Monthly Archives: May 2025

Morweng donates 295 bicycles to long distance learners  

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Picture: The North West MC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng/Facebook

By BAKANG MOKOTO

25 May 2025- One of the beneficiaries of 295 Shova Kalula bicycles said they will come in handy and significantly improve their access to education. This comes after the North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng donated 295 Shova Kalula bicycles to Mammutla Secondary School in Mammutla village, near Taung recently.

A Grade 10 learner, Olerato Nkosini said the bicycles will reduce their travel time to school as they sometimes arrive late. Nkosini said most learners travel almost 50km before they can reach their school.

“I would honestly like to thank MEC for giving us this chance of making things easier for us, especially to travel from our various villages to school.

“We have been experiencing some challenges and that did not only affect us, but teachers as well because learners will arrive late. So, the bicycles will make our teachers’ jobs easier,” she said.

Nkosini further said bicycles allow learners to travel longer distances, reducing the time and effort required to get to school, particularly in rural areas where public transportation may be limited.  

Meanwhile, Morweng said bicycle donation programs can also foster a sense of community and pride, as learners and their families become more involved in their education and development. He added that long distance traveling learners of Mammutla Secondary School could not hide their excitement when they received these bicycles.

“With the furthest distance of 10km to and from school on a daily basis, learners from seven neighbouring villages appreciated the gesture by the department to shorten their travel time to school.

“It is the government’s responsibility to ensure that learners have access to education and provision of transport to those traveling long distances to school,” he said.

Morweng said they are handing over these bicycles to learners who travel between 3 to 5km to school as part of the government’s responsibility to ensure access to education. He said these bicycles are their tools to success and they must use them only for the purpose of going to school.

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80 learners involved in a car accident

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Picture: Learners involved in a car accident/Facebook

By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

25 May 2025- Eighty learners from RA Kobue Secondary school in Mooifontein, outside Mahikeng, were involved in a car accident. Thirty learners were taken to the Gelukspan Hospital with slight injuries.

The North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng said one learner was taken to the Bophelong Provincial Hospital. Morweng said it is alleged that a taxi carrying learners and teachers to the same school, but privately hired, had just overtaken the bus when stopping abruptly for another teacher.

“As a result it was hit from behind by the bus. The bus which is part of the scholar transport paid for by the department was carrying 65 learners from Goedgevonden and the taxi with 15 passengers was from Mareetsane.

“Alternative transport has been arranged to transport learners so that learning and teaching shouldn’t be adversely affected,” he said.

Morweng further said his department has also arranged transport for learners, who have been taken to the hospital, to be transported home after consultation. He added that they wish speedy recovery to all the injured.

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“R1bn housing project an expensive house of cards”

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Picture: The Northern Cape Premier, Dr Zamani Saul

By REGINALD KANYANE

25 May 2025- The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape has urged the Northern Cape Premier, Dr Zamani Saul, to get provincial housing projects in order and to ensure real development of local contractors without compromising housing goals. The DA said in reply to their question during Thursday’s sitting of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature (NCPG), Saul acknowledged that the province cannot live up to the original promises made in the R1 billion housing project.

The DA Northern Cape Provincial Spokesperson for COGHSTA and Member of Provincial Legislature (MPL), Gizella Opperman, said when president Cyril Ramaphosa launched this project in January 2024, the Northern Cape was guaranteed 4 000 houses within 12 to 18 months. Opperman said Saul now admitted that the Northern Cape Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs already had to ask the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) for an extension of at least six months.

“The extension request is an all-too-familiar reminder of the infrastructure projects that are seldom finished on time or within budget when this government is involved, such as the seemingly abandoned Williston housing project.

“After Saul promised in February 2023 that 50 of the planned 150 houses would be ready for beneficiaries by November 2023, there’s still only five unfinished houses without roofs and one foundation,” said Opperman.

She further said, while Saul is quick to blame local contractors for lacking the capacity needed to fulfil the contractual terms set by COGHSTA, he is slow to accept that the provincial government makes it impossible for local companies to succeed. Opperman added that local SMMEs are denied the opportunity to gain the experience necessary to grow and expand their businesses, despite the presidential promise that local businesses would benefit from the R1 billion housing project.

“I’ve written to the Premier to request more detail on strategies that will be used to ensure that local contractor development takes place without compromising the quality and speed of the housing project.

“Terminating contractors without implementing real contractor development will not benefit the provincial economy in the medium or long term. I’ve also requested reports on the province’s discussion with DBSA and to probe the financial implications of the past sixteen months’ worth of delays,” said Opperman.

She said when the province was given permission in December 2023, to borrow R600 million from the DBSA for housing, the Premier told a Legislature sitting that interest costs are estimated at R92 million. Opperman said they cannot afford further escalations in the cost or time delays of this critical project.

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Ramaphosa describes Deputy President of ANCWL, Mnganga-Gcabashe as Intsika

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Picture: The late Lungi Mnganga-Gcabashe

By OBAKENG MAJE

25 May 2025- The ANC president, Cyril Ramaphosa described the Deputy Preisdent of ANCWL, the late Lungi Mnganga-Gcabashe as the stalwart of the struggle. Ramaphosa said they gathered to bid a farewell to a leader and an activist whose life was defined by love and service.

He further said today, they bid farewell to a mother, a sister, an aunt, a freedom fighter, a comrade. Ramaphosa added that, on behalf of the leadership and membership of the African National Congress (ANC), they express their deepest condolences and sympathies to her family, friends and comrades.

“While we were preparing to bid farewell to our comrade, the Deputy President of the ANC Women’s League, we heard the news of the passing of the former president of the Women’s League and a stalwart of our struggle, Getrude Shope.

“In an African hut, there’s a pole that stands in the middle and it is called Intsika. African women are

the izintsika in our homes, in our families and in the nation. They keep everything intact, like that pole in the middle of a traditional hut,” he said.

Ramaphosa said having to lose two izintsika in succession, deepens their pain. He said although they were of different generations, they were of the same political lineage.

“They fought for the same cause. Lungi Mnganga-Gcabashe was drawn into political action by a deep desire for peace, for freedom and for justice. She lived her life in the service of others, in the service of her people and in the service of her country.

“She has walked every step of our journey to democracy with the people of South Africa. Mnganga-Gcabashe has worked with the people to overcome every challenge they face and celebrated with the people for every success achieved,” said Ramaphosa.

He said Mnganga-Gcabashe joined the struggle at a time of great turbulence and conflict in this province. Ramaphosa said she became active in local structures at a time of heightened repression, when the forces of apartheid sought to sow division, to turn communities against each other.

“It was her calm and determined manner, her sincerity, her integrity that propelled her to leadership in local peace committees at a young age. From these early experiences, she knew the destruction and the pain of division.

“Throughout her life, she dedicated herself to forge unity within communities, within organisations and within her country. She knew that a people united could never be defeated,” he said.

Ramaphosa said Mnganga-Gcabashe knew that unless they settled their differences, unless they overcame the conflicts of the past, they would not be able to move forward. He said they would not be able to build a South Africa that belongs to its entire people.

“South Africa that is just, equal and prosperous. It is at a time like now, when we have seen a resurgence of racial antagonism from some quarters that we need people with the conviction of Cde Lungi.

“The year of renewal to make the ANC a more effective instrument of the people to achieve the vision of the Freedom Charter: The people shall govern. The people shall share in the country’s wealth,” said Ramaphosa.

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Setopo se se senyegileng sa monna se bonwe kwa thoko ga noka

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Ka OBAKENG MAJE

24 Motsheganong 2025- Sepodisi sa Taung go begwa fa se butse kgetsi ya morago ga loso. Se, se tla morago ga gore go bonwe setopo se se neng se setse se senyegile kwa thoko ga noka kwa motseng wa Mocweding, gaufi le Taung, mo letsatsing la maabane. Go begwa fa setopo seo, go belaelwa fa e ka tswa ele sa monna mongwe wa kwa motseng wa Mokassa 2, o go neng ga begwa fa a timetse dibeke tse pedi tse di fetileng.

Kgabagare, sebueledi sa sepodisi mo porofenseng, Colonel Adele Myburgh, ga se a tsibogele kopo ya go neelana ka dintlha mo ntlheng e, jaaka ba lekwalo-dikgang la The Guardian le ne le kopile.

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SA’s opponents in the 2025 COSAFA Cup revealed

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Picture: Bafana Bafana players

By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

24 May 2025 – South Africa will face Mozambique, Mauritius and Zimbabwe in this year’s COSAFA Cup after the draw was conducted on Wednesday. The tournament will be held in Mangaung from June 4-15 and the matches will be staged at the Free State and the Dr Petrus Molemela Stadiums. 

The South African Football Association’s (SAFA) Technical Committee told www.safa.net they will announce the coach of the COSAFA team at a later stage. According to COSAFA, the top team in each group will advances to the semi-finals, with the winner of Group A to face the top side in Group D, and the leading team in Group B up against the top team in Group C.

The matches will be broadcast on SABC and SuperSport, and streamed live on FIFA+.

COSAFA CUP 2025 DRAW

GROUP A: South Africa, Mozambique, Mauritius, Zimbabwe

GROUP B: Angola, Namibia, Malawi, Lesotho

GROUP C: Morocco, Madagascar, Eswatini

GROUP D: Zambia, Comoros, Botswana

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Committee welcomes brief from SEIA

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Picture: National Parliament in South Africa

By REGINALD KANYANE

24 May 2025– The Portfolio Committee on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation welcomed the briefing it received from the Socio-Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) on the envisaged centralized, state-owned holding company, which will oversee and manage a portfolio of strategic SOEs, aiming to improve their governance, streamline oversight, and promote commercial sustainability. In its recommendations to the committee, the SEIA said studies show that good governance was critical to the performance and viability of SOEs and this is also attributed to the country’s stance of tackling fraud and corruption.

For SOEs to optimally achieve their role to the country’s developmental agenda, the SEIA unit said, there is a need to strengthen the link between SOEs and the public developmental goals, improve incentives and enhance governance.

The Chairperson of the Committee, Teliswa Mgweba said some members of the committee expressed a concern that the process of establishing a holding company will be cumbersome and expensive. Mgweba said an amount of R615 million has been requested from the National Treasury by the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation to start operation of the holding company for the first three years.

“Thereafter, its operations will be funded from dividends to be received from subsidiaries. The committee told the SEIA unit that the risk assessment report lacked in the presentation the unit delivered to the committee.

“The committee told the unit to go back to do a deeper and wider analysis that should cover, among other things, longer term possibilities of viability, sustainability and socio-economic impact of the new model,” she said.

Mgweba further told the unit that it will be invited by the committee in a week’s time to come back to present the latest impact analysis report to the committee and the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation will also be invited. She added that they urged the unit to ensure that it comes back with a concrete and scientific report that covers the areas that were highlighted by members of the committee.

“We appreciate the briefing which the committee received from the unit and thank you for the great effort you made on its production. Ensure that you improve on it for the achievement of the objectives of the envisaged legislation,” stressed Mgweba.

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Bafana Bafana coach announces preliminary squad

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Picture: Bafana Bafana coach, Hugo Broos

By OBAKENG MAJE

24 May 2025 – Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has named a 41-member preliminary squad for the two international friendly matches that will be played at home in June 2025. Broos’ charges will play against Tanzania and a second opponent to be confirmed in the coming days.

The first match against Tanzania will be played at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, Limpopo, on 6 June 2025 (kick off is at 19h30). The team will report for camp in Johannesburg on 1 June 2025, and then travel to Polokwane on the same day.

Mamelodi Sundowns players were not selected as they will be participating in the FIFA Club World Cup to be played in the United States of America from 14 June – to 13 July 2025. The preliminary squad will be trimmed to 23 players in the coming days when Broos announces his final list for the two matches.

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Committee welcomes High Court judgement

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By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

23 May 2024 – The Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests said it welcomes the judgement delivered by the Western Cape High Court on 21 May 2025, which reaffirmed a fundamental principle underpinning South Africa’s constitutional democracy.

The committee said Members of Parliament (MPs) remain bound by the Code of Ethical Conduct and Disclosure of Members’ Interests, even when serving in roles outside the strict bounds of parliamentary proceedings, such as appointments to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

One of the Co-Chairpersons on Ethics and Members’ Interests, Lusizo Makhubela said the High Court’s decision in Malema v The Speaker of the National Assembly and Others confirms that Members of Parliament do not set aside their ethical obligations when performing duties on external constitutional bodies. Makhubela said rather, they carry their responsibilities as public representatives into every forum where they serve.

“This judgement follows a complaint received and investigated by the joint committee, concerning the conduct of a Member of Parliament during a JSC interview for a judicial candidate.

“The court upheld the committee’s finding that the member acted in breach of the code by failing to act in accordance with the public trust and by failing to place the public interest above personal or party-political interests,” she said.

Another Co-Chairperson, Henni Britz said the committee reaffirms the purpose of the code of ethical conduct, as set out in its preamble and item (2.1) to provide a framework for integrity, accountability and public trust in Parliament and its members. Britz said the code applies at all times to all members, whether they are sitting in the House, engaging in committee work, or representing Parliament on constitutional bodies like the JSC.

“The High Court’s judgement reinforces several key principles such as Parliament’s oversight role extends to the conduct of MPs designated to the JSC and other institutions. Accountability and integrity must be upheld by MPs in all public duties, especially in sensitive institutions like the judiciary, where independence and impartiality are paramount.

“The Code of Ethical Conduct is not limited by location or context, its reach is coextensive with the office held by any elected member. This outcome serves as a vital reminder that ethical governance is not situational,” he said.

Britz further said their democratic institutions depend on public trust, and that trust is earned through consistency, transparency and adherence to ethical standards, regardless of the platform or position. He added that the committee remains committed to upholding the integrity of Parliament and fostering a culture of ethical leadership among all public representatives.

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A serial rapist sentenced to 50 years imprisonment

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By REGINALD KANYANE

23 May 2025- A man (43) was sentenced to 85 years imprisonment by the Rustenburg Regional Court for series of rapes. This includes possession of an unlicensed firearm.

The North West police spokesperson, Colonel Adéle Myburgh said the accused, Mziwoxolo Zozi was also declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of section 103 of the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act No. 60 of 2000). Myburgh said the sentencing emanated from incidents, wherein Zozi raped women aged between 17 and 34 in Rustenburg, Phokeng, Mooinooi and Marikana, between April 2018 and July 2022.

“In one of the cases reported in the early hours of Sunday morning, 15 April 2018 in Marikana, a victim (23) was sleeping inside her house in Skierlik village, when suddenly overpowered by the convict, who threatened her with a firearm and ultimately raped her.

“In another case reported on 26 March 2022, Zozi overpowered a victim (17), in Freedom Park, outside Phokeng. The victim woke up when the convict removed her blankets, pointed her with a firearm and raped her,” she said.

Myburgh further said Zozi was identified as a possible suspect following comprehensive police investigations, then traced to Marikana and arrested on 29 November 2022. She added that the convict, who was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm, was linked to the crimes through forensic DNA leads. 

“There are currently five more pending rape cases against the accused in the Rustenburg Regional Court. Furthermore, Zozi was linked to cases in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng Provinces. 

“The accused, who has been in custody since his arrest, will effectively serve 50 years in jail as some of the sentences will run concurrently with others,” said Myburgh.

Meanwhile, the acting North West Police Commissioner, Major General Patrick Asaneng, lauded the investigating Officer, Sergeant Obakeng Rasego of Rustenburg Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit and the state prosecutor, advocate Thebe Nong for working hard in securing these sentences. Asaneng reiterated that the police will work tirelessly to ensure that perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) are brought to book.

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