27 January 2025- The South African Weather Service (SAWS) Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems allegedly went down on the evening of Sunday, 26 January 2025, following a security breach by criminal elements. According to SAWS, aspects of critical services including aviation and marine have been interrupted.
SAWS spokesperson, Oupa Segalwe said in addition, the SAWS’ email system and website, which is the hub of critical weather information, have been affected. Segalwe said, however, alternative ways of disseminating important information such as the weather forecasts have been put in place.
“The SAWS’ ICT service providers have been on site since the attack not only to investigate the breach, but also to explore both interim and long-term ways of restoring the collapsed systems and eventually services.
“In the interim, the public is advised to rely on the SAWS’ social media platforms for weather information. The SAWS is in the process of reporting the criminal act to relevant authorities,” he said.
Segalwe further said the attack was the second in the space of two days after the initial attempt on the evening of Saturday, 25 January 2025 failed.
Picture: The North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng
By OBAKENG MAJE
27 January 2025- The North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng said 100 people lost their lives after the province experienced 87 crashes during the 2024 festive season. Morweng, who released the 2024/2025 Festive Season Road Safety campaign report in Mahikeng today said, their campaign was based on four pillars such as responsible driving, pedestrian safety, enforcement and education and collaboration.
He further said they included the focus on pedestrians as previous year’s statistics had indicated a growing number of pedestrians, who become victims of crashes and often at late hours of the day. Morweng added that compared to the year before, for the 2023/2024 travels, they recorded 98 fatalities from 86 crashes.
“For this year, the 2024/2025 festive period, we have a slight increase of 100 fatalities from 98 crashes. Despite this slight increase, the province remains second best performing in terms of least recorded fatalities.
“It is also worth mentioning that, we did not record any major crash, meaning where four or more lives are lost in a single accident. The critical route remained the N4 from our boundary with Gauteng in Brits to Dinokana at the border with Botswana,” he said.
Morweng said they have lost eight lives on this road followed closely by N12, where five lives were lost in crashes that occurred between Potchefstroom and Bloemhof. He said the other critical road is R24 that links Rustenburg and Krugersdorp in Gauteng, which recorded four fatalities followed by N14 which also recorded four fatalities.
“In terms of the Districts, Bojanala has recorded a total of 40 fatalities from 35 crashes. Ngaka Modiri Molema has recorded 27 fatalities from 22 crashes. Dr Kenneth Kaunda District has recorded 23 fatalities from 20 crashes. Lastly, Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati has recorded 10 fatalities from ten crashes,” said Morweng.
He said of 100 fatalities, 38 were passengers, 29 were drivers, another 29 were pedestrians, 3 fell off the moving vehicles and one was a cyclist. Morweng said time also played a role in the number of crashes hence they always advise road users to avoid travelling at night.
“Of the 100 fatalities, 61 of those happened between 6pm to 6am the following morning. In between, meaning during the day from 6am to 6pm, we lost 39 lives.
“Our approach this time was different. Instead of having traditional law enforcement operations which are commonly known as roadblocks, we had patrols where our officers were monitoring moving violations. This we believe reduced accidents and instead increasing general compliance with the road traffic regulations,” he said.
Morweng said this as drivers tend to obey the law in the presence of traffic officers and increase speed once they have passed enforcement operations. He said they had also been operating for 24 hours, especially on N4.
“The following challenges were encountered during the deployment and contributed to cancellation of some of our plans to ensure visibility on the roads. Rain and flooding of some of the arterial roads, especially N14, outside Delareyville.
“Protests by communities also impacted negatively on our plans as often we had to divert officers to deal with them rather than focusing on national roads. In conclusion, I want to express my profound gratitude to all law enforcement officers for their hard work in reducing numbers of crashes,” said Morweng.
He said when they enjoyed the festive season holidays, the law enforcement personnel were out there enduring all forms of weather patterns by being visible on the roads.
27 Ferikgong 2025- Morutabana wa kwa sekolong sa kwa motse-setoropong wa Pudimoe, o tlhokafetse morago ga go wa. Go begwa fa morutabana o tswang kwa porofenseng ya Kwazulu-Natal, a ne a dula le mokapelo wa gagwe wa lepodisi kwa phaphosing ya phiro kwa Extension 7, gaufi le Taung.
Go ya ka sebueledi sa sepodisi mo sedikeng sa Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Warrant Officer Tryphosa van Rooyen, morutabana o, o tlile ana le ntho ya go thuntsiwa mo leotong go tswa kwa gagabo kwa Kwazulu-Natal morago ga matsatsi a boikhutso. Van Rooyen are, go begwa fa tiragalo eo, e sa begwa kwa sepodiseng.
“Go begwa fa ntho eo, ene e sa neye morutabana o bothata le eseng. Fela ka di 25 Ferikgong 2025, go begwa fa ntho eo, ene ya tshimolola go dutla madi. Go begwa fa monna o, a ne a tswela kwa ntle, mme one a wa.
“Ba thuso ya potlako ba ile ba bidiwa, fela ba ne ba netefatsa fa moswi a setse balelelwa le badimo. Kgetsi ya morago ga loso ene ya bulwa, mme ga gona dipelaelo dipe mo losong la monna o,” van Rooyen wa tlhalosa.
27 Ferikgong 2025- Monna wa motswakwa o nang le lebenkele kwa motseng wa Mocweding, gaufi le Taung, o tlhasetswe le go kgothusiwa madi a seatleng ke banna bangwe ba le bararo ba ba sa itsiweng. Go begwa fa motswakwa o, a ne kgorogelwa ke banna ba baneng ba tshwere dithunya ka Lamatlhatso bosigo, mme ba mo kgothosa.
Go ya ka sebueledi sa sepodisi mo sedikeng sa Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Warrant Officer Tryphosa van Rooyen, banna ba, ba ne ba kgothosa monna o madi, dilwana ga mmogo le mogala wa gagwe wa letheka.
“Banna ba, ba ile ba digela mong o wa lebenkele dingalo, le go mo tlogela a phokga-phokga madi. O ile a iponela dikgobalo mo tlhogong, ga mmogo le mo mmileng.
“Monna o, o ile a tabogisetswa kwa kliniking ya selegae go ya go bona kalafi. Go fitlha ga jaana, ga go ope o tshwerweng, mme kgetsi ya go tshwara kgwebo poo e butswe,” van Rooyene wa tlhalosa.
27 Ferikgong 2025- Mosimanyana wa dingwaga di le 16, go begwa fa a ikgwageditse mo letsatsing la Lamatlhatso ka phirimana kwa motseng wa Mokassa 1, gaufi le Taung. Go begwa fa mosimanyana o, a ne a lotlegela ba lelapa la gagwe gore o leba kwa lebenkeleng, fela ga boela gae.
Sebueledi sa sepodisi mo sedikeng sa Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Warrant Officer Tryphosa van Rooyen, are setopo sa mosimanyana o, se bonwe letsatsi le le latelang la Tshipi se ikgwageditse.
“Re ka netefatsa fa sepodisi sa Taung se butse kgetsi ya morago ga loso. Jaaka sepodisi, ga re belaele fa go ka tswa go nnile le letsogo la tshwene mo losong la mosimanyana o,” van Rooyen wa tlhalosa.
27 Ferikgong 2025- Monna wa dingwaga di le 25 o solofetswe go tlhagelela kwa kgotlha-tshekelo ya Taung mo letsatsing la gompieno mabapi le polao. Se se tla morago ga gore monna wa dingwaga di le 25 a tlhabiwe le go bolawa kwa lefelo la go rekisa nnotagi le le mo tselakgolo ya N18, kwa motsesetoropong wa Pudimoe.
Go ya ka sebueledi sa sepodisi mo Bokone Bophirima, Col Adele Myburgh, go ile ga runya ntwa magareng ga banna ba le babedi kwa lefelong le le rekisang nnotagi ka masa a letsatsi la Tshipi. Myburgh are, mogolwe monna oneng a lwa le moswi, o ile a tlhaba moswi ka thipa mo molaleng, mme a tlhokafa ka gangwe.
“Go ne ga bidiwa bathuso ya potlako, fela ba ne ba netefatsa fa moswi a setse a iketse badimong. Monna wa dingwaga di le 25, one a lelelwa ke ditshipi mme o solofetswe go rotola matlho kwa kgotlha-tshekelo ya Taung mo letsatsing la gompieno,” Myburgh wa tlhalosa.
27 January 2025- Parliament said it wishes to correct misleading media statements that only four provinces voted in favour of the Expropriation Bill when the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) considered the Bill on 19 March 2024. The Parliament said this claim is factually inaccurate and misleading.
According to the National Parliament spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo, their records show that seven provinces voted in favour of the Expropriation Bill, far exceeding the required majority required by the Constitution. Mothapo said in terms of Section 65 of the Constitution, the majority that is required to pass an ordinary bill affecting provinces – a Section 76 bill – of which the Expropriation Bill is one, is at least five provinces.
“It is, therefore, disingenuous to attempt to attack the constitutionality of the Expropriation Bill on the grounds that the NCOP failed to comply with its constitutional obligations.
“For detailed information, please refer to the minutes of the NCOP sitting on that date. The NCOP is dedicated to ensuring transparency in its proceedings. This factual misrepresentation is misleading and seeks to undermine the commitment of the NCOP to carry out its constitutional obligations,” he said.
Picture: The rape accused, Constable Luthando Meintjies/Facebook
By OBAKENG MAJE
27 January 2025- A policeman (27), who is facing three counts of rape, three counts of assault with intent to do Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH), and one count of kidnapping, will be back at the Upington Magistrate’s Court today. Constable Luthando Meintjies was denied bail after he allegedly attempted to influence the complainant and threatened the Investigating Officer in this case.
On 15 November 2024, Meintjies, who is a member of the South African Police Service (SAPS), allegedly arrived at his place of residence with the complainant (23), at night after consuming alcohol.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson, Mojalefa Senokoatsane said it is alleged
that during the night, the accused informed the complainant that she must call her mother as he wanted money to buy more beers. Senokoatsane further said when she could not get the money from her mother, he allegedly began to assault and proceeded to rape her numerous times during the night.
“She tried to escape and hide in the bathroom, but the accused broke down the door to open it. Whilst all this was happening, she was able to send her uncle text messages for him to come and rescue her from the accused.
“The uncle allegedly arrived at the accused’s home with the police. Meintjies was arrested and charged with rape, assault GBH, as well as kidnapping. The matter was remanded to 27 January 2025 and investigations continue,” he added.
Picture: NTI employees protesting outside North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management offices in Mahikeng
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
27 January 2025- The North West MEC Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng said he is grateful that employees of NTI have been paid as he had promised. Morweng said though the procedures of processing payments through an external company delayed the pay date from the one he promised over a week ago, the employees were finally paid this week.
“I can confidently say that as the department, we kept our promise of making sure employees will get what is due to them. Some of the employees had also got in touch with our office to express appreciation of our interventions.
“This is the beginning of taking the entity back to where it belongs and being able to sustain itself as we all know the entity has potential. The department had to intervene by using an external company to process employees’ salaries as previous experience was that money allocated for salaries were used for other priorities,” he said.
Morweng further said in other instances, where workers were paid, it had been half of what they should be paid. He added that, as part of intervening at the entity, he had towards the end of last year, seconded Dr Ntlhopeng Dikobe, who is the Chief Director for Corporate Services at the Department, to be the acting CEO at NTI.
“We urge the employees to put the interests of the entity first and be vigilant of those whose interest could be at the detriment of the entity. As the MEC responsible for this Department which is the shareholder representative, we will ensure that NTI functions optimally.
“We expect to engage employees this week as part of mapping a way forward to avoid challenges that afflicted NTI in the recent past,” said Morweng.
Picture: Nine SANDF soldiers killed in RDC Congo/Generic
By OBAKENG MAJE
27 January 2025- The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, to urgently brief Parliament on the deteriorating and calamitous situation in the DRC, with nine soldiers killed in action and many more wounded in the past two days.
DA’s Member of Parliament (MP) and spokesperson on Defence & Military Veterans, Chris Hattingh said as their hearts go out to their families, they will not rest until they get answers and hear a plan from Motshekga to safeguard the South African Base and personnel on the ground.
Hattingh further said it is unacceptable that while South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers are marched to their deaths, while the President, who ordered the deployment, sits locked in internal party scuffles, fighting internal party battles, at the ANC Lekgotla.
“It is just as unacceptable that the Minister of Defence, Angie Motshekga and her generals, in stark contrast to the plight of the wounded SANDF soldiers, flew out of Goma yesterday in a luxury VIP Falcon jet, leaving behind wounded soldiers with no SANDF air support available for them.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa sent SANDF to combat in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with the full knowledge that our troops were unprepared. He knew that the mission could not be won and that our fiscus could not afford it,” he said.
Hattingh added that the crisis has now escalated to the United National Security Council, where South Africa’s recklessness in this conflict will damage its reputation. He said a report to Members of Parliament (MPs) in both Houses will help determine how best they withdraw the SANDF from eastern DRC and engage with regional and international partners to seek a solution.
“While frontline services face budget cuts, the department was still allocated an additional R2bn in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS). This is despite the department’s disastrous financial management, with unauthorised expenditure of R3.4bn in their latest audits.
“With additional funding, our troops were still surrounded by rebels and killed. The SANDF crisis in the DRC is as a result of a political decision by the Commander in Chief, Ramaphosa, costing lives, our international reputation, and critical government resources,” said Hattingh.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, Dakota Legoete said: “We are deeply sadness by the tragic loss of nine members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
“The SANDF members stationed in the DRC, as part of both Southern African Development Community and the United Nations peacekeeping deployments to the area were engaged in intense combat over two days with the M23 rebel group near Goma, the provincial capital of the eastern DRC.”
Legoete said the SANDF confirmed on 25 January 2025, that nine SANDF members were killed during combat and several others injured. He said their sacrifice serves as a solemn reminder of the heavy price of freedom.
“The loss of life is deeply regrettable, especially on foreign soil. However, we salute these fallen heroes for their courage and commitment. Their efforts successfully repelled the enemy, averting what could have been a catastrophic tragedy for the innocent civilians of Goma.
“The committee will use its upcoming engagements with the Department of Defence to ensure that efforts are made to ensure that the SANDF contingent in the DRC is well supported and capacitated,” he said.
The Guardian 