By OBAKENG MAJE
17 November 2024- The North West MEC for Department of Economic Development Environment Conservation and Tourism (DEDECT), Bitsa Lenkopane said they condemn criminal acts and lawlessness that took place at the department’s Head Office in Mahikeng on 13 and 15 November 2024.
This comes after community members allegedly stormed into the departmental offices and removed employees in a ‘demand’ of tenders. This allegedly forced the department to seek court order against these individuals.
According to the court order dated 15 November 2024, that Taung DailyNews has seen, Lenkopane has placed an interdict against Lawrence Lenyora, Mxolisi Maqoboza, Mogomotsi Moshoeshoe, George Seoposengwe and Ofentse Khumalo or any employee of the applicant, who associate themselves with the unlawful conduct of the first to sixth respondents.
This includes any other individual or workers’ union who associate themselves with the unlawful conduct of the seventh respondents.
The North West High Court in Mmabatho, Judge Justice Djadje, who listened and ruled on the matter, ordered that the ordinary rules pertaining to form, service and notice be dispensed with and that this matter be heard as one of the urgency in terms of Rule 6 (12) of Uniform Rules of Court. Djaje said a rule nisi be issued calling upon the respondents to furbish reasons, if any on 8 May 2025 at 10am or soon thereafter as the matter can be heard, as why the relief should not be made.
“The first to eight respondents are interdicted to block and/ or spoliate and / or restrict access to the applicant ‘s offices located at NWDC Building, CNR University and Provident Streets, Mmabatho to the applicant or any of the applicant’s employees, or any other person who intends to enter the aforesaid building for any lawful purpose.
“Not to forcefully, or by acts of intimidation, remove employees of the applicant from Provident House, and not to in any other fashion interfere with the execution of their duties. To immediately place the applicant in repossession of Provident House,” she said.
Djaje further said the respondents should also not to, in any fashion, intimidate, insult or assault any employees of the applicant, or any other person who visits Provident House for any lawful purpose. She added that they should also not interfere with the operations of the applicant in Provident House.
“To immediately cease the unprotected and unlawful strike and/or go-slow in which the first to eight respondents currently participate. Not to conduct any acts which are in contravention with the law, including, but not limited to, causing disruptions, or damage to the applicant’s offices.
“Not to be in radius of 200m from the applicant’s offices with intention to contravene the terms of this order. Should there not be strict compliance to this order, the ninth and tenth respondents are ordered to maintain law and order,” said Djaje.
Lenkopane said in a statement, the mandate of DEDECET as a department, is to create a suitable environment for the economy of the province to develop and grow. She said investment attraction and facilitation is at the core of DEDECT’s mandate.
“We urge all members of the public including recognized labour unions in the department to engage before resorting to unprotected strikes that are outside the framework of the Labour Laws, the Labour Relations Act and the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa,” said Lenkopane.
The Guardian 