BY OBAKENG MAJE
Premier Supra Obakeng Ramoeletsi Mahumapelo has appointed Dr Lydia Keneilwe Sebego as a Director General for the Bokone Bophirima Provincial Government with effect from 01 July 2015. MEC Wendy Nelson made this announcement at a meeting of Heads of Departments and Chief Directors yesterday.

MEC Nelson asserted that Dr Sebego brings with her a wealth of experience within the public service that is vitally needed to fast rack service delivery in the province, having previously served as Head of Department at the departments of Public Works and Health in Bokone Bophirima.

At the time of her appointment Sebego served as the Chief Operations Officer at the national department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

MEC Nelson quoted Premier Mahumapelo as saying Dr Sebego’s appointment comes at a time when the provincial government has embarked on a process of rebranding, repositioning and renewal.
In her address to the meeting Dr Sebego minced no words when she stated that she expected shoulders to be put to the wheel. “The buck stops with us as far as administration is concerned.” She said.

MEC Nelson conveyed Premier Mahumapelo’s gratitude to Professor Tebogo Job Mokgoro who has been the acting Director General since the advent of the fifth administration.
As she puts “You were entrusted with the responsibility of reconfiguring departments and of steering the provincial administration in a path to accelerate service delivery and you executed it with due diligence and availed yourself at all times including during weekends and late at night.”

“As Dr Sebego assumes duty from today, Premier Mahumapelo entrusted Professor Mokgoro with the responsibility to establish a Bokone Bophirima School of Government. This is crucial to complement academic knowledge which employees obtained at institutions of higher learning.” MEC Nelson concluded.

Professor Mokgoro, who stated that he attended a Forum of Directors General last week, said there is an admission by the forum that human capital development has been neglected to the detriment of government as a whole.

He said he was looking forward to the school of government as if he were a first year student who was looking forward to his academic career. As he puts it: “The attitude should be that failure is not an option.”
-TDN
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BY OBAKENG MAJE
The dream of two women from Kgakala township outside Wolmaranstad became true when the authorities unveiled the plaque to mark the official launch of ‘Re a Bopa’ state of the art learning centre on Tuesday.

Adeline Polela and Florence Monageng took an initiative to address the plight of children roaming the streets at the township by combining their two crèches; Bopanang and Reabona to provide early childhood education to children who were not attending any crèche in the area.

“I had a vision to rid children off the streets and take care of them. It was during the riots. Whenever children were arrested I would consult the SA Council of Churches to negotiate with the then government to release the children. Surely patience brings success. See where we are now,” Polela said, referring to the newly prototype centred.

Polela said she has for many years operated the crèche in an RDP house donated by the residents of Kgakala and Maquassi Hill local municipality. They agreed to combine their two crèches and registered them under one name, ‘Reabopa’ (loosed translated as ‘we are moulding’). This they say is, the joint name to be used in at the centre built by government.

Polela’s partner, Monageng said they agreed to cluster their crèches together so that they can operate together in a new centre.

“I am so overjoyed for this gift from government. For a long time I wished to operate in a centre like this one,” Monageng said. Currently, Monageng is operating a crèche in a rented house in area.

On Tuesday North West MEC for Social Development Fenny Gaolaolwe unveiled the plaque and cut the ribbon to mark the official opening of the new centre in full view of the beneficiaries.

Delivering her handover speech Gaolaolwe urged residents to take care of the facility and bring more children to the centre.

“The department is geared to achieve the intended purpose, of intervening in the lives of toddlers, between the ages of 0 to 4 years by preparing them mentally and physically for the life that awaits them in the later years. We appeal to all the residents including the local municipality to take care of this centre so that it should last long and benefit many children in this area,” Gaolaolwe said.

Condemning the mushrooming of crèches in the area, Gaolaolwe urged people to stop making business with crèches. She said her department will start to build similar facilities in villages and combine all local crèches into prototype early childhood development centres.

“When we combine these crèches no practitioner will lose her job. All staff members will continue to work in the new centres built by government,” Gaolaolwe said adding that the prototype centres that government has built, have the capacity to cater for more than 150 children and have an open playing ground with equipments, kitchen, waterborne toilets, sick room, staff office, scullery and a store room.

Gaolaolwe said ‘Re a Bopa’ ECD centre is one of the other two centres that the department has built at Matsheng in Taung and Ngobi in Moretele at a cost of R1,5m each. She said the centres were built to address the challenges facing the crèches which fail to comply with the norms and standards of operating a crèche.

Meanwhile Capacity building officer Costa Motsikwe from National Development Agency that served as a disbursing agency said they have already provided training to ten staff members on governance, conflict management, financial management and resource mobilisation. He said the agency will continue to mentor all staff to ensure smooth operation of the centre.
-TDN
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Johannesburg – A 51-year-old woman was injured when she fell down a shaft of an illegal gold mine on a plantation near Nelspruit on Wednesday morning, paramedics said. 

ER24 said its paramedics and an SA Police Service search and rescue team responded to the accident.

“Paramedics and SAPS began setting up their specialised rescue equipment that they would use to lower a paramedic down the 15-metre shaft,” spokesperson Russel Meiring said.
For more http://www.news24.com

Cape Town – The owner of a tavern where a stampede led to the deaths of eight young women has apparently been advised to stay away from his business.

Osi’s Place in Makhaza, Khayelitsha, remains closed as police and the Western Cape Liquor Authority investigate the incident which took place in the early hours of Sunday.
For more http://www.news24.com

Cape Town – Frans Matlala has been appointed as the SABC’s new chief executive officer, saying “I need to acknowledge the honour I’ve been given”.

Frans Matlala, a consultant to the public broadcaster for project management and strategic advisory services, has been a keen supporter of the SABC’s controversial and famously matric-less chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Frans Matlala’s held a number of senior executive positions at places such as Standard Bank, African Life SA, First National Bank and South African Breweries, and lists a graduate diploma in engineering, a B.Sc in chemistry and a M.Sc degree.
For more http://www.news24.com

North West Provincial Legislature’s Standing Committee on Provincial Public Accounts (SCOPA) will hold public hearings on Public Finance Management Act audit outcomes of the financial year 2013/14 for the North West Provincial Council Arts and  Culture Council and North West Transport Investments in Bojanala District Municipal Chamber on Thursday at 09h00.  

The Standing Committee will also hold similar public hearings with the North West Provincial Council on Aids and North West Youth Development Trust on Thursday at Matlosana Municipal  09h00.

“The current board members of the councils, trust and entity together with the Office of the Auditor General will be present at the meetings,” North West Legislature spokesperson Namhla Luhabe said.
-TDN
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BY OBAKENG MAJE
TAUNG- A case against two accused will resume today at Taung Magistrates Court.

Umthuthuzile Kula(22) and Siyabonga Forane(26) were arrested in connection of attempted murder after Taung prosecutor, Sandile Mbogazi(38) was allegedly stabbed.

The atrocity took place a month ago at a local tavern in Rooival village, near Taung.

Two suspects were arrested and briefly appeared before Taung Magistrates Court and will applied for bail.

Mbogazi was stabbed and airlifted to Johannesburg for medical attention.
-TDN
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Cape Town – Amid train delays, cancellations, railway vandalism and carriage robberies, Metrorail announced that it will be increasing the price of tickets from Wednesday.

The decision has been met by a slew of criticism, with unions threatening protest action over the extra financial burden this will place on the service’s 600 000 commuters.

The price of single tickets has risen by between 50c and R1. DA member and labour lawyer Michael Bagraim said it was a big step backwards for Metrorail which has been incrementally improving its services in the Cape Metro since November.
For more http://www.iol.co.za