Picture: North West MEC for Health, Sello Lehari visit a nursing college in Klerksdorp/Supplied
By REGINALD KANYANE
25 October 2024- North West MEC for Health, Sello Lehari has embarked on an oversight visit at a Nursing College in Klerksdorp on 24 October 2024, to confront issues as part of “Re Bona Ka Matlho” service delivery intervention. Lehari’s visit was part of his fact-finding mission on the stalled infrastructure project to renovate the college, which has been underway since 2020.
“The project was initially planned for 24 months to complete, but it is currently standing at 96%. We plead for concomitant action from the management of the department and the college to ensure swift completion of the project.
“It is unacceptable that the department is still sitting with a project almost 8 years later, while it was planned for a mere two years,” he said.
Lehari further said the college was supposed to educate and train nurses, so that upon qualification, they mitigate the shortage of staff experienced in their facilities. He added that it is up to them to ensure that, they change people’s lives, not only in delivering medical services, but by empowering them with quality education.
“A new contractor has been appointed for six months to complete the outstanding 4% of the work. A follow-up visit is planned, where tangible commitments will be undertaken towards completion of the project,” said Lehari.
Picture: The Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Sello Seitlholo visiting a canal, where Sehemo drowned
By BAKANG MOKOTO
25 October 2024- The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Northern Cape said the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), together with local and provincial governments, must adopt a whole of society approach to canal safety in the Phokwane area. This follows two recent drowning incidents in the canal.
The DA’s Constituency Head of Diamond North, who is also Member of Parliament (MP), Lisa Schickerling said they appreciate the Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Sello Seitlholo’s visit to the area over the weekend and his commitment towards amplifying canal safety education.
“After myself, together with DA Provincial Leader, Harold McGluwa, personally extended our condolences to the grieving family members of a boy, Kutlwano Sehemo (13), from Bonita Park Informal Settlement, near Hartwater, who drowned in the Vaalharts main canal, the DA feels strongly that more needs to be done to safeguard the community from further loss of life.
“The DA will engage with the Northern Cape MEC for Education and ask that he works together with Phokwane Local Municipality, to initiate safety programmes at schools in the vicinity of open canals. The municipality should extend awareness campaigns to farming communities, in addition to churches and broader community organisations,” she said.
Schickerling said they will further ask the Northern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA) to engage with the municipality, to determine how underlying issues, such as access to water or the facilitation of safe, public swimming areas, can be better facilitated to prevent communities from relying on the canals in any way.
In addition, she said they would like to see local authorities take responsibility for erecting warning signs in the canal vicinity as a matter of urgency.
“With summer temperatures already being experienced, and the lure of water set to increase substantially as we head towards the hotter months, we hope that solutions will be implemented without delay to help prevent further tragedy, especially in the Hartswater area,” said Schickerling.
Picture: Banyana Banyana players against Namibia/Google
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
25 October 2024 – With the COSAFA Women’s Championship in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, expected to shift a gear in the coming days, coach Maud Khumalo’s youthful squad now shifts their attention to Eswatini in their second match of the regional tournament.
A lone strike from Tshegofatso Motlogelwa settled COSAFA Banyana Banyana’s opening match of the tournament against Namibia on Tuesday and Khumalo will hope her players retain that winning feeling and also find more goals when they meet Eswatini in the second match of Group A at the Wolfson Stadium at 3pm on Friday, 25 October 2024.
Khumalo said their main focus going into today’s group match will be on keeping the winning momentum and securing maximum points.
“We plan to pick up where we left off against Namibia and we need to score goals. It’s more of an emphasis on scoring goals and making sure that we collect maximum points so that we don’t put ourselves under pressure in the group stages and things like that.
“It is more on planning to score more goals, but we are also not going to undermine Eswatini,” she said.
Meanwhile, Banyana Banyana Captain Thalea Smidt said she is proud of the way the team performed against Namibia.
“I think the team did fairly well, I think we got what we set out to do, and the objective was to win. We would have loved to score more goals, however, I think the most important thing for us on the day was getting the three points and we managed to do that.
“We need to make better use of the many opportunities they create and not leave anything to chance. The main focus for us in today’s game is on taking care of the ball more, being more comfortable, not rushing our decisions and most importantly when creating opportunities, to make sure we bury them and be more clinical,” she said.
Picture: The North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng and his delegation/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
25 October 2024- The mother of a child, Rethabile Molapo (11) who was found murdered in Modutung village, near Taung, said she has a low trust in the police. Keneseilwe Jackson said the police showed incompetence and misconduct, while handling the case of Molapo.
Molapo went missing on 13 October 2024, after she was sent to go and fetch a church uniform at their house. However, she was kidnapped by unknown individuals and her charred body was found in a pit toilet at an abandoned house a few days later.
Jackson said there are many contributing factors, including miscommunication, brutality, violations of civil rights and a lack of training.
“The police did not respond timeously to the matter after we reported my child as missing. After the charred body of Rethabile was found in a pit toilet, they took away the shepherd who saw it.
“According to the shepherd, he will not continue to give evidence because the police suffocated him with plastic and used excessive force during questioning. He now fears for his life because he has been assaulted and being treated as a suspect,” she said.
Jackson further said the police also sent her from pillar to post when she was supposed to fetch her daughter’s body after post-mortem. She added that all these have contributed to her distress.
The community of Modutung went berserk and embarked on protest. They killed and torched a woman, Omphile Mothusiemang-Legodu (40), and her house after accusing her of kidnapping Rethabile for ritual purposes.
They also burned her son, Kopano Legodu (22), who is in critical condition in hospital.
However, the Dr Ruth Segopomotsi Mompati District Police Commissioner, Brigadier Tshenolo Tlotleng said they will launch investigations against all the police officers, who were involved in misconduct.
The North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng, who visited both bereaved families said he will lead a Crime Prevention Imbizo in the area as a form of intervention. Morweng said he is saddened by the unfortunate turn of events.
“As government, we have a great interest in the case because of the nature of how the events unfolded. We have resolved to embark on an Imbizo to bring peace, stability and work together with our community in the creation of a safer environment.
“The police are thoroughly handling investigations into the matter to bring justice to the families and the community at large. I continue to urge everyone to remain calm and allow the police to do their work,” said Morweng.
He said he believes that the police will do justice to the case, the district is working together with the province and all hands are on deck. Morweng said investigations are underway, arrests will be made and perpetrators will be brought to book.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Speaker of Greater Taung Local Municipality (GTLM), Grace Moipolai said: “We welcome the resolution of an Imbizo and the awareness campaign will provide much needed insight on the dangers of crime and how the law works.
“There is a recurring trend in the community of Magogong of missing children and subsequently found dead. Last year, we experienced a similar incident. We now find ourselves here again.”
Moipolai said they believe the Imbizo will educate the people on how to go about in dealing with conflict and to desist from lawlessness. She said the Imbizo will be conducted by way of the District Development Model (DDM), to coordinate all spheres of government and ensure effective and efficient service delivery.
24 October 2024 – The Portfolio Committee on Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation met yesterday to receive a briefing from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) and Brand South Africa on their annual report for the financial year 2023/24.
During the meeting, committee members highlighted the challenges faced by Stats SA in the context of South Africa’s socio-economic climate, stressing the need for improved efficiency and the potential exploration of partnerships with private service providers to enhance data collection processes.
The Chairperson of Portfolio Committee, Teliswa Mgweba said discussions amongst the committee members revolved around the reliability of the 2022 census results, with committee members highlighting the importance of accurate demographic data for effective government planning and resource allocation.
“Concerns were raised about the undercounting and biases in the data, particularly regarding mortality and labour statistics. The committee urged Stats SA to consider the release of these critical statistics to enable comparative analysis with existing data.
“The committee voiced its concerns regarding Stats SA’s financial challenges, particularly the absence of a Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The committee highlighted that maintaining an unqualified audit opinion will become increasingly difficult without a CFO as effective financial oversight and accountability are compromised,” she said.
Mgweba further said the matter needs to be addressed speedily to appoint a CFO or look into a secondment to ensure the organisation can navigate its financial landscape more effectively. She added that, the members discussed the necessity of fostering collaboration between Stats SA and the private sector to enhance data collection efforts.
“Suggestions included incentivising participation through business partnerships and potentially offering discounts or rewards to individuals who contribute data. A significant topic of discussion was the merger between Brand SA and Tourism South Africa.
“Some committee members were of the view that there was duplication within the two entities. The committee recognised the potential benefits of a merger in creating a unified approach to promoting the country’s image domestically and internationally,” said Mgweba.
Meanwhile, in its response, Brand SA said there is no duplication and that its mandate is quite clear from Tourism South Africa’s.
Picture: Contaminated water in a canal in Hartswater/Generic
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
24 October 29024- An unlawful disposal of waste and committing an act case against the JB Marks Local Municipality has been postponed until 30 January 2025. It is alleged that the municipality’s action is likely to cause significant pollution.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in North West, Sivenathi Gunya said it is alleged that during September 2019 and April 2020, near Samuel Avenue in Promosa Township, near Potchefstroom, the
The Municipal Manager at JB Marks Local Municipality, William Kgomotso Kumbe, who is the accused, unlawfully and negligently permitted waste to be disposed, of in or any land and waterbody disposal of sewage waste via pipe and trench on the environment and into the Poortjiesdam.
“During the same period, the accused unlawfully and intentionally disposed of waste through a pipe that is likely to cause significant pollution of the environment. The court heard the severe impact the pollution and unlawful disposal of waste has on the community of JB Marks.
“The senior state advocate, Benny Kalakgosi emphasised that the accused violated Section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996, which stipulates that everyone has a right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being,” he said.
Gunya further said Kalakgosi told the court that the accused failed to take reasonable steps to prevent pollution of the environment. He added that the NPA is committed to ensuring that municipalities do not engage in unlawful disposal of waste, including any environmental offences related thereto.
“The NPA is further committed to ensuring that the human rights relating to a clean environment are preserved. The case was postponed until 30 January 2025, for the matter to be transferred to the regional court,” said Gunya.
Picture: Some of the alleged diamond investment scammers/Supplied
By BAKANG MOKOTO
24 October2024- The alleged nine diamond investment scammers, Louis Petrus Liebenberg (60) his wife Desiree Liebenberg (50), Magdelena Petronella Kleynhans (54), Johannes Petrus Badenhorst (41), Helena Dorothea Amy Schulenburg (59), Adriaan Dewald Strydom (35), Christelle Badenhorst (42), Nicolize van Heerden (58) and Walter Niendinger (55), briefly appeared in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court on 23 October 2024.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in Gauteng, Lumka Mahanjana said the accused are facing charges of 42 counts of fraud (alternatively theft), 5 counts of racketeering, 6 counts of money laundering and various statutory offences, including contraventions of the Companies Act.
Mahanjana said more counts will be formulated and added at a later stage.
“It is alleged that Louis Liebenberg registered 15 companies where his ex-girlfriend, Kleynhans and the rest of the accused who are either family members or have close relations, were directors.
“In 2020, Louis Petrus Liebenberg and Magdelena Petronella Kleynhans, registered a company styled Tariomix where they were both directors. Another company, Forever Zircon, was registered in 2021,” she said.
Mahanjana further said both these companies were purportedly involved in buying and selling diamonds. She added that potential investors were lured through social media and radio interviews to invest in the buying and selling of diamonds and were also promised high returns over a short period of time using a cashless platform called AE Switch.
“Thousands of investors made payments into the platform amounting to approximately R4.5 billion. The accused utilised the proceeds of the diamond investment scheme to purchase movable and immovable assets, including 2 mines.
“They also purchased various motor vehicles, to wit a Ford Bakkie, BMW 230i sport, Toyota Agya, Kruger rands and silver coins and pay for Liebenberg’s lavish wedding and honeymoon in Greece,” said Mahanjana.
She said various immovable properties, including an office block was purchased. Mahanjana said when some investors did not receive the promised payments, they became suspicious and reported the matter to the police suspecting that they were defrauded.
“The investigation is conducted by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), together with the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU), Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) and the NPA’s Organised Crime Unit.
“The multi-agency approach to the prosecutor-guided investigations yielded the important breakthrough in this syndicated commercial crime. The matter falls within schedule 5 of the Criminal Procedure Act,” she said.
Mahanjana said, however, the state did not oppose bail in respect of Kleynhans, Schulenburg and Niedinger. She said accused 2 and 4, were released on R20 000, while accused 8 was released on 100 000 with condition that they surrender their passports to the investigating officer.
“The matter has been remanded to 31 October 2024, for a formal bail application in respect of other accused. This case is an example of what can be achieved when stakeholders participate in the fight against organised crime,” said Mahanjana.
Picture: The police seize a pangolin from the suspects/Supplied
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
24 October 2024- Two people who were arrested for dealing in endangered species in terms of the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004, briefly appeared in Mmabatho Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
On 12 October 2024, Odireleng Makutle (22) and Mpho John Lebese (38), were arrested by the members of Mahikeng-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit, after they received a tip-off about two men, who were in possession of a pangolin in Maiyaiyane village and looking for a potential buyer.
The Hawks spokesperson in North West, Warrant Officer Amogelang Malwetse said: “The information was operationalised and on 23 October 2024, the duo was arrested after selling a pangolin to a buyer.
“They appeared in court and were each granted R500 bail. Their matter was postponed to 4 December 2024, for further investigation.”
Picture: The president of RSA, Cyril Ramphosa and Russia president, Vladimir Putin
By REGINALD KANYANE
24 October 2024- The President of Republic of South Africa (RSA), Cyril Ramaphosa congratulated the Russian Federation and President, Vladimir Putin on chairing a successful BRICS Summit, as well as leading them all on adopting an excellent declaration. Ramaphosa said the BRICS Outreach and BRICS Plus engagements are important platforms for developing strong ties among countries from the Greater Global South and emerging markets.
He further said they should use these platforms to foster meaningful engagement. Ramaphosa added they should use the BRICS platform to contribute to the social, economic and cultural development of their people.
“We welcome the Russian initiatives that are aimed at strengthening a number of BRICS countries through the various networks aimed at improving the future of BRICS countries’ transport networks and connectivity under the theme: ‘Innovation and Digitalisation of Transport’.
“This will help us find ways to integrate and deepen our inter-connectedness in new and imaginative ways. Work has already begun in this regard through initiatives like the International North-South Transport Corridor, which is a multimodal transportation corridor established from St Petersburg to Mumbai,” he said.
Ramaphosa said this corridor is an opportunity for this region to unlock new trade flows and trade routes in an increasingly multipolar world. He said on the African continent, the African Continental Free Trade Area will unlock opportunities for trade and investment for local and global businesses.
“It will create a number of opportunities that will lead to an integrated and connected continent. The Single African Air Transport Market is another flagship project of the African Union Agenda 2063.
“This is an initiative of the African Union to create a single unified air transport market in Africa to support the continent’s economic integration. For BRICS and friends of BRICS, we need to use these projects to further connect the greater Global South,” said Ramaphosa.
He said the promotion of greater regional connectivity and trade facilitation can only succeed in an environment of peace and stability. Ramaphosa said South Africa is concerned about the military aggression by Israel against the people of Gaza, which they have characterised as genocide.
“This genocide led South Africa to approach the International Court of Justice with a view to stopping the killing of innocent women and children in Gaza. We believe the world cannot sit by and watch the suffering.
“The world cannot afford a region-wide escalation of the conflict. South Africa has been unwavering in advocating for a two state solution that would see an independent Palestinian state along the borders set out in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he said.
Ramaphosa said this would be in line with UN resolutions, international law and internationally agreed parameters. He said they call on the international community and the UN Security Council in particular to address the spiralling conflict.
“On our own continent, Sudan enters its second year of horrific conflict and devastation. This is another conflict the world seems to have forgotten about. The protracted conflicts in the Sahel and Great Lakes regions in Africa persist.
“We must find lasting solutions to all these conflicts. We must remain committed to the peaceful resolution of all disputes through negotiation and inclusive dialogue. We must safeguard the ability of states to pursue independent foreign policy,” said Ramaphosa.
He said they must safeguard the multilateral system, because it is the cornerstone of international relations, and foster an environment of peace and development. Ramaphosa said existing global institutional mechanisms need to be both strengthened and reformed to play a constructive role in international peace and security.
“We cannot allow conflicts to continue in perpetuity. We need to find paths to peace. In our quest for a more interconnected, just and prosperous world, we have the ability to foster an environment of peace through a focus on sustainable development.
“We must continue to support nations and peoples who seek to end the cycle of conflict and choose the path of peace,” said Ramaphosa.
24 October 2024- The Durban High Court postponed the case against Toshan Panday and eight of his co-accused to 18 November 2024, for Justice Khosi Hadebe to make a ruling on the state’s leave to appeal a court order compelling it to disclose certain information to the accused and on the s342A of the Criminal Procedure Act application by the accused, requesting the court to investigate the alleged unreasonable delays in the case.
The Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) spokesperson, Henry Mamothame said the accused face charges of fraud and corruption relating to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
“Meanwhile, Panday’s tax matter, wherein he is facing 27 tax fraud charges amounting to approximately R7.5 million, also appeared before the Durban High Court.
“The matter was also postponed to 18 November 2024, for the disclosure of the case docket,” he said.
