By OBAKENG MAJE

The embattled Greater Taung Local Municipality (GTLM) may soon be accredited and ultimately assigned to manage the full range of housing instruments within its areas of jurisdiction. 

This comes after the North West Human Settlements department had a consultative engagement with councillors last week Tuesday.

According to the North West Human Settlement Director of Planning, Stakeholder Management and Capacity Development, Dr Ben Bole, the department is determined to equip municipalities with information to ensure that they are on the same wavelength.

“The department continues to push for accreditation of municipalities. So, we have ventured into a workshop with councillors from the GTLM on the municipal accreditation programme.

“The programme seeks to ensure that the process of accrediting municipalities is well understood by local councillors. The GTLM municipality is at pre-accreditation assessment,” Bole said.

He further said the GTLM is at accreditation level one, so it is capable of administering beneficiary registers and also administering the Housing Subsidy System. Bole added that the programme was mainly to equip councillors with information and ensure they understand the departmental

programmes as they are close to the communities.

“The department further took the opportunity to induct councillors and other officials in attendance about other departmental programmes. Truly, we cannot do it alone, so we need municipalities and everybody in the human settlements sector to work in a more integrated process.

“We are guided by the District Development Model (DDM). As the department and councillors, we have the responsibility to ensure that, services are rendered within respective communities,” said Bole.

He said it is therefore pivotal to ensure that all stakeholders have a clear understanding of each other’s roles and responsibilities. Bole said what is needed is to be on the same bandwagon because the department has outlined a list of services worth millions of rands.

“The services range from housing delivery, eradication of mud houses and asbestos roofs, title deed restoration programme, services of Rental Housing Tribunal, military veterans’ houses and many others.

“As the department, we have further acknowledged that we have backlogs in the province in delivering services. We also took the opportunity to outline some of the Human Settlements Minister’s priority programmes of eradicating mud houses as they are prone to recent re-occurring disasters and Asbestos roofs among others,” he said.

However, Bole said the process can only be implemented after the adjustment budget has been approved. According to Bole, the Human Settlement department is in the process of building 342 houses in Taung. 

He said councillors were further tasked to provide the department with a detailed report on mud houses and

asbestos roofs.

Meanwhile, the Director for Municipal Accreditation from the Human Settlements’ national office, Miyelane Ntlemo said: “We encourage councillors to make sure that they understand the challenges within their areas, as it is their responsibility to refer such to local municipalities and the departments.

“The municipalities are key to housing delivery and it is only fair if they understand housing needs within their localities. It is the responsibility of the department to ensure that municipalities are accredited and capacitated.”

Ntlemo said this will ensure that the whole process is done to ensure coordination as directed by the DDM. He said, currently, the department is planning to take such sessions to other municipalities to make sure that all councillors understand departmental programmes and their processes.

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By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

The District Development Model (DDM) in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality has launched a Disaster Operation Centre in Ganyesa. This comes after the sporadic raging veld fires that had engulfed the area a few weeks ago.

Over 90 312 hectares of farmland have been destroyed. The acting mayor of Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality, Solly Matobo who also serves as the Member of Mayoral Committee (MMC): Economic Development, Tourism and Agriculture said they will use the centre to identify the affected stakeholders to enable the various government institutions to and private sector to provide assistance and support thereof.

“The centre is located at Barolong Boo-Tlou le Tau Tribal Authority offices and will assist us in speeding up what is required in order to sustain affected farmers by bringing them back to their normal lives.

“Currently, the veld fire has subsided and the Working on Fire and other specialised teams within the region have been and are hard at work to contain and avert possible future damages by creating fire belts around the farms,” Matobo said.

He further said, there is a need for this operation as they will direct all plethora stakeholders to work as a collective under the DDM for better achievement of “one plan, one budget” on integration and collaboration of three spheres of government.

Matobo added, it is important for all departments to be involved and submit their reports to the centre on daily basis for weekly consolidation in order to deal with damages caused by veld fires and holistic support to the affected parties.

“All municipalities and sector departments with regard to silo mentality or operations, operation centre or war room would be here to reach out to all affected stakeholders in the district,” he said.

The Kagisano Molopo Local Municipality acting mayor, Morebodi Mosarwa said: “We declare unwavering support to the centre and its objectives. We further encourage implementation of the post-fire programmes such as vaccination to the animals and other agreed upon commitments.”

Meanwhile, the Barolong Boo Tlou le Tau Tribal Authority chief, Kgosi Thato Letlhogile said: “The launch of this kind is long overdue as this will enable us to work directly with government representatives. This will also assist in speeding-up service delivery issues in our area.

“It took some time to declare the area a disaster, but we would wait even though there is no formal application submitted. However, the process of gathering all the facts for the province to determine that should be afforded.”

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By OBAKENG MAJE

The South African Taxi National Council (SANTACO) calls on the North West Community Safety and Transport Management to clamp down on illegal minibus taxis operating across routes in North West.

The SANTACO provincial chairperson, Ebusang Tladi said this during the event, where North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Public Works, Roads, Community Safety and Transport Management conducted a Transport Sectoral Parliament under the theme: “Integrating Women in the Transport Industry” in Tshing community Hall near Ventersdorp recently.

Tladi said the illegal operation of minibus taxi creates unnecessary fights within the industry and eventually affect the livelihoods of many taxi owners and commuters.

“There has been no relationship between the taxi council and regulatory bodies within the department. We have not held any meetings as the two parties, where we can outline our programmes as well as check how government can assist us with curbing the escalating challenges of illegal taxis within our routes.

“We need a law enforcement unit within the department that specialises in solving the problem of taxi pirates, who are illegally stealing our customers. We also have a challenge where widowed taxi owners are not allowed to continue operating taxis that belonged to their late husbands,” he said.

Tladi further said, the department does not give the necessary support to these desperate women, who want to continue with the business of their late husbands. He added that the emergence of this industry was both an opportunity for black people to advance economically under very trying circumstances, as well as to provide a service to the people.

“The fragmentation of the industry across taxi association lines also created serious problems. However, the minibus taxi industry remains a critical pillar of the South African public transport sector, operating and competing with the heavily subsidised bus industry for more than five decades without receiving a cent from the government in the form of grants or subsidies,” he said. ​

Meanwhile, the chairperson of the North West Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Public Works, Roads, Community Safety and Transport Management, Kim Medupe said: “The event was aimed at allowing the North West Community Safety and Transport Management to provide feedback on issues raised during the Transport Sectoral Parliament that was held in 2019 in Mogwase. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and regulations, the legislature could not hold the session in 2020 and 2022.

“The event was also aimed at assessing the departmental programmes and policies aimed at supporting women within the taxi industry and public transport. Amongst issues raised by the attendees include lack of proper programmes aimed at incorporating women into the industry and malfunctioning electronic system that issues special permits.”

Medupe said escalating challenges within the taxi industry, show that the department is not providing any assistance. She also said nothing is done on giving support to women’s desks in the industry.

“We do need a plan on how these women who want to continue with the businesses of their late husbands are assisted. The department should also create a calendar, where it meets women desks in the taxi industry and should submit a report on its interim measures on dealing with decentralising the issuing of special permits.

“The department should also do a benchmarking exercise on other provinces on how it is assisting the taxi industry with budget and plans,” said Medupe.

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By REGINALD KANYANE

The police in Groot Marico request community assistance in tracing the family or relatives of an unknown woman, who was spotted around the vicinity of Mogopa village on 24 October 2022. The North West police spokesperson, Capt Aafja Botma said, the woman who seems to be mentally ill, informed the police that, her name is Ngileni Tandeka and she is from Swazine village.

 “The police request anyone who may assist in identifying and reuniting the woman with her family to call Warrant Officer Abotseng Ndebele on 073 594 1074 or Captain Molatlhegi Maimane on 076 510 9675,” she said.

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