Picture: The North West MEC for Social Development, Sussana Dantjie
By OBAKENG MAJE
8 April 2025- The North West MEC for Social Development, Sussana Dantjie will interact with Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) in Rustenburg and Brits during a two-day roadshow dubbed “Re Thuse Re Go Thuse.” Dantjie’s year-long roadshow is targeted at NPOs that are funded by the department, including those with an interest to receive financial support.
The North West Department of Social Development spokesperson, Petrus Siko said roadshow gives NPOs within the social sector the opportunity to know their registration status, check compliance, gain extensive knowledge about the importance of complying with the NPO Act No 71 of 1997 and share information about different funding models provided by the department and its stakeholders.
Siko said central to Dantjie’s roadshow is compliance to the NPO Act, adherence to tax requirements and the Central Supplier Database (CSD).
“Re Thuse Re Go Thuse programme underscores the department’s commitment to fostering a robust and effective NPO sector capable of delivering essential services to communities across the North West.
“By addressing critical operational challenges and facilitating access to vital resources, the programme aims to empower NPOs to maximise their impact and contribute significantly to the province’s socio-economic development,” he said.
Meanwhile, the two-day roadshow will take place at Rustenburg Civic Centre on Wednesday and Madibeng White Hall in Brits.
Picture: The North West MEC for Health, Sello Lehari
By BAKANG MOKOTO
8 April 2025- The North West MEC for Health, Sello Lehari today handed over water reticulation and medical gas projects to contractors at the Job Shimankane Tabane (JST) hospital in Rustenburg.
Lehari said the two projects expected to start on 22 April 2025, were initiated following the “Re bona ka Matlho” campaign, which is an initiative to conduct oversight at health facilities across the province and intervene, where there are challenges.
“We welcome the appointment of the contractors and commencement of the projects. I was made aware of the challenges at JST Hospital during my visit to the facility in December 2024, and immediately requested the departmental management to avail funds to kickstart projects to address the challenges.
“The water project will involve the installation of a dedicated line to increase storage capacity in the hospital while the latter is a medical gas refurbishment project for the neonatal ward,” he said.
8 April 2025- The Congress of the People (COPE) said it strongly condemns the Northern Cape Department of Health’s authoritarian decision to ban doctors from engaging in private work during their spare time. COPE said this ‘draconian’ move, announced arrogantly and disrespectfully during a meeting today, is a blatant attack on medical practitioners.
COPE acting National Chairperson, Pakes Dikgetsi said the department’s decision undermines the professionalism, autonomy and dignity of medical practitioners, particularly the province’s scarce specialist doctors, who are already stretched thin by a mismanaged and failing public health system.
Dikgetsi said the Northern Cape, with a population of 1.3 million, is served by only two specialist psychiatrists in the public sector, an outrageous statistic that underscores the department’s chronic inability to deliver adequate healthcare services.
“Rather than addressing this crisis by fostering a professional and collaborative relationship with these highly skilled specialists, the department has imposed a blanket ban on their right to earn a living outside of state service in their personal time.
“This is not only an insult to their expertise, but a direct threat to the retention of critical skills in a province that desperately needs them. The state of healthcare in the Northern Cape is a disgrace. The department has consistently mismanaged resources, failed to deliver on promises and misled the public about the true extent of the crisis,” he said.
Dikgetsi further said the reports from the Auditor General have repeatedly highlighted allegations of corruption, mismanagement and wasteful expenditure – issues that have eroded trust in the system and compromised patient care. He added that leadership instability, with senior management positions filled by individuals in acting capacities, has further undermined professionalism and clinical excellence.
“Political cadre deployment is at the heart of this collapse – a practice prioritising loyalty to the ruling party over competence and accountability. We’d like to call on the Northern Cape Department of Health to immediately reverse this ill-conceived decision and engage in meaningful dialogue with doctors and specialists.
“The department must respect their professionalism, recognise their rights and work to build a constructive relationship that prioritises patients’ needs over bureaucratic control,” said Dikgetsi.
He said doctors are not state property. Dikgetsi said they are highly trained professionals, whose skills should be nurtured, not stifled.
“We demand a healthcare system that values its scarce human resources and prioritises the well-being of Northern Cape residents.
“We urge the provincial government to address the root causes of this crisis – corruption, mismanagement and political interference – and to appoint competent, permanent leadership to restore trust and functionality to the health sector,” he said.
Dikgetsi said the people of the Northern Cape deserve better than this shameful display of arrogance and ineptitude.
8 April 2025- The African National Congress (ANC) in the North West Provincial Legislature (NWPL) on Tuesday congratulated the North West Housing Corporation (NWHC) Interim Board (IB) appointed by the North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Oageng Molapisi.
The ANC caucus leader, Motlalepula Rosho said except that they bring valuable governance experience into their new roles, none of the members of the IB were ever directly involved with the NWHC for them to be regarded as recycled. Rosho said the appointment of the IB is as per the decision of the COGTA Portfolio Committee chaired by Kgalalelo Makgokgowa, which insisted on the immediate appointment of the board until a permanent board is in place.
“She pointed out that the experiences, skills and expertise that members of the interim board collectively possess gives caucus confidence that it will deliver on their mandate and immediate tasks that include review of the current NWHC Act, as well as kickstart the process for the filling of the vacancy of the CEO.
“While good governance, prudent financial management and accountability must be on top of its agenda, the interim Board will fill the void that was left by the defunct structure and also ensure that all assets of the NWHC are accounted for and that there is a proper handover,” she said.
Rosho further said the legislature through the relevant ANC led Portfolio Committee will hold COGTA and its entity, the NWHC represented by the Interim Board accountable until a permanent board is in place. She added that, the Interim Board that assumed its responsibility as from 1 April 2025, is chaired by former Member of Parliament, Dr Manketsi Tlhape, who is to be deputised by former Member of the Provincial legislature (MPL), Kabelo Mataboge.
“Other members are Wendy Joy Nelson, Dikeledi Moagi, Ntobo Damelord Samuel Tsagae, Saboeng Sarah Nkatlo, Seatlathebe Ephraim Lepomane and Nomtsama Lenah Miga,” said Rosho.
8 April 2025- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi said they have invested R25 million in the refurbishment of the Pilanesberg Airport to support the booming tourist numbers in the Bojanala, Sun City and Pilanesberg nodal point. Mokgosi said in addition, the road between Majakaneng and Sun City will be given a facelift of R29 million.
He further said discussions are underway between the provincial government and SANRAL to revamp an additional 40km of this road in preparation of G20 activities. Mokgosi added that, the construction of the D424 road and Visser Street in Mahikeng has commenced.
“The major road works set at a budget of R68m will start from Lonely Park, passing through Embassy and Golf View all the way up to the R49 intersection.
“We have resolved in our last EXCO session to appoint the North West Department of Public Works and Roads to spearhead the establishment of the North West Road Agency,” he said.
Mokgosi said the establishment of an agency dedicated to the road infrastructure will enable better management and maintenance of the provincial road network through innovative models and reforms. He said this will be achieved by building internal capacity of professionals and will strengthen the collaborative engagements with investors for the agency to mobilise finances to increase investment in road infrastructure.
“The North West Provincial Government has set aside a budget of R100m to kick start the Growth Fund, which will attract further collaboration with the private sector to work together to deliver on strategic projects and fund initiatives that create jobs and grow the economy of the province.
“The foundation is laid and the North West Provincial Government service delivery machinery is moving ahead at great speed to radically transform government performance and delivery for the tenure of the current administration,” said Mokgosi.
He said this assertion is not only their boastful claims, but has been confirmed by the Auditor General in the PFMA audit outcomes and in several meetings they have had with the AG since taking office. Mokgosi said they are convinced that with the improvements in the audit outcomes at a provincial level, they can achieve clean audits for all provincial government departments by the end of the term of the 7th administration.
“We currently have two departments which are Provincial Treasury and Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation with clean audits. This achievement is a product of our dedicated and focused monitoring and support to departments in the implementation of post audit action plans across departments.
“The Office of the Premier and Social Development should boast our numbers of clean audits soon. We have concluded the 2024/25 financial year with no new material audit concerns, recording a satisfactory expenditure level of 99.2 %,” he said.
Mokgosi said the preliminary spending report which is still to be subjected to the audit indicates that of R54.3 billion adjusted budget, actual expenditure accounts for R53.8 billion. He said this improved performance will be sustained in the current fiscal year and it remains this government commitment that no funds would be returned to the national coffers as they have the responsibility to provide much needed services to the people through this utilization of limited resources.
“Moreover, the R421 million which was not utilized by the Departments will be rolled over to the new financial year and will be spent on projects already committed by the government.
“At the beginning of the 7th administration, we dedicated this term of office to job creation, in particular opportunities aimed at changing the lives of the youth,” said Mokgosi.
He said this commitment remains a driving inspiration behind government programmes and all development initiatives.
Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Member of Provincial Legislature (MPL), Justice Dabampe said: “We welcome the decision by the North West Provincial Government to support EFF policies on building state capacity and doing away with tenders and outsourcing.
“You will remember that, it has been our battle cry that we must build state capacity and we said through the establishment of the state road agency, such will be realised.”
Dabampe said they will ensure that the state road agency does not become yet another cash cow or a failed project of the ruling party as it is the case with the NTI and Mmabana Foundation. He said they will ensure that permanent people are employed after the establishment of the agency.
“We should not rely on outsourcing because the agency is progressive and will assist as we know our road conditions are bad. There are no roads that are trafficable, especially during the rainy season because tenderpreneurs are just doing it for money without the interests of the people of the province at heart.
“So, this road agency asserts our long call that we have to do away with tenders and build state capacity. This will ensure that everything is done inhouse without outsourcing. There is nothing about the people of the North West without them,” he said.
8 April 2025 – Tuesday’s second international friendly match between Banyana Banyana and Malawi has been moved to Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville. The two sides played the first of their two-match series at UJ Soweto Campus on Saturday afternoon and the venue was supposed to host the second meeting between the two sides on Tuesday.
However, the incessant rains that have continued to pelt Johannesburg for days caused significant damage to the pitch and have forced a change to the original plans. Given that the rain has not stopped and continues to sweep over Johannesburg, albeit, sporadically, the South African Football Association (SAFA) has ultimately decided to take this important match to Atteridgeville.
Coach Dr Desiree Ellis’ Sasol-sponsored side beat Malawi 3-0 at UJ Soweto Campus on Saturday in a match that was Banyana Banyana legend Noko Matlou’s final outing in national team colours. A brace from Nonhlanhla Mthandi and a third from Linda Motlhalo ensured a fitting send-off to the international sunset for one of the game’s true servants.
Tuesday will be a tribute to another Banyana Banyana stalwart, Nompumelelo Nyandeni, who will receive her 150th cap before heading off to the sunset as well.
Meanwhile, Ticketpro – SAFA International Friendly Matches.
8 April 2025- The Democratic Alliance (DA) accused the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) of suddenly stopping airing Afrikaans news bulletin without giving any notice or justification. The DA national spokesperson and Member of Parliament (MP), Willie Aucamp said the sudden disappearance of the Afrikaans news bulletin this past weekend, without any communication from the SABC on the reasons behind this decision, is troubling.
“The DA demands that the SABC provide immediate clarification on why this essential service has been halted. It is crucial that we understand whether this is a permanent change, a once-off incident, or something else entirely.
“We will write to the SABC to request urgent answers regarding this matter, and we call on the SABC to restore the Afrikaans news bulletin as soon as possible, ensuring that all South Africans, regardless of language preference, continue to receive reliable and timely news,” he said.
Aucamp further said for many South Africans, the SABC Nuus on SABC2, which has a devoted audience of over 300 000, has been an essential source of news and information. He added that all of these viewers must pay for their TV licenses, and it is completely unacceptable that the SABC would show such indifference to such a large segment of the population.
“As the public broadcaster, the SABC has a duty to serve all language communities. The DA will hold the SABC accountable and will not tolerate such a lack of transparency in our public broadcaster,” said Aucamp.
8 April 2025- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi said the month of April 2025 marks the beginning of the first full financial year of the 7th administration following the completion of the 2024/2025 financial year half of which fell under the 6th administration. Mokgosi who was briefing the media in Mahikeng last week regarding the EXCO outcome said, they are happy that they have ended the 2024/25 financial year on a high note.
He further said they have laid a firm administrative foundation to launch the Programme of Action of the 7th administration under the newly adopted Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) centered on three strategic focus areas, which is to drive inclusive growth and job creation, to reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living.
“This includes building a capable, ethical and developmental state. The implementation of the MTDP will be outlined during the tabling of departmental budgets in the upcoming months. The North West Provincial Government is in a better shape than ever before with all governance and service delivery structures in place and functioning at optimum levels.
“The Executive Council has not missed a single of its meetings since the inception of the 7th administration and all EXCO cluster meetings have been held as scheduled, supported by Technical Clusters of Heads of Departments under the leadership of the Director General,” said Mokgosi.
He added that all committees supporting and advising him to exercise his constitutional role as Head of Government are in place and meeting regularly. Mokgosi said this includes the Premier’s Economic and Investment Advisory Council, Infrastructure Coordinating Council, Premier’s Political Oversight Committee on municipalities and the Shareholders Political Committee on State Owned Entities.
“In the next two months, all Provincial Government Departments will have substantive Heads of Departments after conclusion of recruitment processes for the remaining vacant posts.
“We have improved coordination and cooperation with local governments through the North West Premier’s Coordinating Council with Executive Mayors and Mayors of municipalities. The work of this intergovernmental structure is yielding desired results as captured in the MFMA improved audit outcomes as reported by the Auditor General,” he said.
Mokgosi said all municipalities submitted their 2023/24 Annual Financial Statements (AFS) and were subjected to the audit, resulting in 3 unqualified audit opinions, 13 qualified audit, 3 adverse and 3 disclaimers. He said this indicates an improvement from the previous financial years with disclaimers being reduced from 9 to 3.
“As government, we are fully committed to assist all municipalities with good governance practices that would ensure that we do away with adverse and disclaimers audit outcomes and we convert from unqualified to clean audits.
“Furthermore, we have deployed experts in town planning, engineering, finance and ICT in various fields as part of the local government turn-around strategy and to assist municipalities with skills transfer,” said Mokgosi.
He said the Ditsobotla Local Municipality, continues to receive support in terms of Section 139 (5) (a) and (c) of the Constitution read together with Section 139 of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) albeit under difficult conditions. Mokgosi said the municipality is also being supported in terms of Section 154 of the Constitution.
“A multi-disciplinary team of officials from different government departments and other entities has been established to unblock service delivery challenges afflicting the municipality.
“We are moving Bokone Bophirima forward. Our province will host no less than 5 sector meetings of the G20 as part of the build up to South Africa’s hosting of the G20 Heads of State summit later in the year,” he said.
Mokgosi said this includes, the Women Empowerment Working Group, Energy Transition and Young Entrepreneurs Alliance Leadership Assembly among others. He said the opportunity to be awarded the right to host these meetings came at the right time to align with our already ongoing programme to build strategic infrastructure projects to support our tourism drive.
Picture: Makgethe Middle School principal, Nonofatso Jerminah Tlhabanelo
By OBAKENG MAJE
8 April 2025- The principal of Makgethe Middle School in Matsheng village, near Taung, Nonofatso Jerminah Tlhabanelo (57), expected to appear before the Taung Magistrate’s Court, facing six counts of corruption. Tlhabanelo was arrested by the members of the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team last month for alleged corruption.
It is alleged that during the period between January 2022 and November 2024, the suspect was an acting school principal when she offered the complainant a contractual post of Head of Department (HoD) at the same school.
The Hawks spokesperson in North West, Lieutenant Colonel Tinyiko Mathebula said the reports allegedly indicate that the complainant contract was duly renewed in 2022 and 2023.
Mathebula said, however, in 2024, it was not renewed as another candidate was considered for the same post.
“The suspect reportedly informed the complainant that she would recommend to the department that he be given the acting principal post. Furthermore, the suspect allegedly informed the complainant that she would expect a payment of R4500 in monthly instalments for her acting allowance, which she would have forfeited.
“The complainant was subsequently hired as an acting school principal and allegedly started paying the suspect in February 2024, an amount ranging from R4500 to R5200,” he said.
Mathebula further said investigation revealed that the suspect was paid R30 500 in total. He added that, following an investigation, the suspect was apprehended and charged with corruption.
“She was granted a R3000 bail and her matter was postponed for further investigation,” said Mathebula.
8 April 2025 – Banyana Banyana will return to action for the second and final match of their international friendlies against Malawi on Tuesday, 8 April 2025, at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, with kick-off scheduled for 3pm. After a dominant 3-0 win in the first match, the team will look to close out the series on a high — while also celebrating the illustrious career of Nompumelelo Nyandeni, who will play her 150th and final match for the national team.
Nyandeni, who made her senior debut at the age of 15, has been a vital part of the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana’s journey for nearly two decades. Her final cap marks the end of an era for one of South African football’s most gifted midfielders.
“I’m excited for my last dance tomorrow. It will be the last time people see me wearing the Banyana Banyana kit. I’m ready for the game and excited as well,” she said.
While today’s game will be filled with emotion, coach Dr Desiree Ellis has made it clear that the focus remains on improving key areas of play as part of the squad’s broader preparations for the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and the qualifiers for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“We want to improve in all aspects, especially the final third. We created a few opportunities in the first game but that needs to be better — and through that, we could have scored more goals.
“Even though we know it’s not just about the goals, but rather the overall performance. I thought we were good in possession, but sometimes we gave the ball away, so that has to be better as well,” said Ellis.
Banyana Banyana aim to build rhythm and cohesion against a physical and determined Malawian outfit. Supporters are encouraged to come out and show their appreciation for Nompumelelo Nyandeni, whose contribution to South African football has been nothing short of legendary.
Meanwhile, the gates open at 12h00, with kick-off at 3pm. Tickets are available via Ticketpro, priced at R50 for adults and R20 for children under 12.
The Guardian 