By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

A 47-YEAR-OLD man was sentenced to life imprisonment for two counts of rape by the Mogwase Regional Court. Oupa Herman Mabalane raped a woman (27) at Ga-Phiri village, near Mogwase 25 April 2022.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in North West, Henry Mamothame said, Mabalane was arrested the following day after the matter was reported to the police. Mamothame said his bail application was rejected and he pleaded guilty to the charges.

“The evidence led in court revealed that Mabalane, together with the victim, her sister, and her sister’s boyfriend were from a tavern and went to the residence of his uncle. His sister and her boyfriend went into another bedroom. They then went out when they heard the victim screaming and she indicated that the accused was assaulting her.

“They reprimanded him before going back into their bedroom. The accused subsequently dragged the victim into another bedroom, which was dark, and raped her more than once,” he said.

Mamothame further said the victim sustained injuries on her right knee after she was stabbed with a screwdriver. He added Mabalane had no other reason to assault her, except to force her to have sexual intercourse with him as they had no relationship.

Mabalane was also found to have previous convictions, although not relevant to the crime he was convicted of.

“Among the 13 convictions he had, were possession of ammunition, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and he was previously declared unfit to possess a firearm,” said Mamothame.

taungdailynews@gmail.com

By OBAKENG MAJE

The world-renowned hip hop artist, Refiloe “Cassper Nyovest” Phoolo squashed the allegations that the Mmabatho Stadium in Mahikeng, North West is on the brink of collapse. Nyovest is preparing to host the much-anticipated #FillUp Mmabatho stadium event on 3 December 2022 since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country.

Nyovest said they have appointed two structural engineers and the report said the stadium is useable, but not to its full capacity.

“Every #FillUp is created according to the audience. The fact that this is a homecoming, we need to look at culture and heritage among others. Artists like Motlapele “Mo Molemi” Morule and other local artists will benefit from this.  

“We also have a campaign that we are running to check, which local artists people love and support. Eighteen upcoming artists will benefit from this event too. We will have superstars like Makhadzi and a surprise act,” he said.

Nyovest said safety measure is one of his priorities and they will use only 30% of the stand. He further encouraged those, who have not bought tickets to do so to avoid disappointment.

“We are going to have a great show even though this might be the hardest #FillUp to organise. People here know every song of mine, but I won’t play all of them. Even though there are many politics surrounding this event, we are most definitely sure that it will be a success,” said Nyovest.

Meanwhile, the North West MEC for Arts, Culture, Sport and Recreation (ACSR) spokesperson, Virginia Tlhapi said: “The department wishes to distance itself from the narrative that alleges that, Mmabatho Stadium is not safe for usage. We gladly wish to invite anyone who has a structural engineering report that declares Mmabatho Stadium unsafe to bring such information forth.

“In December 2018, the department successfully held the annual Mahika Mahikeng Cultural Festival at the stadium. Despite the vandalism such as cable theft, and electrical and plumbing systems, there is nothing that warrants the prevention of the usage of the Mmabatho stadium.”

Tlhapi further said, the department has long started with the upkeep of the stadium as she pronounced during the 2022/23 departmental budget speech. She added that, due to financial constraints, the department has not planned to construct any new infrastructure facilities, but will continue with the maintenance of the existing infrastructure of stadia and recreation centres with a special focus on Mmabatho, Lehurutshe, and Itsoseng stadia.

“The department has already done work on the surface of the pitch, which is now in good shape. The VIP section is also in proper condition and can also be used safely. So, it is all systems go for #FillUp Mmabatho stadium. The department has confirmed that it is one of the supporters of the major event, which is one of a series that has taken place in such areas as Johannesburg, Durban, and Rustenburg,” she said.

taungdailynews@gmail.com