A 27-YEAR-OLD man was arrested for house robbery and robbery with aggravating circumstances. Thabo Calvin Mabe was remanded in custody after he appeared at Schweizer Rekene Magistrate’s Court on charges of house robbery and robbery with aggravating circumstances on 18 August 2022.
North West police spokesperson, Capt Aafje Botma said: “Mabe was initially arrested and appeared in court in 2019, for separate charges of house robbery and robbery aggravating.
“He allegedly threatened a victim with a knife in a house in Ipelegeng Location, near Schweizer Reneke, then robbed him of his cellphones. In the second incident, he robbed the victim of some household items.”
Botma said subsequent to several court appearances, Mabe was granted bail. She said, however, that the accused failed to appear in court on 24 August 2021 and a warrant of arrest was issued against him.
“The Anti-Gang Unit followed up on information and Mabe was traced to his uncle’s place in Boitekong outside Rustenburg. He was arrested on 17 August 2022.
“Mabe was remanded in custody until his next court date on 30 September 2022,” said Botma.
The gloves are off as aggrieved ANC members intend to interdict the ANC elective conference in North West. The party’s 9th Provincial Conference was marred with challenges and was held at Rustenburg Civic Centre last weekend.
The former North West MEC for Human Settlements, Nono Maloyi, who was pitted against his fierce rival, North West Premier, Bushy Maape, won the race and was elected as the new provincial chairperson.
Now, in the urgent court application to the North West High Court in Mafikeng that was seen by Taung DailyNews, Lebogang Medupe, who is believed to be Maape’s staunch supporter, and the other four, intend to interdict the conference.
The conference was adjourned last week before additional members could be elected due to time constraints and it will resume on 27- 28 August 2022. In the applicants’ founding affidavits, they want the conference to be declared unlawful, invalid and of no force and effect.
“Be pleased to take notice that, the applicants intend to make an application to the above Honorable Court on Thursday, 25 August 2022 at 10am or so soon thereafter as counsel may be heard for an order in the following terms.
“We call on the court to declare the conference that took place on the 12-14 August 2022 and subsequently postponed to 26 August 2022 that, it was held in violation of the ANC constitution as well as the court order of the 12 August 2022 under case UM 152/2022,” the court papers said.
He said the provincial conference, its decisions, resolutions, and outcomes were unlawful and should be set aside.
Medupe further said the ANC’s decision on 13 August 2022 to usurp the powers and functions of the ANC’s 9th Provincial Conference after the court had declared on 12 August 2022 under case number (UM 152/2022) that the term of the IPC of the North West had lapsed is in violation of the ANC constitution and is unlawful and set aside.
However, the ANC national spokesperson, Pule Mabe said during a media briefing held at ANC provincial offices in Mahikeng on Friday that, the ruling party will defend itself in court.
“The constitution of the ANC, which is the supreme law of the organisation does not make provision for the petition of conferences. So, it means that, if the National Executive Committee (NEC) applies itself to something like that, it will have first to locate where in the rules of the constitution is something like that provided for.
“The issue that we need to clarify is that those who want to interdict the conference, have contested for positions. However, if they had made it, would they have been part of those in the petition?” he asked.
Mabe further said the ANC NEC recognises the first part of the conference, so those who are elected, are the ones who will run the next installment. He added that the ANC will defend itself because they have a duty to protect its internal processes.
“We also have a duty to educate our cadres to accept the outcomes of conferences. You see, ANC is a democratic organisation, now if you agree to become part of the voluntary enterprise called ANC, it then follows that you ought to also submit yourself to the democratic processes of that voluntary enterprise,” said Mabe.
Picture: A bakkie loaded with suspected stolen goats/Supplied
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
A disgraced former police officer was arrested for stock-theft on N18 road between Pudimoe and Vryburg on Saturday. According to the North West police spokesperson, Capt Aafje Botma, the police saw a suspicious-looking bakkie travelling towards Pudimoe and stopped it.
Botma said, the vehicle was searched and atleast 21 goats were found at the back of the bakkie. The suspect, who is former police, was stationed at Taung Police Station and working for stock-theft unit.
He was fired for fraud and corruption after he allegedly made a false affidavit for a murder convict. The convict alleged that his cellphone was lost and went to the Taung Police Station to make an affidavit.
However, police investigations revealed that, the former police allegedly connived with the convict and made a false affidavit. Now, he has a pending case of fraud and corruption.
“The driver failed to give satisfactory answers for possession of livestock and did not have Section 6 or 8 (transportation documents for such stock). The estimated value of the livestock is R42 000.
“The driver was immediately arrested for stock-theft and taken to Vryburg Police Station. Upon arrival, he allegedly tried to run away and assaulted two police officers, while trying to detain him,” she said.
Botma said the suspect was arrested for stock-theft and is expected to appear at Vryburg Police Station on Monday. She added that, the livestock was handed over back to the lawful owner after being traced.
The divergences and non-compliance continue to rear their ugly head at the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District in Vryburg. This comes after the Auditor-General (AG) raised various challenges facing the embattled municipality in his report.
This week, the municipality briefly appeared before North West Provincial Legislature’s Standing Committee on Provincial Public Accounts (SCOPA) after allegations that it has awarded contracts to companies without following proper supply chain management procedures.
The municipality was also found to be in contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) for investing R150 million allocated for Infrastructure Regional Grant (IRG) into the now defunct VBS Mutual Bank.
The SCOPA provincial chairperson, Job Dliso said, the construction contracts were allegedly awarded to contractors that were not registered with the CIDB. He said, this was in contravention of Section 18(1) of the CIDB Act 58 and the preference point system was also not applied for some of the procurement of goods and services above R30 000 as required by section 2(1)(a) of the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act.
“Also, some quotations were accepted from bidders who did not submit a declaration on whether they are employed by the state or connected to any person employed by the state, as required by Supply Chain Management regulation.
“Furthermore, the AG was unable to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence for infrastructure and work in progress. There was non-submission of information, including material unexplained differences between the financial statements and accounting records caused by inadequate asset management controls,” he said.
Dliso urged the municipality to submit a detailed post-audit action plan and litigation reports.
The AG acting senior manager, Johan Le Roux said, their findings showed that, there is instability in key management positions at the municipality and there is an overreliance on consultants for financial reporting and asset management.
“There is a lack of response by management and political leadership to enforce consequences management for poor performance and supply chain management transgressions.
“The municipality also incorrectly calculated the depreciation expense using incorrect useful lives, which resulted in infrastructure and buildings included in property, plant, and equipment being overstated by R20 776 782,” Le Roux said.
He said, however, that the depreciation and amortisation expenses have been understated by the same amount. Le Roux said Section 125 of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) requires the disclosure of unauthorised expenditure incurred, but the municipality incorrectly calculated unauthorised expenditure incurred, which resulted in the unauthorised expenditure to the financial statements being overstated by R103 619 83.
Meanwhile, the acting Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality, Morena Mofokeng said: “The information relating to the CIDB and preferential points is available. The challenge was that, we were unable to provide the information to the AGSA within the stipulated time due to internal delays.
“However, the municipality has endeavoured to make a folder with the necessary information relating to CIDB and preferential procurement points and include them in the audit file so that they are readily available to the AGSA.”
Mofokeng further said the information relating to the preferential points is also available. He added that, the challenge was that, they were unable to provide the information to the AGSA within the stipulated time due to internal delays.
“The district has endeavoured to make a folder with the necessary information relating to preferential procurement points and include them in the audit file so that they are readily available to the AGSA.
The North West Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs acting Head of Department, Mamorena Lehoko said they have raised few apprehensions with the municipality over water issues.
Lehoko said it is disturbing that there is no Service Level Agreement (SLA) in place between the municipality and Sedibeng Water. According to the report, the municipality owes Sedibeng Water R635 million, which is a historical debt.
Picture: Bophelong/Mahikeng Provincial Hospital in Mahikeng sign
By OBAKENG MAJE
Patients were allegedly left vulnerable and unattended at Bophelong/Mahikeng Provincial Hospital after nurses and doctors embarked on a two-day strike. This comes after the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the hospital, Nonzaliseko Mendela, suspended two employees (Deputy Director: Nursing Services and her Assistant Director) for misconduct.
It is alleged that Mendela charged the duo with misconduct and insubordination after they allegedly close the vaccination site without obtaining authorisation from her.
One patient from Tshidilamolomo village, outside Mahikeng, Mosimanegape Kubu said, he was left helpless with no one to assist him. Kubu further said the department was supposed to make sure that there is adequate assistance available for patients, who need medical attention during protests.
“Yesterday, I was here at the hospital and I received no assistance. Just imagine, I arrived here at 7am and left at 11:30pm because there were no nurses available.
“Today again, I arrived at 7am and I have not received any assistance yet. They say nurses and doctors are on strike, so the smooth running of the hospital will be affected. What will happen to admitted patients, who need extra care from the nurses and doctors? He asked.
Another patient, Mosadiotsile Letebele from Lomanyane village said, she was referred to the hospital by the local clinic for a medical check-up, but she was surprised to see nurses and doctors on strike when she arrived.
The North West Department of Health acting spokesperson, Keletso Ratlhagane said: “The department has placed the CEO on special leave pending investigations on allegations by staff. The investigations will test the validity of the suspension she matted out against two nursing managers at the hospital.
“The staff and labour unions representing them (suspended nurses) are questioning the suspensions citing they were procedurally unfair, hence the department took a decision to appoint an investigator to look into these claims together with other allegations which, will be presented by employees to the investigator in writing.”
She said the investigations will serve as a tool to point out any irregularities or wrongdoings and the decision regarding a disciplinary hearing will only commence after the investigation processes are concluded.
Ratlhagane said the health services were restored after the provincial management acted swiftly into the matter and convened a meeting with the aggrieved parties.
Meanwhile, NEHAWU regional chairperson in Ngaka Modiri Molema, Zanele Leeuw said, even though they welcomed the department’s decision to suspend Mendela, they want thorough investigations against her.
“The CEO continues to take decisions that are not in favour of the institution on an ongoing basis. In this instance, she took a decision to suspend two employees alleging misconduct.
“The two employees allegedly closed down the vaccination site because there were no individuals or patients coming to the site. The nurses decided to re-organise staff and ensure that they are deployed to other units that need extra care,” Leeuw said.
The Guardian 