Following his team’s 3-0 thrashing of Bidvest Wits in the Nedbank Cup, Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter has warned that it is far too early for the Glamour Boys to pop the champagne.

Amakhosi have in the past few seasons found the going tough in this Cup and were the victims of small teams, but against Wits they were in familiar territory.

A strong Absa Premiership side, particularly one that accounted for Amakhosi’s scalp in the Telkom Knockout last year, was just the sort of challenge to inspire a magnificent performance, and Chiefs emphatically did that.

“I was very pleased with the performance of the players. We took 10-15 minutes to settle in. We used a different system that we worked about four hours on and I think the players played the system very well,” said Baxter.

Two first half goals from defenders Siboniso Gaxa and Morgan Gould and a third from substitute Mandla Masango saw Chiefs cruise to a convincing win.

On Friday, 2012 losing finalists Mamelodi Sundowns needed a goal in the dying minutes of extra time to beat Ajax Cape Town and progress to the last eight stage of the competition. Left back Tebogo Langerman fired Pitso Mosimane’s side into the lead.

Meanwhile Chippa United carried their miserable league form into Cup football when they were dumped out of the competition by National First Division side United FC. Former Chiefs striker Lucky Khune scored in extra-time to hand Dan Malesela’s side a 3-2 victory.

There were no nasty surprises for Golden Arrows, who beat Vardos FC at Makhulong Stadium to book their place. Manqoba Mngqithi’s boys demolished the Tembisa side 4-0.

Defending champions SuperSport United needed the lottery of the penalty shoot-out against Moroka Swallows to move to the last 16. Swallows defender Roger Da Costa missed his penalty and Bradley Grobler scored United’s fifth penalty to knock Zeca Marques’ side out.

The game between Maritzburg United and University of Pretoria also needed penalties to decide the winner. Cuthbert Malajila was the hero for the Team of Choice.

North West Premier Thandi Modise has pledged that her administration is to spend over R1, 2 billion in the new financial on creation of viable human settlements as part of social infrastructure investment.

Reaffirming the change of the paradigm from provision of housing to creation of sustainable human settlements in her State of the Province Address, Premier Modise pronounced that the R1,2 billion is to be spend on construction of  15230 housing units across her province.In outlining housing delivery targets for the new financial year and reporting on the delivery of 12 housing units for the 2012/2013 financial year, Modise said that Community residential units modelled along the one build in Ikageng township in Tlokwe Local Municipality are to be build to increase social housing rental housing stock across 13 municipalities in the province.

She said that eight municipalities have been assisted in reviewing their housing sector plans.The process is to be completed before the end of the current financial year.

NWest intensifies rollout of school sports, sports infrastructure and recreational facilities Six hundred schools are to benefit from the joint school sports programme to be rolled out by the Provincial Department of Sport,Arts and Culture and the Department of Education in the new financial year, North West Premier Thandi Modise has revealed.

The development of a multi-sport facility in Ngaka Modiri Molema District and major revamp of Itsoseng Stadium to make it usable and safe to host major games were some of the projects that were announced by Premier Modise during her state of the Province Address on Friday.

While Pudimoe and Letsopa libraries are to be completed next month, the Premier also reported that sports complexes that are under construction in Manthe and Mamusa and libraries in Lomanyaneng, Gannalagte and Tlokweng will be completed in the new financial year.

NW to expand Early Childhood Development programme to rural communities

The North West Province will be expanding access to Early Child Development(ECD) 

 Centres to children in rural areas in order to reach 29,6 % of children between 0-4 years who do not have no access to the ECD 

 programmes.

This pronouncement on the extension of the primary service to improve quality of EDC Centres was made by Premier Thandi Modise in her State of the Province Address delivered in the provincial legislature on Friday.

Premier Modise reported that of the 

404 347 children between the ages 0-4,only 26,4 percent of the children who are supposed to be at ECD Centres have access to the programme.

To address this challenge, Modise said that the partnership that the Department of Education had established with the National Development Agency will be strengthened with the involvement of the Department of Social Development and Ilifa Labantwana (a national ECD programme) to expand ECD centres to rural areas.

Modise also highlighted that the ECD subsidy has been increased from R12.00 to R15.00 per child per day and support was also provided to ECD practitioners through the development of the ECD capacity building plan and training on regulatory framework.

Nutrition programmes are also used as a value-added measure for growth and wellness of children.

Premier Modise prioritises school infrastructure and sanitation in needy schools

The provision of school infrastructure to support the learning process and sanitation in needy schools are  to be prioritised through Premier Special Projects as North West Premier Thandi Modise focuses on infrastructure to support education as a key priority area.

“In the next financial year, we will continue to provide schools with requisite infrastructure by providing sanitation, fencing, recapitalisation of technical schools, water, renovations and extensions to improve the conditions of our mud schools, “Premier Modise announced during the State of the Province Address delivered on Friday.

Modise reported that eradication of mud schools has been a significant effort in the education infrastucture.

About 3 172 jobs were created through education infrastructure projects.

  These projects include the eradication of mud schools and constructon of thirteen schools, six in Ngaka Modiri Molema District, three in Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and Dr. Ruth Segomotsi Mompati districts respectively and one in Bojanala Platinum District. 

By Obakeng Maje

Mmabatho-Police are investigating a case of murder after a 21 year old man was stabbed to death on Saturday Phola village. 

“The victim was found lying dead in a pool of blood with stab wounds on a head” colonel Emelda Setlhako.

“The victim was transported to Mahikeng Provincial Hospital where he passed away” Setlhako. 

The suspects are unknown and investigation continues. 

Anyone with information that can lead to the arrest of the suspects can contact Mmabatho police on 018 387 7558.

By Obakeng Maje

Itsoseng-North West police registered a case of murder of a 44 year old man on Saturday. “According to information the victim was brought to Itsoseng clinic by unknown men” colonel Emelda Setlhako said. 

“The victim sustained a stabbed wound on the left side of his chest and died on his arrival” police said. Investigations continue. 

Anyone with information that can lead to the arrest of the suspects can contact Itsoseng Police Station on (018) 338-0000/3032.

The construction of Brits hospital has reached 96% towards completion and will be ready for use soon.Plans for staff accommodation have also been finalised, North West Premier Thandi Modise has declared. Premier Modise said the province has made significant inroads with upgrade of infrastructure development in hospitals, Nursing colleges and health centres. “The extensions of Mmabatho and Excelsius nursing colleges are underway. The planning of Moses Kotane, Potchefstroom, Lichtenburg and Taung nursing schools are at an advanced stages” the Premier said in her State of the Province Address which marked official opening of the Provincial Legislature in Mmabatho on Friday.

Through the Hospital Revitalization Programme the province has managed to source funds for construction of 10 community health centres, Modise said.

A total of R478 million has been set aside for the construction of new psychiatric hospital in Mahikeng and the project is expected to be completed in the next 24 months.

Initially the plan was to construct a 648 beds hospital, but following extensive consultation with mental health experts and recommendations by World Health Organization a decision was reached to downsize psychiatric hospital in favour of community based psychiatric health care facilities.

“This will increase access to mental health care services and also boost chances of psychiatric patients to respond to treatment as they will be treated and cared next to home.” She highlighted

The province will still meet the target of 648 psychiatric beds. About 384 beds will be at the hospital and the remaining beds will be spread across four districts of the province.  

The North West province has seen 20% improvement in Tuberculosis (TB) treatment outcome in the past four years, Premier Thandi Modise has revealed..

“The Tuberculosis treatment outcome improved from 40.3% in 2009 to 69.8% in 2012. Patients defaulting TB treatment have seen a sharp decrease from 10.8% to 7.8%” Modise said during her delivery of State of the Province Address in Mmabatho on Friday.

The TB treatment outcome is amongst the best in country, she said

She thanked a dedicated team of health professionals in Klerksdorp Tshepong Hospital Complex’s TB Unit for successfully curing first Extreme Drug Resistant (XDR) TB patient in the country. This was confirmed by the National Department of Health’s Communicable Disease Directorate.

“All fixed health facilities in the province are providing HIV Counselling and testing. This has resulted in 1398 Community Counsellors receiving stipend.

“We have seen the number of caregivers receiving stipend increasing from 4050 in 2009 to 6439 in 2012 inclusive of Caregivers benefiting from the EPWP Incentive Grant” Premier Modise said.

The annual HIV prevalence survey among pregnant women, showed a slight decline in the province, from 30% to 29.6 %, in the year 2009 and 2010 respectively.

By Obakeng Maje

Brits-Police are investigating a case of murder,attempted business robbery and armed robbery North West police said. 

“This is after a man was shot dead on Saturday when six men attempted to rob Brits Hardware” colonel Emelda Setlhako said. 

“It is alleged that six suspects entered Brits Hardware armed with what looked like AK 47 assault rifles” Setlhako said. 

The police said the suspects demanded cash while some of them were waiting outside.  

“According to information received, one customer was also outside talking on his cellphone and the suspects thought he was calling the police and shot him on his head killing him instantly” she said. 

The suspects fled the scene in a bakkie with unknown registration numbers. 

Investigation continues.