Daily Archives: May 20, 2024

The state seeks the North West High Court to revoke a R50 000 bail of a murder accused, Sibusiso Kula

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Picture: ANC MP, Sibusiso Kula who is accused of killing his wife, Jennifer Motlhomi

By OBAKENG MAJE
The North West High Court sitting in Klerksdorp will on Tuesday, submit an application to revoke the bail of ANC Member of Parliament (MP), Sibusiso Kula (34). Kula is out on R50 000 bail for allegedly killing his wife, Jennifer Motlhomi on 27 November 2022.

The National Prosecuting Authority said in a statement that: “The application comes after Kula allegedly contravened his bail condition. He allegedly approached witnesses and persuaded them to change their statements provided to the state.”

The North West High Court has set a trial date for 13-17 May 2024. 

The then National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in North West, Henry Mamothame said during pretrial, where the matter made its first appearance, the state and the defence attorney confirmed their readiness to proceed with the trial, as all the necessary documents had been provided to the accused attorney.

Mamothame said Kula is currently out on R50 000 bail after being granted by the North West High Court of South Africa, following his appeal on the Orkney Magistrate’s Court decision to deny him bail. 

He further said Kula was ordered to surrender his passports, report twice a day at the nearest police station, provide the investigating officer with his work itinerary, report to the Investigating Officer, if he must move outside his residential jurisdiction and have no direct or indirect contact with his children. 

“His bid to have the case struck off the roll was previously rejected by the court. The police reports reveal that, Kula’s wife, Jennifer Motlhomi, was found murdered on 27 November 2022, in what seemed like a robbery. She was 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. The accused told the police that he was not present at his home when the incident occurred,” he said. 

Mamothame added that, following thorough investigations by the police, he was linked to the alleged murder and was arrested on 20 January 2023 and charged with murder, defeating the ends of justice, contravention of the Domestic Violence Act, making false statements and affidavits and conspiracy with any other person to aid or procure the commission of murder.

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A man jailed for raping a woman 

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By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI 

A man (36) was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the Mothibistad Regional Court for raping a woman (19). On 27 October 2018 at about 1pm, the victim and the accused, Phenyo Kolwane, were drinking at a friend’s house in Dikweng village, near Kuruman.

The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Lieutenant Col Sergio Kock said Kolwane and the victim then left with his car to buy beers. He said the accused stopped and raped the victim in a veld. 

“Kolwane was arrested on 28 October 2018, and was sentenced on 8 May 2024 to 10 years imprisonment of which two years is suspended for five. He was also declared unfit to carry a firearm and his name was registered with the National Register for Sex offenders,” said Kock.

Meanwhile, the Northern Cape Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola, commended Const Tholakele Majola from the Kuruman Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit for the meticulous investigation, which led to the imprisonment of the perpetrator. Otola said detectives in the province will remain steadfast in their quest to bring Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) perpetrators to justice. 

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A Zimbabwean man nabbed for allegedly raping his cousin sister  

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By REGINALD KANYANE 

A Zimbabwean man (19) was arrested for allegedly raping his cousin sister (10). The mother of the alleged victim and the mother of the accused are siblings. 

The NPA regional spokesperson in Gauteng, Lumka Mahanjana said the alleged victim had visited her aunt, where the accused also resides. Mahanjana further said during the night time on 13 April 2024, the alleged victim and the accused, slept on the floor, while the aunt slept on the bed in the same room. 

“At about 11pm, after the aunt switched off the lights, she allegedly noticed movement on the floor, where the two were sleeping. The aunt then allegedly uncovered the two and she saw her son naked and the victim with no underwear. 

“When she asked what was happening, the alleged victim told her that the accused raped her. The aunt then called the mother of the victim and told her what had happened and reported the matter to the police the following morning,” she said. 

Mahanjana further said the accused was arrested on 14 April 2024, after he handed himself over in the presence of his mother and the mother of the victim. She added that in court, the accused denied committing the offence. 

“Through his legal representative, the accused asked to be released on bail because he is still a school-going learner doing grade 11 at Oceans Private School. He also argued that his further incarceration will affect him negatively and he will miss writing his exams and will not be able to continue with his schooling.   

“He further told the court that he intends to plead not guilty to the charges. However, the state prosecutor, Chris Maruma, opposed the accused release on bail and told the court that the accused was a flight risk because he was illegal in the country,” said Mahanjana.

She said furthermore, the accused is known to the victim and can therefore influence her to withdraw charges.

Mahanjana said the magistrate agreed with the state that the accused was a flight risk, therefore bail was denied. She said the matter was postponed to 3 June 2024, for further investigations.

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Moithuti wa kwa sekolong sa St Paul’s o beteletswe

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Setshwantsho: Moithuti o beteletswe kwa sekolong se se potlana sa St Paul’s 

Ka OBAKENG MAJE 

Sepodisi se tlhalositse fa baithuti ba le batlhano ba ba latofadiwang ka go betelela moithuti jaaka bone kwa sekolong se se potlana sa St Pauls mono Taung, ba tlile go latofadiwa semmuso mo letsatsing la Labobedi. 

Go begwa fa baithuti ba, ba ile ba betelela moithuti wa dingwaga di le 13 kwa sekolong ka di 17 Moranang 2024. Fela, go ya ka dipego, sekolo ga sa itsise motlhokomedi wa mongongoregi ka tiragalo e, gonne se ne se batla go e dira pipanapipe.

Fela, go begwa ka di 23 Moranang 2024, mosi one wa tswa ka sekhurumelo fa motlhokomedi wa mongongoregi ane a longwa tsebe. Go begwa fa motlhokomedi o, ane a tsena kwa sekolong a shakgetse, ebile a angwa fela ke tse a neng a di apere.  

Sebueledi sa Lefapha la Thuto mo Bokone Bophirima, Mphata Molokwane o tlhalositse fa dipatlisiso mo morerong o, di tsweletse. Molokwane are lefapha le paletswe ke go bona tharabololo mo morerong o, mme kgang e, e ile ya fetisediwa kwa sepodising. 

“Gone go na le tlhakatlhakano mo dintlheng mabapi le tiragalo e, mme re ile ra bona fa go le botokwa gore re letle sepodisi go ka dira tiro ya sone jaaka ele bomaitsanape mo morerong o, ga mmogo le go batlisisa bo nnete jwa kgang,” Molokwane wa tlhalosa. 

Kgabagare, sebueledi sa sepodisi mo sedikeng sa Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Warrant Officer Tryphosa van Rooyen are: “Kgetsi ya petelelo kgatlhanong le balatofadiwa e ile ya bulwa ka di 3 Motsheganong 2024. Go tlhatlhobiwa ga baithuti bano, go tlile go diriwa ka di 21 Motsheganong 2024, mme morago ga moo, batla latofadiwa semmuso. 

“Fela, ba tlile go bewa ka fa tlase ga tlhokomelo ya batsadi ba bone, gonne ba santse ba le kwa tlase ka dingwaga.”

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Murder accused, Bongane Shebi ‘fired’ his legal aid lawyer 

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Picture: The murder accused, Bongane Gregory Shebi

By OBAKENG MAJE

A murder case against a man (24), who allegedly killed a nurse at Ipelegeng Township, near Schweizer Reneke back in 2022, has been postponed until Tuesday. This comes after Bongane Gregory Shebi, who was represented by the legal aid lawyer, opted to hire his own private lawyer. 

The magistrate gave the accused time to appoint and engage with his own legal team, before the case could resume. Shebi is facing a charge of murder and robbery after he allegedly killed Iris Mamotlakana Mohokare in cold-blood at her rented home in Ipeleng Township, near Schweizer Reneke on 12 October 2022.

The then National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in North West, Henry Mamothame said, Mohokare’s bloodied body was discovered by her landlord on 13 October 2022, with her throat cut open.

Mamothame further said the landlord subsequently informed the police, who immediately started investigating the cause of her death.

“The accused became a person of interest after police received information, while doing investigations, that he was spotted not far from where the incident took place, walking with bloodied clothes. A search for him ensued and he was ultimately arrested on 15 October 2022.

“Upon arrival at the police station, Shebi informed the police of his intention to confess. He was subsequently taken in for a confession to be obtained and later took the police to point out where he had thrown away the bloodied clothes he was wearing,” he said.

Mamothame added that the accused alleged he was in the company of another person, but the motive only became clear in the accused person’s confession, that he and another person intended to rob the deceased. He said Shebi alleged that he is not the one who stabbed the deceased, but it was the person whom he was with.

“The police have indicated that, evidence obtained at the scene, indicated that only one person was at the scene at the time of the commissioning of this offence. Investigations have been completed and the state is ready to proceed with trial.

“Meanwhile, Shebi will remain in police custody until the completion of his trial after his bail application was rejected. During the pre-trial conference, the state and the defence attorney confirmed that consultations were completed and all the necessary documents were provided by the state,” said Mamothame.

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ANCYL urges young people to go and vote 

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By OBAKENG MAJE 

The former ANCYL president, Collen Maine said he is adamant that young people across the North West will vote for the ANC during General National Elections (GNE) on 29 May 2024. Maine, who is also a candidate to be a Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) in the North West Provincial Legislature (NWPL), engaged with young people at Da Boggies Pub in Taung on 19 May 2024.  

He further said the ANCYL has organised this program as part of its social engagement. Maine added that they have decided to come to the Da Boggies Pub inquest of engaging with young people. 

“The ANCYL is aware that young people like socialising and this is the place to find them. Our presence here is to motivate them to take part in the upcoming elections and vote for the ANC. 

“As the ANC, we believe that we are the only organisation that can take South Africa forward. We admit that there are challenges, however, we must all agree that Taung and South Africa at large, is a better place to be as opposed to pre-1994,” he said.  

Maine said the government has introduced many programs that talk to youth development. He said they also encourage young people to take their education seriously as is paid by NSFAS.

Meanwhile, ANCYL spokesperson in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati region, Amogelang Maretela said: “We had a successful turnout. This was initiated by the ANCYL in Taung Sub-region. Part of this engagement was to recruit young people and encourage them to rally behind the banner of the ANCYL.

“The ANCYL is vibrant and can recruit young people anywhere at any time. ANC is a broader church and we want to make sure that there is high visibility of the ruling party ahead of the much-anticipated elections.” 

Maretela said they want to make sure that the ANC wins the elections with high margins. He said they would like to encourage young people who have registered and eligible to vote, to go out in numbers to the polls. 

“We would like to remind them that their vote is their voice. So, it is pivotal to go and exercise their rights. They can go and vote for any political party of their choice, but we would like to remind them that the ANC has created many opportunities, especially for young people. 

“Some of young people are being ignorant, hence the low margin of voter’s registration. They should go and vote to raise their voice,” he said. 

Maretela said they urge young people to form co-operatives and go to TVET colleges to learn essential skills. 

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A teacher at Sediba Thuto Primary School in Magogong under siege for ‘beating’ a learner

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Picture: A learner with a swollen finger/Facebook  

By OBAKENG MAJE 

The North West Department said they condemn the incident at Sediba Thuto Primary School in Magogong village, near Taung, where a Grade 7 learner was allegedly assaulted by a teacher. It is alleged that, a learner did not do his homework and the teacher resorted to corporal punishment, resulting in leaving a learner with a swollen finger. 

The North West Department of Education spokesperson, Mphata Molokwane said it is totally illegal and thus criminal to administer corporal punishment to a learner or any person. Molokwane further said South African Schools Act (SASA), has abolished corporal punishment in 1996. 

“The department has received this disturbing information on Friday. Labour Relations officers have visited the school to conduct a preliminary investigation. Following that, the teacher who practised corporal punishment on a Grade 7 learner, will face disciplinary action. 

“As department, we denounce these atrocities because we believe that no human being should be tortured in this manner,” he added.

The chairperson of the School Governing Body (SGB) at Sediba Thuto Primary School, Granny Kgachane said they are aware of the incident. Kgachane said they condemn the incident as corporal punishment has long been abolished. 

“After the incident, we had a meeting with the school management, where we raised our concerns. We advised that this matter be reported to the North West Department of Education at the District level,” she said.

Meanwhile, the COSAS national coordinator, Sello Matlhadisa said: “There is nothing above the law, including corporal punishment. So, any corporal punishment practice will not be tolerated. 

“This is something that is illegal and out of order. We agree that we are living in an era, where learners are becoming ill-disciplined. However, the disciplinary measures in schools should go hand-in-hand with academics.” 

Matlhadisa said for example, if a learner makes noise in the class, while the educator is teaching, let that learner come forward and present a topic in front of other learners. He said they know that some of these learners are afraid to come and present in front of other learners, so they will be afraid to make noise instead. 

“These are the things that should be implemented and assist learners to grow. We cannot resolve issues through violence. Most teachers leave their homes after quarreling with their husbands or wives, and going to school carrying the burden. 

“Now, they sometimes take out that anger on learners. Those teachers who are faced with any challenges, should go and see the nearest social workers to clear their minds,” he said.

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‘One step closer to affordable quality health care for all’

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Picture: RSA president, Cyril Ramaphosa

By Cyril Ramaphosa

Last week I signed the National Health Insurance Act into law, bringing our country one step closer towards universal health coverage. This is a milestone in our quest to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of good health and well-being for all.

For many years, we have had parallel healthcare systems operating in our country. The majority of the population, some 84%, uses public health facilities, while 16% are covered by medical schemes, enabling them to access private health care facilities. A small percentage of people use both.

This has perpetuated inequality, with the quality of health care one receives being determined by one’s ability to pay. This runs contrary to our aspiration to be a society that is just and equal.

While achieving social justice is a key objective of National Health Insurance (NHI), efficiency and better resource allocation are equally important. We have said that the real challenge in implementing NHI lies not in the lack of funds but in the misallocation of resources that currently favour the private health sector at the expense of public health needs.

There is a misconception that the private health care sector operates and is funded completely independently of the government.

Firstly, the training of doctors, nurses and other healthcare personnel that work in both the public and private sectors is subsidised by the state. Secondly, as an employer, the state pays billions of rands annually in subsidies for employees who are members of the various public sector medical aid schemes. Thirdly, taxpayers claim tax rebates for medical aid expenses amounting to approximately R37 billion. This is the money the state should earn in taxes which it foregoes to subsidise private health care.

We therefore have a situation where the state both directly and indirectly helps to fund a private health care sector that serves only a minority of society.

Access to private health care through medical aids is also costly for users. It is said that without the tax rebate private healthcare would not be affordable to the majority of users. Medical aid contributions are increasing faster than inflation. At the same time, benefits are being reduced. As the 2016 Healthcare Market Inquiry found, private healthcare services and medical scheme cover is frequently over-used without clear improvements in health outcomes.

The resources that are spent both by the state and private individuals can therefore be more efficiently used to build a single, unitary health care system that serves all.

Some people have claimed that the NHI will signal the end of private health care. To the contrary, the NHI aims to use the respective strengths and capabilities of both the private and public health sectors to build a single, quality health system for all.

South Africa’s private health sector has world-class expertise and is a major source of domestic and foreign investment. The public sector too has numerous centres of excellence and is staffed by well-trained, experienced personnel.

The NHI Fund will procure services from accredited public and private service providers for every person in need of health care.

The NHI will be a lifeline for millions of poor South Africans whose resources will be freed up for other essential needs. It will also alleviate the burden on those who are increasingly paying more in medical aid premiums for increasingly fewer services.

There may be different views on how NHI will be progressively implemented, the reality we must confront is that the current healthcare system is unsustainable.

Access to quality, decent healthcare should not depend on one’s ability to pay. The current situation does not serve the poor, does not serve the middle-class and does not serve the country.

With careful planning, effective oversight and monitoring, and the strategic allocation of resources we can achieve universal health coverage. Working together in partnership, as both the public and private sectors, we can make the dream of quality health care for all a reality.

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Ramaphosa mourns the death of Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi 

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Picture: Iranian President, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi

By OBAKENG MAJE 

The heartfelt condolence messages continue to pour in after the death of Iranian President, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and personnel. Raisi died when their helicopter crashed in East Azerbaijan, while the leaders were en route back to Iran on 19 May 2024.

The president of the Republic of South Africa (RSA), Cyril Ramaphosa said is deeply saddened by the air disaster that has claimed lives. Ramaphosa said on behalf of the government and people of South Africa, he offered his deep condolences to the Supreme Leader of Iran, The Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, and the government and people of the Islamic Republic.

“Our thoughts are with the families of the late President and Foreign Minister, as well as the relatives of the personnel and air crew who perished. I, as Deputy President, paid a working visit to Iran in November 2015. 

“This is an extraordinary, unthinkable tragedy that has claimed a remarkable leader of a nation with whom South Africa enjoys strong bilateral relations and whom we were honoured to welcome to the BRICS fold in Johannesburg in 2023,” he said.

Ramaphosa further said their hearts go out to the affected families and the administration of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He added that they are with Iran in this moment of mourning.

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More than 1128 suspects nabbed for various crimes during Operation Shanela 

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By OBAKENG MAJE 

More than 11000 suspects were arrested during Operation Shanela, which was conducted between 13 -19 May 2024. The police in North West said the operation yielded positive results after suspects were arrested for various crimes across the province.

The North West police spokesperson, Lieutenant Col Amanda Funani said suspects were amongst others, arrested for rape, murder, assault GBH, malicious damage to property, burglary residential and business premises. 

Funani said others were nabbed for possession of drugs, theft out of/from motor vehicle and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 

“Of the 1128 arrested suspects, 547 were wanted for contact crimes like murder, attempted murder, rape, assault with intent to do Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) assault common, house robbery and business robbery, while 363 were held during detective suspect raiding operations.   

“In addition, 73 suspected undocumented persons were taken in for processing. The arrests were effected during stop and searches, road blocks, patrols, vehicle check points, visiting and inspecting of licensed liquor premises, Second-hand goods dealers, tracing of wanted suspects and many others,” she said.  

Funani further said the operations also culminated in the confiscation of a variety of drugs, dangerous weapons, 26 cell phones, copper cables, 84 ammunition, three firearms, liquor and one vehicle. She added that during the operations, four illegal liquor outlets/shebeens were shut down.

Meanwhile, the North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, praised the police and other role players, who were involved in the operations. Kwena also thanked them for all the time that they dedicated in making sure that the province is protected and safe.

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