Picture: South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa

By OBAKENG MAJE

President, Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africans are not only celebrating this defining moment on their long journey to freedom, but they also reaffirm their shared commitment to the promise of that momentous day. Ramaphosa, who delivered his keynote address during the National Freedom Day commemorative event at Manzilpark stadium in Klerksdorp said, this day gave birth to a new nation.

“On 27 April 1994, South Africans of all races, languages and creeds stood in long winding queues to exercise the democratic right for which so many have fought and for which so many have sacrificed. On Freedom Day, we recall the great progress that has been made in nearly three decades of democracy, but we also acknowledge that so much of the promise of 1994 still needs to be realised.

“It is on this occasion that we rededicate ourselves to work with greater purpose and unity to give full effect and meaning to freedom in our land. It is fitting that the national celebration of Freedom Day is taking place here in Matlosana, which carries both the pain of our past and the promise of our future,” he said.

He further said, the site of a concentration camp for Africans during the Anglo-Boer War, Matlosana has a history of dispossession and exploitation. Ramaphosa added that, one of the best-known sons of this area, Desmond Mpilo Tutu, was six years old when his family and many others were thrown out of their homes in the vibrant community of Makweteng to clear the area for white settlement.

“Matlosana was home to a mining industry, which under apartheid, was responsible for the exploitation of mineworkers, paying them a pittance and exposing them to terrible working and living conditions. It was here that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) was founded in 1982 to fight for the rights and dignity of mineworkers.

“It was here in Matlosana that the Klerksdorp Christian Academy was founded in 1989 as one of the first multi-racial schools in the area, only to be bombed by right-wingers during the transition to democracy. Matlosana, like so many places in South Africa, has known great suffering, but it has also been a place of resistance, struggle, and hope,” said Ramaphosa.

He said, the changes that have taken place in Matlosana since the advent of democracy, reflect the broader transformation underway in our country. Ramphosa said today, mineworkers and other vulnerable workers have rights that those who came before them were denied.

“These include the right to be compensated if they are injured or become sick on duty. These include the right to organise, to the full protection of our labour laws, and to safe working and living conditions. Today, not only are all schools open to all races, but millions of learners from poor households attend no-fee schools. Every day 9 million learners receive a meal at school.

“Last year, just over 900 000 young people sat for matric and more than 80% passed. More and more of the learners achieving bachelor passes are from no-fee schools. Today, through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), more than 700 000 young people from poor, working-class backgrounds are being funded for tertiary studies,” he said.

Ramaphosa said since the advent of democracy, access to health care has improved. He said many more South African households live in formal dwellings and have access to basic services.

“Social grants support around 18 million poor and vulnerable people. This is what progress looks like. These are some of the fruits of democracy and yet, as every South African knows, we have still much more work to do. Poverty, unemployment and inequality still define the lives of millions of our people.

“At this time in particular, families across the country are experiencing great hardship and uncertainty. Our country has been hit by a global financial crisis, political, social, and economic shocks, worsening natural disasters and the most severe global pandemic in over a century,” said Ramaphosa.

He said, these setbacks have made the devastating apartheid legacy of inequality worse.

“We are also now counting the cost of years of under-investment in our electricity, water, rail, and port infrastructure. We are feeling the damaging effects of state capture and corruption and concerted efforts to weaken our public institutions.

“As we work to rebuild and reconstruct, we face challenges that are far different from those experienced in the earliest days of democracy. We have to secure our energy future. We have to adapt to climate change and grow our economy and create more jobs,” he said.

Ramphosa said, they have to eradicate the scourge of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and act against crime. He said freedom cannot be meaningful when South African homes and businesses are without electricity for several hours in the day.

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Setshwantsho: Kgosi kgolo ya Batlhaping Baga Phuduhutswana, Kgosi Tshepo Mankuroane

Ka OBAKENG MAJE

Magosi a farologaneng mo sedikeng sa Dr Ruth Segomotsi ba re ba itumeletse kopano ya kgothe-kgothe e ba nnileng le yone le tonakgolo ya Bokone Bophirima. Kgosi kgolo ya Batlhaping Baga Phuduhutswana, Kgosi Tshepo Mankuroane are, ba tlhagisitse dintlha phisegelo tsa bone go Maape, mme ba solofela fa a ka di sekegela tsebe.

“Ke lebogetse kopano ya gompieno ma gareng ga magosi le tonakgolo. Mme kgang kgolo ene ele go matlafatsa bogosi le go tla ka toga-maano ya go tlisa ditlhabogo mo metseng ya rona. Mo go matlafatseng bogosi, re dumalane gore ko di kgotlheng tsa rona, go tshwanetse gore re thusiwe ka go okeditswa badiri.

“Kgang engwe ke gore, magosi a iseng a agelwe dikantoro, ba direlwe jalo ga mmogo le go netefatsa gore gona le ditlabakelo tse di tlhokagalang. Seo, se tla dira gore thebolo ya di tirelo e tokafale. Se sengwe se eleng tlhoba-boroko, ke go sa dire ga basha ba rona,” Mankuroane wa tlhalosa.

Go ya ka Mankuroane, ba dumalane jaaka magosi bulele ditlhabologo kwa metseng ya bone. Mankuroane are, seo se tla diragala fela fa b aka letlelela baetletsi kwa metseng ya bone.

“Gape, re ikuela gore tirisano-mmogo ma gareng ga dimasepala le segosi e tokafadiwe. Go mabaka ale mantsi a tsweletseng go ama baagi jaaka tlhokego ya metsi le motlakase. Jaanong, re dulamane le tonakgolo gore dintlha tseo tsotlhe tse re di tlhagisitseng, di tla sekegelwa tsebe,” Makuroane wa tlhalosa.

Mo go jelengwe, majoro khuduthamaga wa masepala wa sedika wa Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Motsokae Sense Maje are, kopano ya bone le magosi e tsamaile sentle.

“Ke nnete re ne re kopane le tonakgolo ga mmogo le magosi a rona mo sedikeng sa rona sa Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati. Go ya ka nna, kopano e, e tsamile sentle gonne, rene re refosana maitemogelo le dintlha-phisegelo tsa tshitlhamolelo ya ditirelo go ya kwa baaging.

“O tla gopola gore, magosi are rona ke baeteledipele ba ba gaufi thata le morafe wa rona. Jaanong, o tla ela tlhoko gore ntlha eo e ntse ele tlhoba boroko ke thebolo ya ditirelo e e bokoa. Se magosi a rona a se tlhagisitseng ke gore, gona le tokafalo ya kgokagano ma gareng ga bone le balekgotlha ba ba farologaneng kwa dikgrwaneng tsa rona jaaka ele barongwa pusong,” Maje wa tlhalosa.

Maje are le fa go sentse go na le mekhino e e tshwanetsweng ke go ka tswadiwa, ba itlamile jaaka keteledipele ya puso gore ba tla leka ka natla go matlafatsa kgolagano eo. Are, se se itumedisang ke gore, gona le fa ba tlileng go simololang teng gonne ba setse ba adile motheo.

Kgabagare, Maape are kgothakgothe ya bone e nnile le maungo a namatshang. Are ba buile ka ditlha tse dintsi tse di tsweletseng go ama baagi, mme ba tlile go dira ka natal go ka tla ka maano a go di baakanya.

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Picture: Some community members packed the court to the rafters

By OBAKENG MAJE

Two accused who killed a prominent businesswoman and funeral parlour owner, Kgomotso Serei from Cokonyane village, near Taung, were sentenced to life imprisonment by the North West High Court sitting in Vryburg on Wednesday. 

Joel Tumo Phaudi (40) and the deceased’s stepson, Lebogang Serei (46) killed Kgomotso in what looked like a business robbery at her funeral parlour in Taung back in 2017.

However, they were arrested on 14 and 15 June 20217 respectively in Rooiwal village, near Taung. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in North West, Henry Mamothame said, the duo’s conviction emanates from an incident that occurred on 25 May 2017 at the business premises of the deceased.

“It emerged in court that, Lebogang had instructed one of her stepmother’s employees to lock all doors except the garage door. He said this before the employee in question noticed three men standing not far from the business premises.

“The three suspicious men later entered the premises through the garage door wearing balaclavas and ordered the cashier to kneel on the floor before wrapping her face with a cloth. They then demanded her cell phone before proceeding to the deceased who was also inside the premises,” Mamothame said.

He further said, one of the men was identified as Joel Tumo Phatudi. Mamothame added that, Phatudi was also identified as the culprit who turned the gun on to the deceased and shot her in the head.

“The three men then took two cell phones and a handbag belonging to the deceased before fleeing the scene. The police investigations revealed that, Lebogang had approached one of the employees to find him a hitman to murder his stepmother.

“A witness who refused the proposition to the murder also provided the police with a statement confirming that he was approached by the employee to execute the murder. The same employee confirmed that, Lebogang gave him money to deliver to Phatudi after the funeral of his stepmother,” he said.

The North West High Court sitting in Vryburg, sentenced Phatudi and Serei to life imprisonment for the murder of Kgomotso Serei. They were sentenced to a further 35 years on two counts of robbery, possession of a firearm, and possession of ammunition.

The sentence will not run concurrently and two of their co-accused were acquitted on all charges.

The state prosecutor, Adv Cain Nontenjwa argued that the court should not deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence as there were no compelling circumstances to do so.

Judge Samkelo Gura agreed with the state and indicated that, the two murdered the deceased to take over her business. Gura also said Lebogang had intentions to inherit the business following his father’s passing.

Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the North West, Dr Rachel Makhari together with the North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, lauded Adv Nontenjwa and Detective Sergeant Lesley Kgatisang for a collaboration that resulted in a successful conviction.

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Picture: North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi doing oversight at Tigane Secondary School in Klerksdorp

By OBAKENG MAJE

North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi had a consultative engagement with the community of Tigane, near Klerksdorp. This comes after they were aggrieved by the slow pace of completing Tigane Secondary School.

“The community is complaining about the slow pace, which results from payment glitches among others thus delaying affording their children quality education. Currently, learners in this community are attending at Gaenthone Secondary School.

“Due to migration to townships, this resulted in overcrowding at Gaenthone Secondary School. In our interactions with Community Liaison Officer (CLO), school principal, and School Governing Body (SGB), we assured to expedite the process,” she said.

Motsumi further said, it should not be the case that learners’ chance of obtaining quality education has to be compromised by glitches unrelated to them. She added that, it is unfair for learners’ dignity and rights to be compromised because of issues that can be sorted at a corporate level.

“I take this time to reassure the community that, a school will be afforded to them. Learners will be moved to their new school as soon as possible. Ours is to address and attend to all infrastructural challenges.

“We want our learners to have a healthy learning environment, which will give us desired results. So, we further committed to the community that, before the end of this week, the acting Chief Finance Officer (CFO) will convene a meeting with the North West Public Works and Roads department,” said Motsumi.

She said, this will address the issue of expediting the construction of Tigane Secondary School and report back to the contractor and consultants. Mostumi said learners are currently using a hybrid attendance model to accommodate overcrowding.

“The department is also attending to the water connection challenge on the temporary intervention of mobile classrooms, which are placed at Kabelano Primary School,” she concluded.

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