By OBAKENG MAJE

Some community members classified the situation at the embattled Greater Taung Local Municipality (GTLM), as being at medium risk for deterioration. This comes after the suspended Director of Corporate Services, Dikagisho Mokoma returned to work without facing any disciplinary hearing.

Mokoma was implicated in the Matshego Ramagaga Attorneys’ findings. The independent law firm was appointed by the municipality to investigate allegations of misconduct against Mokoma after she allegedly misled the previous council on danger allowance for the COVID-19 pandemic.

This resulted in the municipality ‘illegally’ paying senior managers and directors a monthly R2500 as danger allowance, instead of a standard flat rate of R1500.

According to the Magagane report, the municipality has lost R508 500 due to Mokoma’s alleged conduct.

Now, community activist, Benjamin Mashuga said there is a grim reality in the municipality, which is a direct result of municipal mismanagement. Mashuga further said the future of the residents looks bleak if the municipality is not going to be guided by the Municipal System Act.

“As members of the community, we have been attending council meetings as observers. So, we know that there was a council resolution that agreed to suspend Mokoma pending investigation.

“What surprises us is that she is back at work, while there is no council resolution that took that decision. The Municipal Structure Act 17 of 1998, Section 5, talks about the rights and duties of community,” he said.

Mashuga added that, they need answers and to see if the municipality is being run accordingly. He said it will be only fair for them to be furnished with municipal council resolution including the recordings of the meeting that agreed upon to bring Mokoma back to work.

“We also want the attendance register of all those councillors, who attended the meeting and took that resolution. However, the response that we got from the acting municipal manager, Andrew Makuapane Makuapane is not satisfactory.

“Firstly, he said there was a resolution, but when we asked him to refurbish us with it, he said we should write to the council. According to the law, if the council has taken a resolution on anything, that document becomes available for public consumption,” said Mashuga.

He also alleged that, Mokoma’s disciplinary hearing was not conducted timeously to allow her to go back to work without facing any disciplinary hearing.

Meanwhile, the GTLM mayor, Tumisang Gaoraelwe said: “Initially, Mokoma was not disciplined accordingly. There is a regulation that outlines how to hire and fire Section 56 and 57 managers. So, her suspension was irregular.

“Mokoma has returned to work even though is not official at the level of the council. The Magagane report was tabled before the council, but it was deferred. So, the council has never sat and entertained that report.”

Gaoraelwe said, however, if there is a need for Mokoma to be disciplined, that must be procedural.

“Only municipal council can discipline Section 56 and 57 managers. So, the status quo is, she is back at work and she was not even supposed to be disciplined anyway.

“The municipal manager cannot discipline Section 56 and 57 managers outright,” said Gaoraelwe.

On the other hand, the opposition parties in the municipality, have opened a fraud case against Mokoma. The North West police spokesperson, Brig Sabata Mokgwabone said, the case is still under investigation.

taungdailynews@gmail.com

By OBAKENG MAJE  

A man was sentenced to life imprisonment by Vryburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for raping a woman (30). The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in North West, Henry Mamothame said, Tshepiso Brown (33) was arrested on 21 September 2020 for raping his neighbour.

“On 19 September 2020, in Huhudi township near Vryburg, Brown hosted the victim, who was his neighbour and other friends at his home. The other friends left at a later stage and the victim indicated that she will leave after finishing her drink. 

“Shortly after the friends had left, Brown asked the victim to have sex with him, to which she refused. Brown subsequently assaulted her and dragged her to his bedroom, where he repeatedly raped her before freeing her the next morning,” Mamothame said.

He further said, the victim went home and told her mother about the ordeal. Mamothame said, the mother immediately advised her to report the matter to the police.

“The victim reported the matter to the police and the accused was arrested on 21 September 2020. Brown, who was denied bail until the completion of the matter, pleaded not guilty to the charge and insisted to the court that he had consensual intercourse with the victim.

“In aggravating the sentence, the state prosecutor Adv Baakeleng Mothibi urged the court not to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment,” said Mamothame.

He added that, Mothibi argued that the accused had previous convictions of assault with grievous bodily harm, as well as one of culpable homicide.

“Mothibi further argued that this has destroyed the trust that the victim had in the accused,” he said.

Magistrate Patricia Rangwako agreed with the state and highlighted the prevalence of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and the responsibility the courts have in sending a strong message to offenders and wannabe offenders.

Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions in North West, Dr Rachel Makhari Sekhaolelo lauded the prosecutor and the investigating officer for a collaboration that yielded a desired outcome.

“Rape should never be tolerated and the criminal justice system should continue dealing harshly with perpetrators of this offence”, she concluded,” Sekhaolelo said.

 taungdailynews@gmail.com

By OBAKENG MAJE

The ANC Member of Parliament (MP), Sibusiso Kula, who is facing a murder case is back at Orkney Magistrate’s Court for a formal bail application. Kula (34) was arrested on 20 January 2023 for allegedly stabbing his wife, Jennifer Motlhomi (31) at their matrimonial house in Kanana Township, in Orkney on 27 November 2022.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in North West, Henry Mamothame said: “On 27 January 2023, the state and the defense attorney read affidavits in their arguments. Kula further took a stand in his pursuit of being granted bail.

“The state also pleaded with the court not to grant Kula bail, as it saw no compelling circumstances. The state further argued that the offense being a schedule 6 criminal matter, should warrant the court not to grant him bail as he is charged with premeditated murder.”

According to Mamothame, the police reports reveal that Kula’s wife was found murdered on 27 November 2022, in what seemed like a robbery. He further said, Motlhomi was allegedly found with a stab wound on her back, but the object that was used for her alleged murder has not been recovered.

“The matter was reported by the medical facility, where she was allegedly transported by the accused to receive medical attention. He told the police that he was not present at his home when the incident occurred.

“Following thorough investigations by the police linked to the alleged murder, he was arrested and charged with murder. Police investigations are still underway,” he said.

The ANCWL Provincial Task Team (PTT) Convenor, Bitsa Lenkopane said, Motlhomi’s brutal murder depicted another disturbing picture of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) among many women, who are subjected to it in the locale.

“This is another case of women abused, violated, and brutally attacked in the comfort of their living spaces. A complexity painted by one of the police reports in the year, where these vile activities happen among acquaintances and or romantic partners.

“Motlhomi was a vibrant young woman, who spent her entire life participating and leading the struggle structures of the youth and students in the ANC,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters(EFF) in the North West also welcomed the arrest of Kula.

The EFF provincial secretary, Papiki Babuile said: “We are concerned with the sad state of affairs and rise of patriarchal relations perpetuated by the political elites in the province and the country at large.

“Undisputedly, our country has been through a long history of systematic subjugation, violence, and abuse. Sadly, to date, women and children are yet at the receiving end of heinous and horrific acts of hetero-patriarchy, sexism, rape, rampant GBV, Femicide, and infanticide, not only by habitual criminals in general but also men tasked with the responsibility to lead, protect and shower them with love.”

Babuile said the high levels of victims in cases of this nature is proof enough that the criminal justice system ceased to exist and protect the vulnerable members of society. He said it is quite dismaying that political elites in this country enjoy impunity at the expense of the lives of the people.

taungdailynews@gmail.com