff.

“We will also write to the MEC for the Department of Public Works and Roads, Oageng Molapisi to request urgent attention to all maintenance challenges. We will also continue to apply pressure on the Department of Social Development to fulfil its constitutional obligations towards the vulnerable in society,” he said.

Meanwhile, the North West Social Development spokesperson, Petrus Siko said the centre is receiving support from the department. Siko said in 2019/20 financial year, the centre received an additional budget of R500 000 from the department to address all the identified needs including general maintenance of the centre.

“Currently, the centre has been allocated R6 000 000 for operational costs for the 2020/21 financial year. Our support service officials would do an assessment and ensure that the CCTV cameras are functional. Our work inspector has been engaged to assess the damage on the gate and developed specification for repairs. 

“The gate is not functional but it does open and close manually. The interim structure for the institution was approved in 2017 and due to pressure on Compensation of Employees, not all the posts were filled. Social workers are currently providing Life Skills in order to make clients self-reliant,” said Siko.

He further said the department would prioritise the appointment of a Child and Youth care workers to provide services to children at the centre. Siko said there is a septic tank at the premises of the centre that needs to be regularly drained and at times the municipality takes time to respond to the call. 

“The drain has been sucked and currently dried out, but District Works Inspector has assessed it and identified areas for repairs. Specifications for repairs were developed and submitted to Provincial Infrastructure sub-directorate for a briefing of Service Providers,” he said.

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Picture: Broken pipe at the centre 

By OBAKENG MAJE

Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza said the government will continue to work together with farmers to ensure that food security is preserved. Didiza engaged with commercial, subsistence and smallholders farmers around Taung to assess the conditions of their farms.

“One of the issues that the farmers have raised which they requested the government to work on it is the expansion of the irrigation scheme. Clearly, when you look at this area, there is a lot of lands that can still be irrigated. 

“Secondly, they also requested the government to assist them in the area of the revitalization of the scheme. They need us to deal with issues of the canals which are very old and some of them need to be repaired,” she said.

Didiza further said irrigation infrastructure is a key area where farmers need assistance. She added that farmers urged the government to give them support so that they can reach their goals.

“They say even though government gives them support, sometimes it comes too late for the agricultural calendar. What do I mean about that is for instance, if it is the summer season where people are planting grains like maize or sunflower, when the government gives some inputs to them, sometimes the assistance comes in the middle of the calendar or even at the end of the season.

“So, those inputs are normally not going to be of use to the farmers. This has propelled some of the farmers to get into contracts with some of the commodity organizations, or in some of the individuals of the members of the commercial farmers. What we are concerned about is the times of contracts they tight themselves to because are not working in their favour.  

“Farmers enter into these contracts and my guess is that sometimes they do not examine the conditions of the contracts. This happens because most farmers do not have the implements to farm the land. Contractors come, plant the land and harvest it and at the end, farmers get nothing out of their own land,” said Didiza.

She added that one of the things they have agreed on is coming back here and work with farmers. Didiza said they will look at how they can resolve some of those issues and ensure that they come up with mechanisms to assist these farmers.

One of the farmers, Keitumetse Kgosiemang (27) who has six years in farming said they are faced with a mammoth tasks. Kgosiemang said she is now sitting on top of R80 000 worth of debts after she engaged in a contract with a white commercial farmer.

“I am a farmer at Tshidiso South and I cannot see any progress in farming because of a lack of support from the government. This forced us to resort to seeking assistance from white commercial farmers. They buy planting seeds for us and pay water and electricity bills including the mechanism.

“However, this is not financially viable because we come out of this with nothing at the end of the cropping season. We are forced to seek assistance from these white commercial farmers because we do not have the financial backing to cover all our costs,” she said.

Kgosiemang urged government to provide them with the financial muscle and assist them with machinery and fertilizers.

Another disgruntled farmer, Aobakwe Gaobuse from Bosele Cooperative shared the same sentiments. Gaobuse said they have serious challenges as farmers in Taung.

“Firstly, we have a serious problem in Taung with machinery and even what the government is helping us with is not coming on time. That is why our people go to white commercial farmers for assistance. We also have a challenge regarding our extension officers who supposed to lead us, but they are not helping us at all.

Oratile Segosapelo who is one of the 176 people whom their land was taken by force back in 1992 said they want to be compensated. Segosapelo said even though their land was restituted back to them in 2017, it has turned into a ‘white elephant’ because of a lack of support from the government.

“We are not happy with how the department has handled our matter. We are 176 farmers and our land was forcefully taken away from us back in 1992. The government distributed back the land to us, but it has done little in giving us any support. What is happening is that white commercial farmers have been utilizing that land without compensating us.

“We have even written to the Office of the Public Protector for intervention. We would like at least to get compensated by those who have been benefiting from our land. Government bought a pivot irrigation system for us, but white commercial farmers strapped it and used those parts to fix theirs,” said Segosapelo.

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