Picture: The embattled GTLM mayor, Tumisang Gaoraelwe
By OBAKENG MAJE
The Greater Taung Local Municipality (GTLM) has established an ad hoc committee to probe the embattled municipal mayor, Tumisang Gaoralwe’s conduct. This comes after Gaoraelwe’s involvement in accidents, while driving the luxury R700 000 BMW X3 belonging to the municipality.
Gaoraelwe was allegedly involved in an accident on 30 June 2024. He crashed the vehicle after allegedly being followed and shot at by unknown assailants.
However, there are allegations that Gaoraelwe crashed the municipal vehicle during the day while drunk and later on, staged the attempted hijacking as a cover-up.
Now, municipal speaker Grace Moipolai said they have established an ad hoc committee to probe Gaoraelwe’s vehicle accidents.
“In terms of the powers invested in me, I have decided to call for a special council meeting that will look into the vehicle accident involving the mayor. On 30 June 2024, Gaoraelwe was reportedly involved in an ugly accident, while driving the official vehicle.
“In any event, the accident is a personal and sensitive matter that has to be treated with care and respect as it involves the dignity and the inherent rights of those involved and need to be protected at all cost,” she said.
Moipolai further said, it is in the interest of the public, the municipal council to investigate the matter thoroughly and in the end furnish the public a clear report on what has transpired as Gaoralwe was using the state property. She added Gaoraelwe was involved in accidents twice using the municipal vehicle and this has precipitated the public interest.
“We have established an ad hoc committee in terms of Schedule 1, Code of Conduct for councillors, paragraph 14 of the Municipal Systems Act (MSA). The ad hoc committee will investigate the previous accidents that Gaoraelwe was involved in, as well as the recent incident that allegedly happened on 30 June 2024.
“It is in the interest of the public that such a move is undertaken and the community of the Greater Taung be favoured with a report of this investigation, including the MEC for COGTA and the Auditor General (AG),” said Moipolai.
The committee is expected to table a report before the council within 21 days.
Meanwhile, Gaoraelwe has written a letter to Moipolai questioning the legitimacy of the committee. He said the letter from Moipolai was purely and merely a formal requisition of the accident.
“In premise, motor vehicle accidents while using municipal/state vehicles are not recorded as a breach of code of conduct, which in essence rendered the investigation by the ad hoc committee baseless and unfounded,” he said.
A father (40) was sentenced to 25 years by the Upington Regional Court for raping his own daughter (15). On 1 January 2024, at approximately 3am, the victim was sitting with her friend outside their home when her father called her in and sent her friend away.
He started touching his daughter inappropriately and threatened her with a knife when she resisted, then raped her.
The ZF Mgcawu District police spokesperson, Sergeant Omphime Masegela said the accused also threatened to kill the victim, if she told anyone about the incident.
“The incident was reported to the police and the accused was subsequently arrested on 2 January 2024. He was found guilty of rape and was convicted in the Upington Regional Court.
“The management of the SAPS welcomed the conviction and commended the meticulous investigation by Sergeant Josef Van Wky attached to Upington Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit,” Masegela said.
She further said Detectives in the Northern Cape remain committed in ensuring justice is served for the victims of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBV&F) crimes.
Picture: The Sentimental Diamond in Sekhing village, Taung
By OBAKENG MAJE
The residents of Sekhing village, near Taung who are living at the doorstep of the Sentimental Diamond Mine, alleged that the mine is not benefiting them. This week, the residents embarked on a peaceful march and submitted their Memorandum of Demand (MoD) to the mine.
According to one of the community leaders, Lesedi Molane, the mine has junked them and also not adhering to social and labour plans, including not employing enough residents. The mine was further accused of encroaching on the grazing area without proper consultations.
“We call on the mine to prioritise locals when giving out business opportunities. We have had a good relationship with mine at first, but now the relationship is unpleasant. They do not give reports to the community at all, instead they allege that they only report to the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR).
“The mine must listen to us as land occupiers and beneficiaries. We want a Committee of Representatives to be on site with them. Their threats of taking us to court are noted and will be taken forward,” he said.
Molane added that the Sentimental Diamond Mine is not transparent and honest. He alleged that the company has employed more than 10 people from outside and only two unskilled locals as security guards.
“They alleged that they are still prospecting but it has been long. We need to sit down with them or we are going to shut down the mine. We want a proper company that will work well with our community without any hindrances.
“It came to our knowledge that the Director is a lawyer by profession, but we are not going to be threatened or intimidated by him. We need a clear relationship and transparency. The minerals in our land must benefit us in terms of development and boosting our economy,” said Molane.
He alleged that the Sentimental Diamond Mine promised to create job opportunities, but nothing is coming forth. Molane alleged that the company that was prospecting in the same area, left without any rehabilitation.
“We really have no problem working with them, only if they put the interest of the community at heart. We also call on the government in terms of Section 152 (1)(a) to conduct an investigation on this matter,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Director at Sentimental Diamond Mine, Rebaone Matsietsa, who accepted the memorandum said, they will respond within stipulated time.
Picture: The car collided with a freight truck on N12 road, near Klerksdorp/Supplied
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
One person has died and another injured in a car accident on N12 road, near Klerksdorp. This comes after a freight truck rolled over on the N12, outside Klerksdorp towards Wolmaranstad in the early hours of today (3 August 2024).
The North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng said according to the preliminary report, the truck collided with a vehicle coming the opposite direction when it allegedly turned in front of the truck causing the collision. Morweng said the national roads need special attention as lately, there are reports of lawlessness, but also motorists not adhering to traffic laws.
“We plead with motorists, especially those travelling at night to be cautious and adhere to road rules. We need our motorists to be vigilant at all times and more particularly those travelling at night.
“Should we observe road rules, at some point, we will have an incident free weekend and that will immensely contribute to reducing the number of crashes and deaths on our roads,” he said.
Morweng further conveyed a message of condolences to the family of the deceased and wished speedy recovery to those who survived with injuries. He added that they appreciate the Road Incident Management System (RIMS) members on the N12 for their quick response on the scene.
The Kimberley SAPS Serious and Violent Crime unit said is probing a murder and attempted murder case. This comes after fatal shooting of a man (28) in Newpark, Kimberley. The preliminary investigations indicate that on Wednesday evening, 31 July 2024 at around 9pm, the deceased was fatally shot in his white Toyota Hilux bakkie.
The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Lieutenant Col Sergio Kock said the victim and his spouse (27), were at the gate entering into their townhouse complex when an unknown man allegedly approached and fired several shots into the vehicle.
Kock said the unknown suspect fatally wounded the deceased. He said the police have not affected any arrests as yet.
“All relevant role players and specialised SAPS units are working together on a 24 hour basis to apprehend the perpetrator/s.
“All information can be forwarded to the investigating officer, Detective Warrant Officer Thabang Kamolane on 082 302 0407 or during office hours on 053 838 4344. All information will be treated confidentially and the police investigation continues,” said Kock.
A man (50) was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the Calvinia Regional Court for damaging of essential infrastructure. On 19 February 2024, an incident was reported to the police in Brandvlei regarding the burning of copper cables.
The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Sergeant Molefi Shemane said upon further investigation, the acused, James Klein was found in possession of copper cable that he was burning.
“He was subsequently arrested and it was established that the cables were the property of Telkom. Detective Sergeant Lwazi Ngindana was assigned to investigate the case and he successfully managed to oppose bail.
“Klein was remained in custody until his sentencing. On 29 July 2024, the Calvinia Regional Court convicted and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment for the damaging of essential infrastructure of which 4 years was suspended for 5 years,” said Shemane.
He further said the accused was also declared unfit to possess a firearm. Shemane added that Detective Sergeant Ngindana was commended for the meticulous investigation that led to the sentencing of the perpetrator.
“The safeguarding and securing of essential infrastructure remains a priority for the police in the Northern Cape, thus the sentencing of Klein was embraced by the management,” said Shemane.
Picture: The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi/Facebook
By OBAKENG MAJE
The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi said the media plays a significant role in keeping the communities abreast of key government programmes that are primarily aimed at changing the lives of the people for the better. Mokgosi, who held a Provincial Media Day at Protea Hotel in Mahikeng on 2 August 2024 said, they have invited the media as part of their ongoing efforts to cement the relations with members of the media.
He further said as Members of Executive Council (MECs) in the North West, they met with the media after he delivered a speech on the official opening of the North West Provincial Legislature (NWPL), to highlight and put emphasis on the priorities of the 7th administration. Mokgosi added that they affirm and fully support the independence of the media to hold the government accountable as enshrined in the constitution.
“This Media Day that we are launching today will be held annually after the Premier’s State of the Province Address (SOPA) to communicate developmental initiatives of this administration, as well as interventions on various socio-economic challenges such as unemployment, poverty and income inequalities afflicting our communities.
“We will also hold quarterly media sessions with yourselves to report progress registered in attending to a number of challenges, remedial action plans and achievements.
We are not ignorant to challenges confronting our province and we are hard at work to speedily resolve them,” he said.
Mokgosi said in the past two weeks, Members of the Executive Council (MECs), have been tabling their Budget Votes and Policy Speeches that are aligned to their Annual Performance Plans (APPs) to ensure that they create economic opportunities for their people, whilst attending to their concerns on service delivery. He said the period from now until 31 March 2025, the 7thadministration will be completing the work of the 6th administration to ensure a seamless transition between the two administrations.
“The full account and report back of the 2024 SOPA will therefore be in February 2025, which will also include a full resourced Programme of Action of the 7th administration. The provincial government has subsequently developed a Programme of Action for the 2024 SOPA for implementation.
“Today, we have invited you to highlight what the priority areas of the 7thadministration are. We have appointed the Economic & Investment Advisory Council, consisting of Members of the Executive Council (MECs), Economists, Industry Experts, Organised Agriculture, Labour, Tourism Sector, Mining and Independent Experts,” said Mokgosi.
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Joy Maimela said she has noted with great sadness the loss of five young lives in a horrific crash between a bus and a train earlier this week in Mpumalanga. Maimela said it is indeed a great loss.
“We note more and more accidents on our roads that take the lives of innocent young learners. The youth are the future of our country. These learners will now never reach their full potential to contribute to the growth of South Africa.
“According to reports, the five learners died when a bus they were traveling in and a train collided on the R104 Road, near Mafube village between Wonderfontein and Arnot on Wednesday. A further 11 learners were reported to be injured in the crash,” she said.
Maimela further said this is indeed a great loss. She added that they mourn with the parents, families, school community and all those affected by this accident and they wish the injured a speedy and complete recovery.
“We appeal to the providers of scholar transport and public transport owners to screen drivers before hiring them to ensure they are fit to be trusted with transporting passengers,” said Maimela.
Picture: The situation at the Brits Forensic Pathology Services/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) in the North West has called on the North West Department of Health to immediately shut down the Brits Forensic Pathology Services. This comes after the union painted a grim picture regarding the status quo of the mortuary.
NEHAWU regional secretary in Bojanala District, Shadrack Ramaru said the union is revolted by the terrible state of Brits Forensic Pathology under the North West Department of Health, where workers are subjected to intolerable harmful working conditions.
Picture: Situation at Brits Forensic Pathology Service/Supplied
Ramaru alleged that they have always raised concerns about non-compliance to Occupational Health and Safety Act in several institutions of the Department of Health and there seems to be no willingness from the side of the department to address these challenges.
He further said workers are without proper Personal Protective Equipment(PPE) and office space for forensic staff. Ramaru added that workers allegedly utilize their cars as offices in this cold winter season.
“The sub-district management failed dismally to protect workers and their main focus is exerting pressure on workers to report for duty knowing fully well the state of OHS in the mortuary.
“The fact that the Department of Labour issued notices in December 2022, for the department to effect improvements, however, to date there are no improvements nor a sign that the department will act,” he said.
He said what the department has done to their members, was a total disregard to legislative prescripts that govern public service. Ramaru alleged that what is happening at the mortuary is mutilation of Basic Conditions of Employment and Occupational Health and Safety Act.
“The dilapidated state of the mortuary, damaged refrigerators, non-functional toilets and failure to provide water has contributed to workers not coping at all with their daily duties. It is therefore, a serious misconduct from the side of the department to have failed to ensure proper basic conditions of employment.
“As the NEHAWU, we call for the immediate closure of Brits Forensic Pathology services due to non-compliance with OHSA and BCSA and all workers employed under the workplace, must be taken for medical check-up on the departmental costs,” he said.
Meanwhile, the North West Department of Health spokesperson, Lucas Mothibedi said: “The department has a very strong Occupational Health and Safety culture that was strengthened during COVID-19. There are functional Occupational Health and Safety committees that are functional at all levels of the service platform.
“The department can also confirm that all labour unions are part of these structures, which have registered much progress. Indeed, the department is aware of the situation at the Brits Forensic Pathology. It is not true that workers are without proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and office space for forensic staff.”
Mothibedi said there is adequate PPE with a buffer stock in the storage area in Orkney College. He said the department acknowledges the fact that space is not adequate to accommodate every staff in their individual offices, but all staff do get accommodated.
“This mortuary was donated by a mining house and the department will be refurbishing the infrastructure once the Phokeng Mortuary project is completed. It is also not true that workers utilize their cars as offices in this cold winter season. There is a well-furnished office space that is used by staff.
“The allegations that the sub-district management failed dismally to protect workers and their main focus is exerting pressure on workers to report for duty knowing fully well the state of OHS in the mortuary are unfounded,” said Mothibedi.
He said indeed the Department of Labour has issued a notice, but that was issued mainly dealing with infrastructure gaps that required huge financial investment. Mothibedi said the department prioritised the total refurbishment of Phokeng Mortuary, which was in an extremely bad condition to a point of closure by the then MEC.
“It is the intention of the department to refurbish all the mortuaries, with Brits being earmarked as the next in line following Phokeng. An alarm was raised through NEHAWU about the alleged state of disrepair within the mortuary and calling for closure of the facility and the provincial management responded immediately.
“There were challenges that were identified and action was taken to resolve them. Only one fridge was reported to have stopped working for a day on the 24 July 2024, and the supplier was activated and got it fixed the next day,” he said.
Mothibedi said due to challenges of water interruptions in the area sometimes and the water pump that was malfunctioning, water could not be pumped from the water storage in a pressurised manner, which affected even the cleanliness of the facility. He said, however, a new water pump was installed on 26 July 2024, to increase the water pressure.
“There are 11 toilets of which three were found to be malfunctioning and the district maintenance team is attending to them. There is a process that is followed for any facility to be closed, which can come in the form of the Department of Labour, Environmental Health Office and Member of Executive Council,” said Mothibedi.
He said in this case, the department believes that much work has been executed and will continue to work on these things in a phased-in approach due to budgetary constraints. Mothibedi said it is the responsibility of the department to subject the employees to medical surveillance through OHS and it will be implemented as per OHS Director recommendations.
Picture: One of the accused arrested by the Hawks for dealing in drugs, possession of drugs and facing 250 counts of money laundering amounting to R4.6 million/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
Two persons who were arrested for dealing in drugs, possession of drugs and facing 250 counts of money laundering amounting to R4.6 million, briefly appeared in the Mogwase Magistrate’s Court on 2 August 2024. John Siphiwe Mahlangu (44) and Emily Dube (39), were arrested in Ledig, near Rustenburg on 1 August 2024, following intensive investigations on drugs and drug trafficking activities around Ledig and Sun City.
The Hawks spokesperson in North West, Lieutenant Colonel Tinyiko Mathebula said Mahlangu was charged on five cases of drugs and drug trafficking. Mathebula said this comes after intelligence-driven operations.
“He also faces money laundering charges in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998. Dube was only charged with money laundering after investigation revealed that large amounts of money were transferred from Mahlangu’s bank account into her bank account between 2019 and 2020.
“The accused made a brief court appearance and were remanded in custody until 13 August 2024, for formal bail application,” he added.
Meanwhile, the North West Hawks Head, Major General Patrick Mbotho and the Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Dr Rachel Makhari, have welcomed the arrest and commended the investigation team for working tirelessly to ensure that the accused are brought to book.
The Guardian 