By OBAKENG MAJE

SABC reporter, Tebogo Phakedi from Mahikeng has been nominated as one of the 50 most influential young people in the North West province by Rustenburg-based newspaper, Naledi News.

Phakedi, who is also the North West University alumnus said she was excited after her nomination. The Naledi News requested its readers and the general public to suggest young people, who they believe are goal-driven and influential.

“When the editors contacted me to inform me about the nomination, I was astonished. I am humbled to be part of such an incredible and inspiring list of young, driven people in the province.

“Initiatives like these play an important role in realising the ideals and goals of aspiring professionals. It is important for me to empower young people and crucial for them to further their education,” she said.

Phakedi further said there are so many resources young people can use to hone their skills and they just need help to access them. She added that technology is on their side and they just need to be intentional about the kind of education they attain to use it to their advantage.

Phakedi completed her master’s degree in public administration at the NWU in 2018, with her dissertation focusing on public procurement systems–the laws regulating tenders in the country.

With South Africa being a country with many reports and allegations of corruption, her study concluded that political influence plays a role in directing tenders to certain individuals as bribes are paid to solicit contracts.

She started her career as a writer at the Mahikeng Campus student newspaper, The Album.

“Journalism is my calling. From being an aspiring writer for the campus newspaper, to be a local community radio journalist and finally being employed by the SABC, it is truly a privilege to tell stories that change lives.

“I am also an alumnus of the Young African Leaders initiative, and also obtained a certificate in media management from FRAY-Intermedia in collaboration with SANEF. I am currently pursuing a PhD in public administration at the NWU. 

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By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

A lifeless body of a boy (2) was found in a shallow grave in Extension 3, Blydeville near Lichtenburg on Tuesday. The North West police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Amanda Funani said the decomposed body of Neo Refemetswe Tlhame was identified by his mother.

“According to the information received, police were called by Neo’s mother after they spotted a suspicious grave near the river. The grave was dug out and the decomposed body of young Neo was identified with the clothes that he was wearing on the day of his disappearance.

“Neo, who was with his grandparents, went missing on 24 May 2022. His disappearance was established by his mother when she went to fetch him after work. Subsequently, a case of a missing person was opened after a fruitless search by the community members and Neo’s family,” Funani said.

She further said the police also joined the search, but Neo was never found. Funani added that the cause of his death is still unknown and no one has been arrested yet.  

Meanwhile, the North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena condemned the incident and urged the Lichtenburg Detectives to do everything in their powers to arrest the alleged perpetrators of this crime.  

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By REGINALD KANYANE

A candle may have sparked the fire, which killed an elderly man in Lokgabeng village, near Mokgareng in Taung. The charred body of Mabula Samuel Gabonewe (79) was found by his granddaughter, Kealeboga Sekgetho (45) lying unresponsive in his house on Monday morning.

“We found our grandfather lying unresponsive in his house. However, we could not determine whether the fire was caused by a candle or not. As a family, we are downtrodden by the atrocity.

“We are still waiting for the post-mortem to determine the cause of his death. He was intensively burnt and we will talk about funeral preparations after we have received autopsy results,” Sekgetho said.

Meanwhile, the North West police spokesperson in Dr Ruth Segomotsi cluster, Sgt Tryphosa van Rooyen said: “The Taung police are investigating an inquest after it was reported on Monday that an elderly male was found lying unresponsive in his house.

“On arrival at the scene, the police found the elderly man, who was identified as Mabula Samuel Gabonewe by his granddaughter. Initial investigation of the scene indicated that the bedroom of the house had burned.”

Van Rooyen said the cause of death, as well as the cause of the fire, has not been established yet, but an investigation continues.

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By OBAKENG MAJE

A murder case against four men from Manthe village in Taung was postponed until 4 July 2022 by Taung Magistrate’s Court for further investigations. The alleged drug lord Bakang “Mahomed” Katong (31), Thabang Lenyai (23), Phenyo “The Great” Katong (34) and Katlego “Makita” Mosimege (31) were arrested two months ago in connection with the brutal murder of the late Thabiso Mothibedi (35).

It is alleged that Mothibedi stole R20 000 cash and cigarettes worth R600 from Katong’s house two days before his ‘untimely’ death.

The North West police spokesperson, Capt Sam Tselanyane said: “The preliminary investigation revealed that on 29 April 2022, the deceased was at Lenganeng village near Taung, when the suspects fetched and transported him to Manthe village. Upon arrival, the deceased was allegedly chained to a generator and assaulted.

“After the assault, the victim was reportedly transported to Manthe clinic by a group of men and requested nurses to check if he was still alive. However, Mothibedi was certified dead upon arrival.”

One of the community leaders, Ali Sakiele said they are sick and tired of drug lords who sell drugs to young people. Sakiele further said they have attended the court proceedings because they have taken a decision as a community of Manthe that they do not want to see anyone selling drugs anymore in their area.

“We urge the magistrate to deny the alleged perpetrators bail. We came to court to show support and to address our grievances in a coordinated manner. Drugs destroy many lives and livelihoods including dividing families, so as the community, we say #EnoughIsEnough,” he said.

The deceased’ sister, Boingotlo Mothibedi (37) said: “It is difficult to see my brother’s life being cut short by alleged drug lords. Even though Thabiso was not perfect, he was a peaceful person, who loved to engage positively with people. 

“So, what happened to him is inhumane. We call on the justice system to deal harshly with the perpetrators. It is not only Thabiso’s life that has been lost because of drugs but so many lives of young people are being destroyed on a daily basis”

She alleged that the perpetrators used her brother and killed him afterward.

Meanwhile, three houses and a bakkie belonging to Katong’s family were torched by irate community members on 1 May 2022. Another community member, Mothusi Motimeng said: “I blame Baga-Maidi Tribal Authority including incompetent police for all these shenanigans happening in our area.

“Everybody can see what is happening and as community members, we have been complaining about these drug lords, who sell nyaope to our youths. Now, these nyaope addicts broke into our houses, stole properties, and sold them, so that they can get money to feed their cravings.”

Motimeng further accused the alleged drug lords of using the deceased for their own benefits and killed him afterwards. He said as a community, they say #EnoughIsEnough because many communities are suffering from the effects of drug addiction and its wide-ranging impact.

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By BAKANG MOKOTO

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in North West said the fire that gutted the Lekwa-Teemane Local Municipality building and clinic in Christiana might have been caused by political interference.

EFF provincial spokesperson, Linda Mabengwane said in a statement that even though there is no finalized report currently, the party hopes that the cause of the fire is an innocent human mistake.

“However, we cannot rule out the possibility of political foul play due to the internal factional battles of the ANC. The Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati region is a well-known ANC war zone in the North West.

“Over the past few years, the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality and its local municipalities have all been engulfed in the remnants of the ANC’s political war fares. In December 2021, we saw Christiana Hospital equally being burned in the midst of the heated factional battles of the ANC and to this day no one has been held accountable,” Mabengwane said.

He further said as the EFF, their stance has always been that communities must never be caught in the crossfire of the ANC fighting itself. Mabengwane added that the people of North West must never allow themselves or their resources to be used to fight the internal party fights within the ANC.

“The EFF hereby calls on all stakeholders to be on the ground and ensure that a proper report is compiled to ensure that the person responsible for torching healthcare services in Lekwa Teemane is held accountable.

“It cannot be that health facilities continue to burn yearly and no one is held accountable,” he said.

The North West Health MEC Madoda Sambatha said: “We have sent a team of executive managers led by the acting DDG for Health Services, Pule Monale to assess the state of the Christiana Town Clinic, which was destroyed by fire Monday evening.

“The town clinic which has been the only remaining health facility in the area was attached to the municipal hall which also caught fire. The sad incident occurs at a time when we are in the process of finalising procurement of Parkhomes, which are to serve as a temporary structure until the hospital is rebuilt.”

Sambatha said his team has made some sound recommendations to restore health services to the community of Christiana. He said the management team has reported that the extent of the damage caused by the fire is such that the facility will not be operational any time soon.

“As a result, a number of measures for intervention have been proposed and will be immediately implemented. The first immediate intervention is to avail a mobile clinic, which will be stationed next to where the burnt clinic was. The mobile clinic will be stationed there until the health services are restored.

“Following the assessment, the management team has also recognised that there is a piece of land next to the municipality, which can be used to erect a temporary structure in a form of a Parkhome. The strategic positioning of this piece of land will enable the structure to access water and electricity, which will allow clinic services to be rendered without interruption,” said Sambatha.

He said the team has proposed the utilisation of an old Parkhome which consists of three consulting rooms and the structure will provide an additional room to the burnt clinic. Sambatha said the municipality was immediately engaged on these proposals as the need to restore clinic services is a matter of emergency in the area.

Meanwhile, the Lekwa-Teemane Local Municipality mayor, Sebang Motlhabi said that service delivery will not be affected and they have appointed a team to do a damage assessment caused by the fire.

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By REGINALD KANYANE

A 30-YEAR-OLD man was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment by the Vryburg Regional Court for murder. On 10 September 2021, Lalelani Lovungo viciously assaulted Karabo Makolonkwane (17) with fists and kicked her until she lost consciousness in Coldridge Township near Vryburg.

North West police spokesperson in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati cluster, Sgt Tryphosa van Rooyen said: “The court heard evidence that Lovungo and the Makolonkwane, who were from a tavern in Monoto-Mosetlha Informal Settlement in Vryburg, were previously in a relationship.

“The accused suddenly started assaulting the victim and she left the tavern to go to her aunt’s home. However, she was followed by the accused, who continued to assault her along the way. The members of the community, who witnessed the atrocity, tried to stop him with no success.”

Van Rooyen further said the vicious assault continued as the due reached the home of the victim’s aunt. She added that Makolonkwane’s aunt tried to intervene, but Lovungo overpowered her.

“The Emergency Medical Response Service (EMRS) were called and declared Makolonkwane dead on the scene. A case of murder was reported at Vryburg Police Station and the accused was arrested the same evening with the assistance of the victim’s aunt and community members.

“On Wednesday, 29 September 2021 the investigating officer, Sergeant Lebone Maine, successfully opposed bail and Lovungo, who remained in custody until the date of his sentencing,” she said.

Lovungo was also declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act No. 60 of 2000) and his name will be entered into the National Child Protection Register to be declared unfit to work with children.

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By BAKANG MOKOTO

A gun-wielding man (40) was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Klerksdorp Regional Court for premeditated murder and five years each on two counts of attempted murder. In 2019, Confidence Sekgoro purchased a vehicle at Speedy Car Sales in Klerksdorp and drove it to Mahikeng where he resided.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in North West, Henry Mamothame said, however, later on, Sekgoro complained about some defaults on the car, which the dealership was obliged to inspect.

“The dealership ordered Sekgoro to pay for the costs of transportation before they could release his car back to him. He then approached the North West High Court on an urgent basis for his car to be given back to him. However, his application was dismissed and the matter was struck off the roll,” he said.

“Subsequently, the dealership took the vehicle back for a mechanical check-up in Klerksdorp at a cost of approximately R4700. The inspection results, however, showed no defaults to the car as it was serviced before.

Mamothame said on 11 November 2019, Sekgoro went to the dealership to collect his motor vehicle, but the sales manager, Mehboob Soomra (36) told him to pay for the transportation costs after consulting with the dealership attorney before receiving his car back.

“He was then told to wait for Mohamed Dangor, (deceased) who was the son of the dealership owner to further engage on the matter. Sekgoro then went to the office of the deceased, who was in the company of Yusuf Ally (61), and an argument ensued before he started shooting at them.

“He proceeded to chase after Soomra in the showroom and fired shots at him. Dangor was declared dead on the scene, while Soomra and Ally were rushed to a nearby hospital to receive medical care after sustaining serious gunshot injuries,” said Mamothame.

He said following this shooting incident, Sekgoro asked for directions to the police station, where he handed himself over. Mamothame said he was later granted R10 000 bail, but the bail was revoked after he was found guilty on all three charges.

“In his defense, Sekgoro claims he acted in self-defense as Dangor was reaching for a firearm, threatening to shoot him. He further asserted that he heard gunshots fired inside the dealership, hence he fired shots at the third victim.

“However, this submission was dismissed by the state, through video footage that was accepted by the court as evidence. In aggravation of sentence, Adv Riekie Krause urged the court not to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence, considering the serious nature of the offense committed,” he said.

Krause also urged the court to consider the prolonged traumatic sufferings by the family of the deceased and the two surviving victims. She further alluded to the remorseless posture of the accused.

“In passing sentence, Judge A.J Makoti also agreed with the state and alluded to the devastation caused by this incident to the family of the deceased and the two victims, who survived the attack. The court further agreed with the state that Sekgoro could have advanced further legal means to address his dispute with the dealership.

“The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm and granted him leave to appeal on premeditated murder,” said Mamothame.

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By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

A murder case against four accused, Junior Modise (21), Arthur Khoza (19), Thato Masetla (22), and Mahlatsi Nkuna (21) was deferred to the North West High Court by the Ga-Rankuwa Regional Court.

Modise, Khoza, Masetla, and Nkuna are linked to the gruesome death of the late North West University (Mafikeng campus) digital marketer and socialite, Sam Junior Mbatha (24). Mbatha was reported missing a few days before the police made a grim discovery of his charred remains in his burned Hyundai i20 vehicle near a soccer field in Ikageng Section, Klipgat.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in North West, Henry Mamothame said all inquiries relating to the investigation have been completed and the state advocate, Nangamso Goloda has completed compiling the indictment and is ready to proceed with pre-trial when the matter goes to the high court.

“Meanwhile, Modise who allegedly missed his court date and his bail was revoked, was granted free bail and warned to be present in court on the next appearance. A bail hearing against Masetla, who initially abandoned it was set for 7 July 2022.

“Khoza and Nkuna are still out on R500 bail each and their bail conditions are that they must report to the Klipgat Police Station every Wednesday and Sunday between 17h00 and 18h00. They are also barred from interfering with the state’s witnesses,” Mamothame said.

He said the accused were positively linked to Mbatha’s murder after the police investigations led them to a house in Phutha Section, Klipgat where they found bloodstains on the floor, under and on top of a bed as well on the carpet. Mamothame further said an axe suspected to have been used during the commission of the crime was also found on top of the roof of the house.

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By OBAKEN GMAJE

The ANC Women’s League in North West said it is disgusted by the incident, where the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality councillor, Gaolatlhwe Kgabo was humiliated and mistreated during the municipality’s budget speech on Thursday in Vryburg.

Kgabo was prevented from participating in the municipal council special meeting and he was seen on a video being escorted out. It is alleged that the municipal speaker, Kgalalelo Sereko, instructed security officers to prohibit him from entering the Banquet Hall building, where the budget speech was held.

The acting ANCWL’s provincial secretary, Bitsa Lenkopane said: “The move has completely compromised the ANC in the council and the public, especially with no intervention provided by the organisation’s caucus chair.

“Kgabo is a deployee of the ANC in the district council and the ANC ought to aid him or any other of its deployees when subjected to such ludicrous treatment. Since the inception of this council, Kgabo has been subjected to consistent humiliation and enjoyed no protection from the organisation and or its members even those in council.”

Lenkopane said in fact, the first humiliation Kgabo experienced was from their own ANC members in the council, when they defied the ANC mandate to elect him to be an executive mayor. She said the ANCWL as an integral part of the ANC, would like to raise a serious

concern and frown at the organisation’s failure to jealously guard its honour and rebuke those who disrepute its good name.

“The League respect young people of the movement and accord them necessary space to play their role to inject lifeblood into the life of the ANC. They should be nurtured accordingly, invested in and marshalled to become future leaders of the movement.

“History has shown us that young people have the capacity to rejuvenate, set the agenda and direct the ANC’s campaigns as a leader of society. The organisation’s stalwarts rose from its young ranks,” she said.

Lenkopane further said they would never stand by the side and allow inhumane treatment of a young person, who is entrusted with service delivery programmes of the ANC in government.

The incompetent Sereko failed to respond to our media inquiry timeously but said the manager in her office will respond.

Meanwhile, the ANC Interim Provincial Committee (IPC) in North West said they never instructed anyone to prohibit Kgabo to participating in any council meeting, but they will respond accordingly to the matter.

ANC IPC spokesperson, Kenny Morolong said: “According to our knowledge and records, Kgabo is a councillor representing the ANC in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality. With respect to recent development and letters circulating on social media, the ANC will in due course appropriately respond.”  

The disgruntled Kgabo penned his grievances in a form of a letter directed to Sereko and the North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Lenah Miga. In the letter that was seen by the Taung DailyNews, Kgabo said: “I’m in Vryburg, Banquet Hall attending the Special Council meeting of Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality as a councillor. However, I’m denied access by security officials claiming that they have received an instruction from yourself and the acting Municipal Manager not to allow me entry into the council meeting venue because I am a problem.

“I called you yesterday informing you that I have not received the invitation and the agenda for the special council meeting of today (30 June 2022). Indicating the unlawfulness of your actions and the financial implications of your actions on the municipality, but rather you chose to disregard me.”

Kgabo added that Sereko’s decision not to invite him to a council meeting and deny him access is a direct infringement of his rights. He said it was also illegal and unlawful for the Municipal Manager to instruct security officers to deny him access.

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