The North West Provincial Government is to host a one day Clean Audit Indaba to assist provincial departments, municipalities and entities in the province to achieve clean audit by 2014. The summit hosted by the Provincial Department of Finance and the Office of the Premier is scheduled to commence at the Mmabatho Civic Centre on Thursday.  

“The recent provincial audit outcome for provincial departments, municipalities and entities is a matter of great concern to provincial government considering that we are left with few months before the realisation of 2014 clean audit. As government we believe that the situation can be turned around and is not all doom and gloom,” said Finance MEC Paul Sebegoe.

Keystakeholders expected tp arrend the event at which Premier Thandi Modise will deliver the keynote address include among others EXCO members, Mayors, SALGA and the Auditor General.

The programme for the Indaba includes presentations on Auditor General’s 2011/12 Audit Outcomes, Initiatives towards Clean Audit (SALGA, Local Government and Finance), messages of support by Chairpersons of Provincial Legislure Finance Portfolio Committee & SCOPA and signing of a commitment pledge.

Communities need to be educated on conditions that parolees have to adhere to so that they should assist correctional services to monitor parolees and be involved in processes to

  integrate them 

 in society, North West Acting Premier Raymond Elisha

In his speech delivered at the Anti-crime Interdenominational prayer held at the Bakgatla Ba-Mmakau Tribal Kgotla recently, Acting Premier Elisha called for united action to uproot the scourge of rape.

Elisha said that violence against women cannot be tolerated in our free and democratic society and that the significant event has fostered a strong commitment to placing the importance of fighting against this scourge.

“Perpetrators of heinous crime against women and children do not live somewhere in the outer space on some planet. They live in homes and are our children, brothers, uncles, cousins and our neighbours .Those of us who are well aware of their nefarious activities should blow the whistle on them to ensure that they are removed from society,” highlighted Elisha.

   The prayer and commemoration service for divine intervention was aimed at mobilising the community for a partnership against crime which in recent months have claimed the lives of 11-year old rape victim Ofentse Mogale and 13-year-old muti killing victim Neo Ramaswe.

The acting Premier used the opportunity to visit the Mogale, Ramaswe families and that of a 92-year- old granny who was repeatedly raped by a parolee who has since been arrested to convey the condolences and sympathies of the provincial government. Ofentse Mogale was allegedly also raped and murdered by a parolee.

Elisha committed that the provincial government would engage the control prosecutor at Ga-Rankuwa Magistrates Court for the case involving the 92 year old granny to be brought forward for trial and that the area would be prioritised for distribution of whistles and perpersprays to elderly women who are staying on their own.

Madibeng Local Councillor Rantji Chidi and priests who were part of the prayer day attributed the escalating housebreaking and crime in the area to proliferation of the Nyaope drug among youth.

By Obakeng Maje

Potchefstroom-The Democratic Alliance has referred a forensic report on corruption involving Tlokwe Mayor Maphetle Maphetle to Public Protector Thuli Madonsela for investigation. 

The report found the council allegedly irregularly bought a R736 000 customized Mercedes Benz for Mayor Maphetle. It recommends the formal disciplinary action against the mayor and officials.

“The report finds the Mayor to be involved in fraudulently siphoning R300 000 from the municipality’s Poverty Relief Fund to sponsor a jazz festival” DA Juanita Terblanche said.

“Further abuse of the Disaster Management Fund by Mayor Maphetle are also documented by forensic auditors” Terblanche continues.

These findings show that the Mayor was led by personal gain to abuse funds to assist impoverished residents and deal with disasters such as shack fires she said.

“The DA commissioned the forensic audit as part of the party’s campaign against corruption during our short time in charge of Tlokwe” said Terblanche.

The opposition party said ANC caucus resoundingly voted Mayor Maphetle back into power despite serious corruption allegations against him.

“We have no confidence in the ANC’s Tlokwe leadership to deal with these forensic findings in an appropriate and legal way” DA said.

“The DA trusts that the Public Protector will come to fair conclusion about the suitability of Mr Maphetle to hold office and the ANC’s overall mismanagement of Tlokwe municipal funds”.

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By Obakeng Maje

Potchefstroom-North West Department of Health rubbish the rumours that were going around regarding closing down of Anti-Drug facility, located at Witrand Potchefstroom.

Democratic Alliance in North West released a statement confirming the closing down of the centre after some squabbles between department of health and Social Development.

DA Chris hattingh said the centre is critical in continuing fight against drug addiction, especially rife in the youth community concentrated in the educational hub, Potchefstroom, where a number of drug peddlers, including Nigerians, have been arrested recently. 

“The North West Department of Health is disturbed by media reports which suggests that the Witrand Drug Rehabilitation Center has been closed and patients are not receiving the service. After engaging all the stakeholders involved including the District, our sister Department of Social Development and the hospital, the Department can confirm that the Rehab Unit in Witrand is not closed” 

“The unit is running, fully functional and continues to render services according to its mandate, which is dual diagnosis treatment since 2010. Dual diagnosis treatment is when a client uses drugs/ substances and has psychiatric diagnosis. Social Development on the other hand is solely responsible for a single diagnosis treatment (Substance dependence/ abuse)” department spokesperson Tebogo Lekgethwane said.

“We do however admit that there has been challenges pertaining to payment between Health and Social Development. However, the challenges never at any point necessitated closing the center. It has always been a norm that, when the Department of Health renders a single diagnosis treatment, services are paid for by the department requesting the service” He said.  

A meeting was held between the two Department to resolved challenges of mutual interest. 

“The North West Department of Social Development today(three weeks ago) acknowledged to a meeting of the NW Social Development Portfolio Committee, that they have closed down the only state Drug Rehabilitation facility in the North West Province after a funding dispute with a sister Department, The NW Department of Health” said DA Chris Hattingh. 

However, the department refutes the claim and said the Rehab Unit is running and there are systems in place for referral of patients with single diagnosis should they mistakenly land in the Witrand Outpatient Department.  

“In this case, they are referred to the Service Point of the Department of Social Development at Dassierand around Potchefstroom. Patients are therefore continuing to receive dual diagnosis treatment at the Rehab Unit” Lekgethwane outlines.

“We can also confirm that this is the only Government institution in the province offering such a service hence we cannot close the center” he said.  

Other such services are however available in the private sector health facilities in the province he continues.

DA said in their statement that they will pursue the re-opening of the centre, Witrand Drug Rehabilitation Facility.

“Drug peddlers, including Nigerians, have been arrested recently after they took advantage of the situation” Hattingh said.

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