By Obakeng Maje

The Blue Drop Status that Rustenburg, Matlosana and Tlokwe Local Municipalities have achieved this year should challenge other municipalities across the North West Province to improve the quality of their drinking water, risk management, operations and asset management of their water services, North West Premier Thandi Modise said on Tuesday.

“We wish to single out Tlokwe Local municipality for living up to its motto as “The City of Expertise”. The prestigious status that the municipality was awarded together with Ekurhuleni, City of Johannesburg, Mogale City and Ethekwini as the top 5 highest scoring municipalities in the country has made us proud and set the standard for other municipalities across the country  to emulate,” stressed Premier Modise. 

Modise said that her administration is impressed that most Water Services Authorities(WSA’s) have showed improvement in their 2012 Blue Drop results compared to 2011. The average Provincial Blue Status score increased from 62, 25% in 2011 to 78,7% this year. A total of 82% of WSA scored over 50% as compared to 55% in the previous assessment.

Tlokwe was awarded a platinum status as it has retained its blue drop status for the fourth successive year since 2009.

Meanwhile, Premier Modise has noted efforts by the Department of Water Affairs to work closely with Tswaing, Ramotshere Moiloa and Ratlou Local Municipalities to bring water quality in the respective municipalities up to standard.

Communities in Delareyville, Sannieshof, Dinokana, Lehurutshe, Motswedi,Gopane Kraaipan, Madibogo, Madibogopan have been informed not to drink the tap water without improving the quality first by either boiling or using other methods of purification.

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BY Obakeng Maje

Mmakau Police are looking for two suspects after the body of a 13-year-old boy, Neo Ramaswe, was discovered on Sunday afternoon North West police said.

“It is alleged that the boy went missing last week on Thursday. He was last seen by his friends talking with two unknown males, after playing soccer” Captain Amanda Funani said.

“According to information received by the police, the mother of the boy went looking for him at nearby relatives. When she could not find him there,  she reported him missing to the police on Saturday” She asserted.

“Neo’s young lifeless body was discovered on Sunday in an open field at Mmakau Village in Section Block 7, close to his home and the following body parts were cut off: throat, tongue and kidneys and the skin from his face” Funani outlined. 

At this stage it is suspected that Neo was killed for “muti”purposes and a murder case are being investigated.

Cape Town – Convicted killer Zulpha Jacobs threatened to kill her two-year-old son Taariq shortly before she took him to a bushy area in Mitchells Plain and smothered him to death in the sand.

He had been crying for porridge when she made the threat which she later carried out.

This emerged in the Western Cape High Court when Jacobs entered into a plea and sentence agreement with the State on Monday.

As part of the deal, Jacobs was sentenced to 20 years in jail for premeditated murder and two years for defeating the ends of justice. The sentences are to run concurrently.

Jacobs admitted that she and Taariq were in the kitchen of her friend’s Beacon Valley house around 8am on December 29.

Taariq had started crying because he wanted porridge and Jacobs shouted at him, saying there was no more porridge.

Her friend overheard her telling him, “I wish you can get out of my life. You make my life miserable. Ek maak jou sommer vrek. (I could just kill you),” Jacobs said.

Shortly thereafter, Jacobs took him to a deserted area in some bush close to Riley Road in Beacon Valley and killed him.

“She covered him with a jacket and covered his feet with newspaper,” the plea reads.

Jacobs then left her son in the bush and went to the Mitchells Plain police station to report that he had gone missing from the Town Centre shopping complex.

A large-scale community and police search ensued and Taariq’s body was found on December 31.

Jacobs was arrested and held in custody for nearly a year because she did not apply for bail in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court.

After she was sentenced, her lawyer, Mornay Calitz, read a candid letter, which had been handwritten by Jacobs. In it she apologised to her family and her in-laws for the pain and suffering she had caused them and asked that they forgive her for taking Taariq’s life.

“I was not thinking clearly ’cause I had no-one to turn to, so I thought by doing that to Taariq it will be the best for him. But it still doesn’t give me the right to do what I did. I am his mother, I was supposed to love and protect him but I chose the easy way out. Instead I have hurt the person who didn’t do anything to me,” Jacobs said in the letter.

She also said that she wanted her family and the Jacobs family to forgive each other so that everyone could move on with their lives.

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By Obakeng Maje

North West Police  arrested one suspect on allegations of car hijacking in Phokeng.

“According to the information we received the victim offered three  suspects a lift at the Impala Shaft road” Captain Makau said.

“Along the way one of the suspects threatened him with a firearm and instructed him to get out of the vehicle” She continues.

The vehicle was later recovered and one of the suspects was arrested and the other two suspects are still at large.

No injuries were sustained.

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BY Obakeng Maje

In Lichtenburg police have opened another inquest case where 24 passengers from Verdwaal near Itsoseng were  involved in a car accident.

“They were travelling in a double cab when their car overturned. It is alleged that the driver lost control of his vehicle and he died on the scene as well as a passenger” Captain Pelonomi Makau.

“It is reported that victims were on their way to a soccer match in  Boikhutso near Lichtenburg. Victims who were seriously injured were taken to a nearby hospitals for treatment” She said.

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By Obakeng Maje

Shweize Reneke-Police in Ipelegeng near Sweizer Reneke have opened a case of Inquest after a 49 year old man from Amalia lost control of his vehicle on the Amalia and Shweizer Reneke  road on Sunday.  

“The driver died on the scen and the cause of the accidents is still unknown” Captain Pelonomi Makau said.

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BY Obakeng Maje

The South African Football Association (SAFA) President has sent his condolences to the families of four Polokwane City players that passed away in a horrific car accident just outside Polokwane late yesterday (11 November 2012).

In a message to the players’ families and friends, SAFA President Kirsten Nematandani said life was too precious to be lost ‘just like that’ and that coming soon after the passing away of Bafana Bafana assistant coach, Thomas Madigage in another road accident; this incident was difficult to grasp.

“One life lost is devastating and to lose four young lives is sad, painful and difficult for relatives, friends and the South African football fraternity.

“We just buried our assistant coach who died in similar circumstances and for such a horrific accident to happen a few weeks later, brings to fore a lot of questions. We need to be careful on the roads because precious lives are being lost needlessly,” said SAFA President, Nematandani.

The police have released the names of the deceased. They are Koketso Takalo, Robert Mphuti, Moeketsi Nthete and Silvester Mpaketsane.

Meanwhile, the SAFA President said he wished the injured speedy recovery.

“To those who are battling injuries in hospital, our prayers go to them to get well soon,” he said.

The accident happened soon after Polokwane City had played to a 1-1 draw with Atlie FC, formerly FC AK at the University of Limpopo in a First Division encounter.

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