Picture: The missing person, Elliot Jiyane found unharmed
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
A man (54) who was reported missing, was found unharmed. Elliott Jiyane was found at Soshanguve Bock L on 15 June 2024 and reunited with his family in Mamelodi, near Pretoria.
The North West police spokesperson, Lieutenant Col Amanda Funani said Jiyane went missing from Boikhuco Old Age Home in Letlhabile, outside Brits. Funani said Jiyane is originally from Jubilee Township, near Pretoria, and is mentally challenged.
“He was last seen on 12 June 2024, at around 11:44. A search was conducted in and around Letlhabile without any success. It is suspected that he might have been around the vicinity of Rietgat.
“During his disappearance, Jiyane was wearing a light brown jacket, a black and white T-shirt, and one white shoe. He is average in height with a skinny body and light skin in complexion. He has a bald head,” she said.
The ANCYL in the North West said the newly-appointed North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi is a ‘new breath of fresh air’ as he brings forth an all rounded experience accumulated over many years of serving as a Director of the North West Department of Public Works and Roads, as well as serving as the North West MEC for Social Development.
The ANCYL provincial secretary, Tshiamo Tsotetsi said Mokgosi went through comprehensive ANC internal processes aimed at testing his readiness to assume the position of North West Premier in which he performed and passed with flying colours.
Tsotetsi further said over and above the ANC internal processes, which include being selected by the ANC extended PEC together with two others capable comrades and being interviewed by Luthuli House, Mokgosi is the most senior ANC official after the provincial chairperson, who had already indicated his interest to focus all his energy on the project of rebuilding the organisation.
“Mokgosi has equally served South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU), advancing the rights of the workers as well as the general socio-economic interests of the working class and the poor being the most oppressed class. So, we wish to state without any shadow of doubt that the ANC has accordingly forwarded the best amongst its ranks to lead the process of social transformation, as well as the provision of quality service delivery to the people of the province.
“As we enter into the phase of appointing a team that will work with the Premier to drive service delivery known as EXCO or the MECs, we wish to encourage the ANC to continue being driven sobriety and a desire to give the people of the North West nothing, but the best, capable and most capacitated crop amongst its MPLs,” he said.
Tsotetsi added that the province does not need the best amongst ANC factions and the best amongst ‘friends of the leadership’. He said they need capable men and women to be assigned the tasks of leading the EXCO of the province.
“We plead with the ANC not to appoint comrades who have not served our people well in the past, who are scandalous and whose hands are not entirely clean. Committing such a mistake will invite some credibility crises to the leadership of the ANC, while also reversing the good impact which the North West government had made since the inception of acting North West Premier, Nono Maloyi.
“More over giving our people anything less than the best, will amount to an insult to the people of this province. On 28 June 2024, the ANCYL will be marching to deliver a document, which entails the demands of the youth of the province,” said Tsotetsi.
He said as they partook in the door-to-door and sectoral engagement, the organisation met and engaged young people from various walks of life which includes the scholars, drop outs, drug and alcohol addicts, youth in sports, young professionals, youth in agriculture, youth in entertainment and many other young people.
He said a common denominator amongst their demands is that the government must ensure that it creates the necessary opportunities and platforms for them to explore those talents and capabilities.
“The youth of our province is becoming frustrated and depressed. They are left with no choice but to find entertainment in using drugs and alcohol, the traits which rapidly destroy their future, as well as the future of our province.
“We demand that the 7th administration bring along a renewed hope for the youth of the province. We demand that factories must be opened in order for the youth of this province to get sustainable employment. We demand that the mines in the platinum belt stop retrenching our people,” said Tsotetsi.
He said they also demand that the agricultural cooperative be supported by the government sponsored market in order for them to sell their produce. Tsotetsi said they demand that every community have a decent sporting facility and unemployment teachers be hired.
“We demand that unemployed graduates be absorbed by both the private and public sector. We demand land and support for young farmers, and a public amply theatre in Mahikeng as part of supporting the arts and artists.
“We demand better wages for young journalists and media personnel. We demand a decent working environment for the young working in the private sector and demand that the government wages a fight against gangsterism,” he said.
Picture: The newly-appointed North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi
By OBAKENG MAJE
The newly-appointed North West Premier, Lazarus “The Black Cat” Mokgosi said all those who occupy government offices as public servants are duty bound to devote themselves to the preamble of the constitution, which commits all of them to “heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights.”
Mokgosi, who was delivering his maiden speech at the North West Provincial Legislature (NWPL), after been sworn-in said, this commitment was given impetus by their struggle heroes and heroines who in 1955 at the adoption of the Freedom Charter in Kliptown, declared that: “South Africa belongs to all who live in it”.
He further said through their visionary leadership, they have taught the world the language of unity, reconciliation, compassion, and the ability to put the interests of South Africans first.
“I wish to extend my thanks to the outgoing North West Premier, Bushy Maape for his leadership in the concluding years of the 6thadministration. Maape has led us with a firm but kind hand, promoted consensus and collaboration. My gratitude also goes to the acting North West Premier, Nono Maloyi who held the fort, while Maape was on sick leave,” he said.
Mokgosi added that they bequeath to them a provincial administration no longer encumbered by the limitations of Section 100 intervention. He said the 7th administration inherits a well-oiled machine that has delivered Accelerated Service Delivery Programme through Thuntsa Lerole.
“To Maape, the lessons of your leadership shall be the guide we rely on to navigate the next five years and hope you will still be available to provide counsel and sanction when required. We pray that God gives you healing and preserve you for us, we need you more now than ever before.
“We congratulate all political parties who have earned the trust of the people of the North West to represent their views in the legislature, both returning and the new members. We extend a hand of friendship and collaboration to all irrespective of the size or influence of your party. The nature and form of our representation are determined by the people, they know better, let us represent their voices and work together,” said Mokgosi.
He said the next five years offers them an opportunity to build on the foundations of the 6th administration. Mokgosi said the policies, plans, and resources to scale up service delivery are available, and few require any changes.
“No time will be wasted with new plans, where none is required. The North West has the largest youth unemployment in the country. Youth jobs will be the focus of the seventh administration. The first item of the 7thadministration will be the roll-out of the Labour Activation Programme coordinated by the Office of the Premier in partnership with the Department of Labour and Employment, business, employer organisations and other social partners.
“We will break all remaining barriers to open the public service for employment opportunities for young people, in particular graduates. Gate keeping, bias and nepotism in departments will not be tolerated. We will transform our public service into a delivery machine that reflects the demography of our province and the spread of its skills and talent,” he said.
Mokgosi said they will modernize the governance to utilize the benefits of technology to expand access and the reach of services they deliver to the people. He said the North West is one of the rural provinces with existing digital inequalities that have held back the people and prevented entrepreneurship from flourishing.
“The 6th administration concluded the process for the review of the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy (PGDS), which is a product of extensive consultation with all critical stakeholders in the province.
“The focus now is to develop an implementation plan with contributions from all provincial departments, municipalities, private sector, and labour. A Provincial Economic, Investment and Jobs Summit shall be held later this year to craft a clear economic plan for the North West. This follows the two investment initiatives we held last year on the sidelines of the BRICS+ Summit in Sandton and Dinner with Investors at Sun City,” said Mokgosi.
He said they want municipalities to work and to deliver uninterrupted services to the people. Mokgosi said the time for excuses is over and they will share with the public interventions in the local government sector after due consultation with legislated institutions and forums in the coming weeks.
“All provincial state-owned entities should just through their existence deliver on the developmental mandate of the province. We will not waste public resources on entities failing to meet conditions as set out in their respective shareholder legislative compacts.
“We commit to cooperate and respect the authority of the portfolio committees to hold the executive to account. The relationship between the Executive and Legislature is not easy, tension is normal and will happen,” he said.
Picture: Member of Parliament (MP) and the Deputy President of the United Democratic Movement (UDM), Nqabayomzi Kwankwa/Google
By BAKANG MOKO
Parliament is deeply shocked and concerned by the kidnapping of a Member of Parliament (MP) and the Deputy President of the United Democratic Movement (UDM), Nqabayomzi Kwankwa. The Parliament spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo said they are relieved at his subsequent rescue and release following this traumatic ordeal.
Mothapo said it has been reported that Kwankwa was on his way to Cape Town International Airport at the time of the attack. He further said this ‘act of criminality’ is deeply troubling and Parliament calls on law enforcement agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into this attack and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
“We extend our full support to Kwankwa and our thoughts are with him as he comes to terms with the trauma of this incident,” added Mothapo.
Arson case against seven accused persons from Manthe village, near Taung, is expected to resume today at the Taung Regional Court, where some of accused persons are expected to take the stand. The former soccer star, Odiseng “Teenage” Komane (42), Obakeng “Prosto” Mogabale (47) Mothusi Motimeng, Pretty “Zero” Masibelele (37), Ali Sakiele (51), Ontiretse Patrick Gosenyegang (39) and the former Mega Stars FC goalie, Katlego “Makgasa” Tikane (33), were arrested and charged for arson.
The seven accused were arrested by the police in July 2022 during an intelligence-driven operation. In May 2022, the community members embarked on a violent protest, torched three houses and looted the Disoufeng tavern belonging to Katong’s family.
They accused the alleged drug lord and rapist, Bakang Katong (33) of killing the late Thabiso Mothibedi (35).
The North West police spokesperson, Brig Sabata Mokgwabone said: “We can confirm that the police have arrested seven suspects for arson and they were granted R500 bail each.”
Meanwhile, Bakang, and his brother, Phenyo “The Great” Katong (35), Thabang Lenyai (24) and Katlego “Makita” Mosimege (32), were arrested for Mothibedi’s murder.
The police preliminary investigation revealed that, on 29 April 2022, Mothibedi was at Lenganeng village near Taung. Katong and his cronies allegedly fetched and transported him back to Manthe village after accusing him of stealing R20 000 and cigarettes worth R600.
South Africa’s leading online sports and gaming brand, Betway is proud to announce the grand return of the Betway 12th Man programme. Officially launched on 18 June in Johannesburg at a glittering event attended by some of South Africa’s most prominent sporting greats, the second season of Betway’s unique offering to retired athletes makes an exciting return, following the phenomenally successful inaugural edition in 2019.
Season two of the Betway 12th Man will see the globally acclaimed sport and online gaming brand embarking on a life-changing four-month journey with 12 retired athletes from across South Africa, representing a wide spectrum of sporting codes such as football, rugby, netball, boxing, mixed martial arts, and canoeing.
This introduction of various sporting codes forms part of several exciting additions by Betway in their refined offering to the programme. To encourage information exchange from retired athletes from diverse backgrounds, while also exposing the participants to exciting ventures that exist outside of their respective sporting disciplines.
In addition to widening the pool of participants, the programme’s re-packaged contents will have a strong focus on Business Development, with the sole purpose of guiding the participants with practical steps of breaking into the ever-evolving industry of Sport Management, Business, Sponsorship, Media, Sales and Marketing amongst other key subjects.
The Betway 12th Man participants also have an opportunity to enter a competition where they stand to win capital funding for their specific business ideas. The participants will be paired up with mentors over a four-month period, who will guide them along the journey leading up to the business presentation in the final month of the programme. The process leading up to the final presentation will be to provide the participants with the necessary skills to polish their pitch. They will present their business ideas to a panel of judges who will then assess the participant’s business case.
The programme will launch in June and run through September, featuring monthly in-person workshops in Johannesburg led by well-known internationally acclaimed speakers and facilitators. A select group of retired South African sports legends will also be invited to share insights into their different experiences of transitioning into retirement.
Sharing his enthusiasm about the second season of the programme, Betway South Africa Head of Marketing, Mark Rowles said the brand was looking forward to rolling out what promises to be yet another impactful season of the Betway 12th Man campaign.
“The Betway 12th Man is one of the many programmes dear to the Betway brand. As a brand that has proudly positioned itself as caring and empathetic to the communities that we operate in, the return of such an impactful initiative underscores Betway’s commitment to giving back and playing an active role in contributing to the sport, both on and off the field.
“We have invested a significant amount of time and resources into putting together a programme that is credible, impactful and life-changing as a token of appreciation to these sporting icons, who have sacrificed so much in exchange for our entertainment over the years. We look forward to a successful and memorable Betway 12th Man season,” said Rowles.
Echoing Rowles’ sentiments was Betway brand ambassador, Lucas Radebe who was amongst the invited Betway ambassadors that included Simphiwe Dludlu, Jean de Villiers and Siphiwe Tshabalala.
“It is an absolute honour to be part of a brand that establishes such care for retired athletes. Many athletes are in desperate need of such guidance and assistance. It is encouraging to have forward-thinking brands such as Betway, spearheading life-changing initiatives which I believe will go a long way in helping retired athletes re-invent themselves in society,” said Radebe.
The first workshop officially gets underway on Wednesday, 19 June with Personal Mastery being the theme that headlines a number of key topics over the two-day workshop.
Picture: The ABC Motsepe League players during the game/Google
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
The 2024 edition of the ABC Motsepe National Playoffs kicked off at the Mxolisi Dicky Jacobs Stadium in Upington on Tuesday. Group B and C went top of their groups by beating their opponents by one goal each, leaving the tournament wide open.
Group A offered a scintillating ending to the match which ended in a draw. The National Playoffs will play until 23 June 2024, where the two finalists will gain promotion to the Motsepe Championship League for the 2024/5 season.
Kruger United from Mpumalanga started the week off with a bang, beating the hosts 1-0 in the first match of the day. Highbury FC from the Eastern Cape also walked away with three points after a hard fought 1-0 victory over Free State’s Mangaung United.
The match of the day saw Mpheni Defenders from Limpopo dropping a 2-0 lead against Njampela FC of KwaZulu Natal in the dying minutes of the match. The match eventually ended in a 2 all draw.
Day Two of the tournament will see the following matches take place:
Highbury FC will host Thames FC in the first match of the day at 9am, while Mpheni Defenders will be looking for three points when they face FN Rangers from the Western Cape in the 12pm encounter.
Day 2 will conclude with a 3pm encounter between Kruger United and Dondol Stars from Gauteng.
The Guardian 