Daily Archives: September 4, 2024

The acting North West Premier, Oageng Molapisi hand over two RDP houses  

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Picture: The North West MEC of Corporate Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Oageng Molapisi handing over a house to one of the beneficiaries/Supplied

By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

4 September 2024- The North West MEC of Corporate Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Oageng Molapisi handed over two houses to the Matsane and Tau families in Middleton-B, near Atamelang. According to Molapisi, this was part of the North West Provincial Government’s Women’s Month commemoration ceremony.  

He further said the initiative was aimed at recognising and honouring women on 30 August 2024. Molapisi added that they will continue giving the people houses just as the department is mandated to do.

“We urge the beneficiaries to take care of their houses as it is a lifetime opportunity and a lasting legacy to have a dignified shelter. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that the women are prioritized and their dignity is restored as it is stipulated in the Bill of Rights.

“All human beings must have shelter and live in decent houses. Handing over the house keys to one of the beneficiaries, Dikeledi Matsane (44), who is a Gender-Based Violence (GBV) survivor, is what the department is doing to restore the dignity of the people, especially women,” he said.

Molapisi said he is proud to say Matsane and her children have a place to call home. He also said counselling will be arranged for Matsane in order to change her life and that of her children for the better.

The overwhelmed Matsane could not hold back her tears when receiving the keys. 

“I would like to thank the department for building a house for me and my children. This feels like a dream and I am grateful,” she said.

Another recipient was Margaret Tau (37), who received a house on behalf of her late grandmother, Martha Tau. She said her family comes from Bornou Farms next to Delareyville and later moved to Middleton B.

“I am unemployed and only survive through child support grant money I receive on behalf of my three children. Even though my grandmother is no longer with them, she is resting in peace knowing that she has left a legacy for her family as we now have a roof over our heads,” said Tau.

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More than 800 suspects nabbed during Operation Shanela

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Picture: Some of copper cables confiscated by police during raids/Generic

By REGINALD KANYANE

4 September 2024 – More than 800 suspects were arrested for various offences during Operation Shanela. The suspects were arrested by the police in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies and role players.

The North West police spokesperson, Colonel Adele Myburgh said a total of 5454 actions were executed between 28 August and 1 September 2024. Mynurgh said that led to the arrests of 851 suspects for various offences.

“The 5454 actions included amongst others, 11 roadblocks, searching of 167 premises, 2831 persons, 1271 vehicles, closing of seven unlicensed liquor premises and inspection of 92 others.

“Furthermore, 35 Second-hand-dealers were inspected as well as 74 formal and 26 informal businesses involved in hospitality and retail (to ensure Labour Law compliance),” she said. 

Myburgh further said numerous patrols and stop and search actions were also conducted. She added that the suspects were among others, arrested for crimes such as 9 for aggravating robbery, 9 for murder, 8 for rape, 136 for assault with intent to do Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH), 72 for common assault, four for house and business robberies.

“This includes 35 for malicious damage to property, 25 for burglary at residential and business premises, 50 for possession of drugs, 11 for illegal possession of firearms and nine for illicit mining,” said Myburgh.

She said 15 suspects were arrested for dealing in drugs, 15 for illegal dealing in liquor, seven for theft out of/from motor vehicles and 16 for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Myburgh said moreover, 87 suspected undocumented persons were taken in for processing by Immigration Officials. 

“Of the 851 suspects, 369 were apprehended during detectives’ suspect raiding operations. During the operations, a variety of drugs, eight cell phones, 10kg of copper and nine firearms were confiscated.

“This includes 83 rounds of ammunition, 25 litres of fuel, liquor, tobacco products, five vehicles and other items were confiscated,” she said.

Meanwhile, the North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, thanked all role players for their continuous hard work and collaboration to ensure safer communities.

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Bloemhof man who allegedly killed three family members over insurance claims remanded in custody 

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Picture: The triple murder accused, Daniel Mokwai 

By OBAKENG MAJE

4 September 2024– A triple murder case against man (62), who is accused of killing his three family members over insurance claims, has been postponed by the Bloemhof Magistrate’s Court until 11 September 2024. 

David Mokwai was arrested for allegedly poisoning his three family members over the years in order for him to make insurance claims. 

Initially, three family members, who died over a period of three years, were buried and considered to have died due to natural causes.

The North West police spokesperson, Colonel Adele Myburgh said in all three cases, Mokwai successfully claimed from his insurance policies. Myburgh said, however, family members reported him to the police after becoming suspicious that he murdered their relatives by allegedly buying all three of them pies.

“They would then get sick after eating the pie and eventually die. The bodies of all three deceased were exhumed and pathology reports confirmed that they were poisoned, leading to the murder investigations.

“In the first incident reported on 5 December 2020, a boy (16), died at midday between Phuduhudu and Gopane, near Bloemhof. The boy was the relative of Mokwai’s wife,” she said.

Myburgh further said the second deceased (17), who was also the relative of the wife of the accused, died on Wednesday night,1 December 2021, in Boitumelong Township, outside Bloemhof. She added that the last victim, Mothibi Alpheos Mokwai (31), was the accused’ son.

“He died on Sunday afternoon, 9 October 2022, at his house in Mathyse Street in Bloemhof. Through prosecution led investigations, police identified Mokwai as a suspect and obtained a warrant of arrest that was effected on 26 August 2024,” said Myburgh.

The North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, said it is unacceptable that young children were murdered by someone they trusted. Kwena reiterated that the police will continue to work hard to remove criminals such as this one from society.

“We call upon insurance companies and members of the public to report cases, where they suspect foul play or criminal activity when they process insurance claims,” he said.

Meanwhile, the family spokesperson of the deceased persons, Moses Moses Tsikane said: “As family, we welcome the postponement. Remember, we want this trial to be fair. So, in order for that to happen, everyone involved needs the necessary time to prepare for this case. 

“So, we welcome the decision of keeping him incarcerated because that will give us the space that we need as family, also to prepare ourselves emotionally and psychologically.”

Tsikane said they are confident that at the end, justice will prevail. He said based on how long the case took to be unravelled and the tireless efforts put in by the police, he is adamant that this case will receive the attention it deserves.

“South Africa is one of the countries with the best law practices, so we are confident. We have seen how the police dealt with previous cases of a similar nature across the country, including North West,” he said. 

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Tanzanian spray toad extinction highlights the need to protect biodiversity

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Picture: Tanzanian spray toad extinction highlights the need to protect biodiversity/Supplied 

By PHENYO MOKGOTHU

4 September 2024- When a species becomes extinct in the wild, the loss is permanent. For Africa, a serious loss is the extinction of the Tanzanian Kihansi spray toad (Nectophrynoides asperginis) due to habitat change and infectious disease.

This should serve as a wakeup call for policy makers to prioritise and implement conservation measures for endangered species. Found only in the Udzungwa Mountains, the species experienced a population decline after the construction of the Lower Kihansi Hydropower project and an outbreak of a fungal disease.

This is according to a study co-authored by Prof Ché Weldon of the North West University’s (NWU’s) subject group Zoology.

Weldon said the hydropower project reduced water flow in the toads’ habitat tenfold, and by March 2001, the population had dropped to fewer than 2000 toads. He further said although restoration efforts increased the population to nearly 18 000 by June 2003, this recovery did not last.

“The final blow was an outbreak of chytridiomycosis, caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. This infection affects the outermost layers of amphibians’ skin, impairing their ability to breathe or thermoregulate correctly.

“This led to the toad population’s rapid decline. By 2009, the Kihansi spray toad was declared extinct in the wild. The NWU study used spatiotemporal surveillance and mitogenome assembly of the fungus from archived toad specimens,” said Weldon.

He added that it showed that the outbreak was caused by the BdCAPE lineage of the fungus which, according to molecular dating, appeared in Southern Africa around the time of the extinction of the spray toads.

“Further surveillance of other amphibian species in the Udzungwa Mountains, showed BdCAPE infection without noticeable health impacts, suggesting that these species can tolerate the fungus under stable conditions.

“However, the spray toad’s vulnerability increased due to habitat change. The findings show that despite habitat restoration efforts, the BdCAPE fungus led to the Kihansi spray toad’s extinction,” said Weldon.

He said this is the first documented instance in Africa of a host species being driven to extinction by this specific pathogen. Weldon said the study highlighted the use of molecular techniques, such as shotgun sequencing, to analyse archived specimens and understand disease outbreaks and their impacts.

“It calls for comprehensive efforts to assess the risks posed by habitat modification, climate change and emerging diseases on vulnerable species.

“The extinction of the Kihansi spray toad shows the need for integrated conservation strategies that consider environmental changes and disease dynamics,” he said.

Weldon said policymakers must recognise the threats posed by habitat alteration and emerging infectious diseases to prioritise and implement conservation actions for endangered species.

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(Edited by Obakeng Maje)

A man who is accused of killing three family members over insurance claims back in court

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Picture: A man who is accused of killing three family members for insurance claims, Daniel Mokwai/Supplied

By OBAKENG MAJE

4 September 2024– A man (62) who was arrested for allegedly killing his three family members by poisoning them, will briefly appear before Bloemhof Magistrate’s Court today. Initially, three family members, who died over a period of three years, were buried and considered to have died due to natural causes.

The North West police spokesperson, Colonel Adele Myburgh said in all three cases, Daniel Mokwai successfully claimed from his insurance policies. Myburgh said, however, family members reported him to the police after becoming suspicious that he murdered their relatives by allegedly buying all three of them pies.

“They would then get sick after eating the pie and eventually die. The bodies of all three deceased were exhumed and pathology reports confirmed that they were poisoned, leading to the murder investigations.

“In the first incident, reported on 5 December 2020, a boy (16), died at midday between Phuduhudu and Gopane, near Bloemhof. The boy was the relative of Mokwai’s wife,” she said.

Myburgh further said the second deceased (17), who was also the relative of the wife of the accused, died on Wednesday night,1 December 2021, in Boitumelong Township, outside of Bloemhof. She added that the last victim, Mothibi Alpheos Mokwai (31), was the accused’ son.

“He died on Sunday afternoon, 9 October 2022, at his house in Mathyse Street in Bloemhof. Mokwai was remanded in custody until his second court appearance on 4 September 2024, for legal representation. Through prosecution led investigations, police identified Mokwai as a suspect and obtained a warrant of arrest that was effected on 26 August 2024,” said Myburgh.

Meanwhile, the North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, said it is unacceptable that young children were murdered by someone they trusted. Kwena reiterated that the police will continue to work hard to remove criminals such as this one from society.

“We call upon insurance companies and members of the public to report cases, where they suspect foul play or criminal activity when they process insurance claims,” he said.

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North West MEC for Health, Sello Lehari brings necessary inteventions at Phokeng Forensic Pathology construction project 

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Picture: The North West MEC for Health, Sello Lehari during his visit at Phokeng Forensic Pathology/Supplied 

By REGINALD KANYANE

4 September 2024- The North West MEC for Health, Sello Lehari said upon completion at the end of November 2024, the Phokeng Forensic Pathology with a capacity to carry around120 bodies, will be the biggest in the province.

Lehari, who was accompanied by senior management from both Bojanala District and Provincial offices, conducted oversight visits at both Phokeng Forensic Pathology, in Rustenburg and the Brits Forensic Pathology.

Lehari’s visit follows his initial intervention visit last month, when work was stalled due to community disputes and disruptions on site, demanding allocation of some work to locals on site. He further said the members of the local business community had disrupted construction work demanding 30% of the work.

“However, through our Kopano Ke Matla oversight programme, we have brought all warring groups together, including the contractor, CLO, local leadership and two business forums and commitment was made that there shall be no further disruptions.

“Today’s visit was a follow-up since intervention was made and it was intended to monitor progress registered, since all parties agreed to work together to complete the project on time. As of today, at least 75% of work has been completed,” said Lehari.

He added that Phokeng is quite an important project because it serves so many areas in the province’s biggest and busiest region of Bojanala.

“We owe our people this service and we need no more excuses to finish this project. It must be completed within the set time frame of a month.

“It’s important that we bring people real services, not lip service that will cost them more time and money. This mortuary should be operational in a month,” said Lehari.

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Deputy Minister calls for a probe in water tankering scheme in North West   

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Picture: The Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Sello Seitlholo/Supplied  

By OBAKENG MAJE

4 September 2024- The Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation (DWS), Sello Seitlholo has encouraged municipalities of Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality in North West and Phokwane Local Municipality in Northern Cape, to give urgency to the basic service of water supply to the communities they serve.

This comes after the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District and Phokwane Local Municipalities experienced unreliable water supply, which has led to communities calling on the Department of Water and Sanitation to intervene.

Seitlholo met with two municipalities on Monday in Vryburg, to discuss water supply challenges regarding a trans-boundary bulk water supply scheme that provides water to the two provinces.

“We recommended that the two municipalities resolve and finalise those water services challenges speedily. The Department of Water and Sanitation is aware of the battle water communities are facing, especially women.

“This situation should not be prolonged anymore. We must have a sense of urgency and be proactive when dealing with issues of water supply to our communities,” he said.

Seitlholo further said he is satisfied with the short-term interventions by the department, with the support of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) in both provinces. He added that in six weeks’ time, a contractor appointed by Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality, would begin with the facilitation of refurbishing and revitalizing two boreholes in Sekhing village, near Taung.

“The CoGTA in North West has assisted with a borehole in Upper Majeakgoro village, and the electrification of the borehole will be undertaken by the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality.

“In addition, Phokwane Local Municipality in Northern Cape is also in a process of refurbishing a pipeline and the pump station, while water tankering will be provided as an interim solution to address the current water challenges to the communities,” said Seitlholo.

He also lambasted unlawful actions of connecting illegally to water infrastructure, as well as its sabotage and vandalism. Seitlholo warned those who tampered with water valves and those who are in cohort with construction mafias.

“Municipalities should expose perpetrators, who sabotage infrastructure in order to benefit from water tankering to communities. I want a report of these service providers for water tinkering. I also want their schedule of providing water and a full audit of water tankers should be conducted in this province,” he said.

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