A man (36) has been sentenced to life imprisonment for rape by the Ditsobotla Magistrate’s Court in Itsoseng on 8 June 2022. According to the evidence presented in court, on 9 December 2019, Reginald Medupe Pholoholo attacked and assaulted the victim with his fists, then threw her on the ground and ultimately raped her.
The incident took place in Mareetsane village, near Sannieshof.
North West police spokesperson, Col Adele Myburgh said: “Subsequently, a case of rape was registered leading to the arrest of Pholoholo two days after the incident was reported. Upon sentencing the convict, the court declared him unfit to possess a firearm in terms of Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act No. 60 of 2000),” she said.
Meanwhile, the North West Police Comissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena lauded the Investigating Officer, Sergeant Tshepiso Herbert Makunye of the Mmabatho Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit and other role players including prosecution for securing this sentence.
Kwena said the police will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide are brought to book.
Picture: A local philanthropist, Mothusi Dikwelane along with learners/Supplied
By REGINALD KANYANE
A local philanthropist, Mothusi Dikwelane from Ntswanahatse village, near Taung said sports plays a crucial role in developing the mind-set of learners. Dikwelane, who organised soccer and netball tournament competitions for under 15s at three schools, said he is also using sports to discourage learners against the use of drugs.
“Even though sports have been viewed as a way to stay healthy and fit, its importance goes beyond that. I have organised these tournaments because I know that sports help in the overall development of learners. Remember, playing sports teaches lessons of life such as teamwork, accountability, self-confidence, responsibility, and self-discipline.
“So, I came up with this idea after realising that young people are not fully participating in various codes of sports. The other reason, sports can assist our young people to stay away from drug and alcohol abuse, including crime,” he said.
Dikwelane further said three schools such as Moitsemang, Motlhamare and Moncho Primary participated in these tournaments. He added that Taung has an abundance of talent, but it should be nurtured earlier.
“I’ve seen that, in Taung and other areas, there is a high rate of drug abuse by very young boys and girls. So, I want to take part in fighting that. These competitions were supposed to take place back in 2019, but we were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am planning to embark on this initiative atleast twice a year, where we will have indoor games. This will include other sporting codes too and we will bring on more primary schools to participate. So many schools across the Sub-region showed interest and we hope to make it bigger and better next time,” said Dikwelane.
He added: “I’ve got a bigger picture regarding this initiative and I’d like to turn it into an annual event like we do with the Mothusi Dikwelana Annual Sports Tournament in Ntswanahatshe village, near Taung during September. So more details will be revealed soon on how we are going to tackle this and we are grateful that teachers and learners from all three schools praised us.”
“The Motlhamare Primary School were winners of both soccer and netball tournaments, while Moitsemang Primary School came second in both netball and soccer tournaments respectively. The winners scooped a soccer kit, trophy and ball. I am pleading with individuals or business people to support this initiative and contribute in nurturing our youngsters.”
Meanwhile, since last year, the Department of Education gazetted that schools could resume contact sports and non-contact sports. The DBE spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga said in a statement: “The physical education, extracurricular activities and inter-school, district, provincial and national school sport tournaments are, among others, permitted to resume without any spectators.
“However, the organisers and participants are still required to ensure compliance with hygiene and safety measures aimed at preventing and combating the spread of COVID-19. Co-curricular and enrichment activities in the context of care and support are intended to support and augment curriculum implementation in and outside the school.”
Mhlanga said these activities play a significant role in providing a useful diversion from undesirable and destructive behaviour amongst the learners. He said these programmes also allow vulnerable learners to form healthy relationships with supportive peers and adults and ultimately are empowered to develop community networks.
The Director for Sport and Enrichment in Education, Mr Sifiso Ngobese, indicated that the resumption of school sport has been highly anticipated in the Basic Education Sector. “But, it remains the responsibility of every province, district and school to prevent the resurgence of COVID-19 amongst participants. On that note, the DBE outlined critical safety measures to be considered when resuming sport activities.
“The DBE will conduct consultation meetings with the relevant officials across all nine provinces to develop a proper plan and strategies for effective resumption of sport activities. I am glad that finally the Minister has given a directive in terms of how school sport activities should unfold in the context of COVID-19. I therefore encourage officials at provincial level down to school level to assist the government in the fight against the resurgence of Coronavirus.”
Picture: The Lesedi Building Storage in Taung/Obakeng Maje
By OBAKENG MAJE
The small scale farmers in Taung are up in arms and demand that the North West MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Desbo Mohono release the alleged forensic report that implicates many politicians over the ‘illegal’ leasing of Lesedi Building Storage facility.
One of the farmers, Aobakwe Gaobuse alleged that some politicians conspired with the departmental officials and hijacked the building, before illegally leasing it to unsuspecting tenants. The agitated Gaobuse said the storage facility was built during the former homeland, Bophuthatswana government to be utilised by small scale farmers.
“As the small scale farmers in Taung, we lack proper storage facilities and this has severely affected our businesses. Our products deteriorate before it could even reach the consumer because of some shenanigans taking place here.
“Currently, some government officials are outsourcing this facility and swindling money from unsuspecting tenants. What is inconsolable is that, there was an investigation conducted to probe the matter. We understand that the forensic investigation was completed and its results were handed over to the office of the MEC,” he said.
Gaobuse alleged that Mohono refuses to release the report for public scrutiny because it implicates many politicians who have been involved in corrupt activities. He further said, they want the report to be made public so that they can lay criminal charges against those involved.
“We have given those who occupied the facilities an ultimatum. They need to vacate the facility or else. These unbecoming actions have affected many local farmers. We want to see our co-operatives properly functioning and growing.
“To all those tenants, who have been occupying this facility, they are doing so illegally. Now, we want to utilise this facility, so they should vacate them. Again, there was a former Chief Director from the department, who illegally leased this building for over 20 years and swindled money from unsuspecting tenants. Unfortunately, he resigned after being implicated in the forensic report,” said Gaobuse.
However, the North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development spokesperson, Emelda Setlhako refuted these allegations and described them as absurd. Setlhako said the department is not coercing any farmer to pay rent for the storage.
“None of the individuals currently utilising the storage facility are paying rent to the department. There is no rental money being paid into the department’s official account, unless being paid illegally to some individuals outside or within the department without our knowledge.
“If this is truly happening, then individuals with that information should come forward to substantiate these allegations. As far as the department is concerned, there was no forensic investigation conducted and anyone with information regarding this allegation, is free to approach us and furnish details pertaining to the investigation in question,” she said.
Setlhako said any evidence to substantiate these allegations should be forwarded to the department to investigate.
Picture: Vaaltar FM presenter, Michael “King Mike SA” Thebe/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
A Vaaltar FM juggernaut radio personality, Michael “King Mike SA” Thebe said, he wants to use radio as his oyster to leave an indelible mark in this world. Thebe, who presents a weekend breakfast show called Rise and Shine from 6am- 9am, said it is not easy nowadays to keep your listeners tuned in because of high competition and internet.
“As a presenter, one should be versatile and well-informed to keep your listeners intrigued. Bring your show to life and inspire your listeners. I am presenting one of the most awe-inspiring shows at Vaaltar FM. So, I always ensure that I paint pictures with words to captivate my audience.
“Remember, radio is a theatre of the mind and as a kid, I listened to it. I always had dreams, but being a radio presenter was not part of them. However, that changed over the years and I’ll safely say I am now more passionate about listening to the radio more than watching TV,” he said.
King Mike SA (34), who was born in Austrey village near Ganyesa said he was inspired by the late Chris Matshaba to become a radio presenter.
“I fell in love with Matshaba’s radio skills, creativity and since then, I also saw myself as a radio presenter. As a typical boy from the deep rural area, that kept my spirit alive and described my passion. I had always been a music fanatic from a tender age and I read a lot.
“So, I use music, reading and researching as my daily dose. I am very patient and a go-getter as I strive to make life better for me and those around me. I was raised by a single parent and that inspired me to work harder in life. I am currently a full time employee at the North West Department of Health, however, I would love to venture into business one day and own radio station including the King Mike SA brand,” he said.
King Mike SA further said he was grateful when Vaaltar FM gave him a platform to become a presenter. He added that even though it was not easy, atleast he found individuals like the late Tshepang Seelo, who nurtured him to become the best presenter.
“I went through auditions back in 2015 and I was the second-best presenter after Seelo. Even though I had self-doubts when I started, I was fortunate enough to meet people who assisted me to grow. I was grateful to find my niche as my confidence grew over the years.
“So, to those aspiring radio presenters, it does not happen overnight to become a great radio presenter. One needs to hone his/her radio presenting skills and improve their show by engaging with your audience. Well, there are many challenges because the radio industry is unpredictable,” said King Mike SA.
He said usually there are no show producers at most community radio stations and that means as a presenter, you need to master the art of doing everything alone. King Mike SA said even though he struggled a lot at first to put all that together, he had learnt to master those skills over the years.
Picture: The man who was found walking along the road/Supplied
By REGINALD KANYANE
The police urge community members to assist them to locate the family of mentally disabled man. According to the North West police spokesperson, Col Adele Myburgh, the farmer allegedly saw a man walking next to the road in Piet Plessis and gave him a lift.
“The police request community’s assistance with regard to a male, who doesn’t know his family/relatives. He also is not certain of his own name and according to the local clinic he is believed to be mentally disabled.
On 8 June 2022, one of the farmers from Piet Plessis brought a lost person to the police station.
“According to the farmer, he saw the man walking next to the road and gave him a lift. Upon enquiring where he should leave him, the man could not respond. He was then taken to the police station at Piet Plessis. Any person with information on the whereabouts of his family/relatives can contact Constable Shuping on 0796788588 or your closest police station,” she said.
Picture: The body of deceased with tattoo found in Ottoshoop/Supplied
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
The police request community assistance in identifying an unknown man found dead by a passer-by on 2 June 2022 next to R49 road near Ikhayalami Farm, near Ottoshoop.
The North West police spokesperson, Col Adele Myburgh said: “The deceased is estimated to be between the age of 30 and 35. He has a tattoo on his lower left arm, written Mosweu Nebo.
“The deceased was wearing blue jeans, a purple vest and tekkies. At this stage, no foul play is suspected and an inquest is under investigation. Anyone with information that can assist the police in identifying this man is requested to contact the Investigating Officer, Constable Tumelo Molatlhegi on 082 373 9830.”
Senepe: Baagi ba Tlapeng ba tsenetse kopano ya pulo ya moepo/Obakeng Maje
Ka OBAKENG MAJE
Kgosi-kgolo ya Batlhaping Baga-Maidi kwa Taung, Kgosi Nnyoko Charles Motlhabane, o ne a tsweleditse metsele-tsele kwa metsaneng yotlhe e e welang mo tlase ga taolo ya bogosi jwa Baga-Maidi mo bekeng eno.
Seno, se tla morago ga gore morafe wa Batlhaping Baga-Maidi o tsene mo tumalanong ya go ka tshimolola moepo mo metsaneng ya bone ka go farologana.
Motlhabane, o tshimolotse loeto la gagwe kwa Tlapeng le kwa Matsheng, mme mo letsatsing la gompieno, o ne a etetse motsana wa Kokomeng ga mmogo le wa Khudutlou. Go ya ka Motlhabane, lefatshe la Baga-Maidi, le na le dimenerale ditshwana le gauta, ditaemane, iron ore ga mmogo le letlapa le le dirang disemente.
Jaanong go kaiwa fa seno se tlile go ka ungwela baagi ba metsana ele 12 e e mo tlase ga segosi sa Baga-Maidi.
“Jaaka re le segosi sa Baga-Maidi, re ile ra itemogela mo nakong e e fetileng gore metsana ya rona ena le dimenerale tse di farologaneng jaaka ditemane, gauta, iron ore ga mmogo le letlapa le le dirang semente.
“Jaanong, ka se sebaka, ditlankana tse re di tshwereng (mining permit) di mo maineng a morafe. Re kopane le dikgetlho pele ga re ka bona ditlankana tse tsa moepo, gonne re ne re lwantshiwa ke batho ba ba nang le madi,” Motlhabane wa tlhalosa.
Motlhabane o kaile fa le morago ga go bona ditlankana tse, go ne ga nna thata gore ba bone ba beeletsi segolo thata jang mo lephateng la ditemane, gonne le laolwa ke batho bangwe ba ba rileng. A re o batla go bona fa dimenerale tsotlhe tse di mo metsaneng ya Baga-Maidi di ungwela baagi ka go farologana.
“Ke batla go e totobatsa gore dimenerale tse, ga se tsa ga ope mme ke morafe fela ka nosi o tshwanetse ke go ka ungwelwa. Jaanong, re sentse rele mo legatong la go ka totobatsa fa dimenerale tse re nang le tsone di ka re kgontsha gore re tshimolole ka moepo (exploration processes).
“Ke ntse ke tsenya dikopano le baagi, mme fela jaaka o itse gore mathata ga nke a tlhokega. Se ke tla se itumelelang ke tirisano-mmogo le go bona moruo wa lefatshe la rona o ungwela morafe,” Motlhabane wa tlhalosa.
Motlhabane o kaile fa ba setse ba thapile setlamo sa Maubane Mineral Resources go ka tsweletsa tiro eno.
Mokaedi kwa setlamong sa Maubane Mineral Resources, Karabo Maubane yo o kaileng fa go tshimolola moepo ele kgwetlho are, ba tlile go ka tshimolola ka ditlhotlhomiso tsa bone le go romela baitsanape mo go tsa moepo go ka tla go netefatsa boleng jwa dimenerale pele ba ka tshimolola ka moepo.
“Se se tshwanetsweng ke go ka dirwa ke go dira ditlhotlhomiso gore a dimenerale tse di leng teng mo lefatsheng le, a di tla letla gore moepo o nne teng le gore o ka tsaya nako e kae. Morago ga moo,ke gone re tla tlhalosetsang morafe wa Baga-Maidi ka ditlhabololo tse re tlileng go ka di dira mo metsaneng ya bone,” Maubane wa tlhalosa.
Kgabagare, baagi bangwe ba ne ba kgoreletsa kopano. Mongwe wa baeteledipele wa baagi, Lebogang Dansen wa tlhalosa: “Bothata ke gore kgosi ga dira dikopano le morafe ka tsela e e siameng. Mo nako e e fetileng re dumalane le bogosi, mme ra tsaya tshwetso (resolution) e e siameng, moo ga ba ga dirwa ditlhotlhomiso tse di shupang gore ditemane di teng ke makgoa mangwe a ne a epa fa.
“Jaanong dipatlisiso tseo, di ne tsa supa fa lefatshe la rona le siametse go ka tsweletsa moepo. Mme ga jaana re maketse fa kgosi a re re tshwanetse go tlogela setlamo sengwe se tle go epa nakwana (exploration) pele ga moepo o ka tshimolola.”
Densen are kepo ya nakwana ga e tle go ungwela morafe. Are morafe o ne wa latlhegelwa ke ditemane mo nakong e e fetileng morago ga go tlogela setlamo sengwe se epa mo motseng wa bone.
“Jaanong, kgosi o fetotse tumalano, mme ga ntshe le mabaka gore go tlile jang. Ha kgosi a tsena ko go rona, o kaile fa ele ene rammu ebile re tlile go utlwa fela ka ene.
“Seo, ke sone se se tshwentseng morafe go tlhakana e le kgale re ntse rena le matshwenyego a nako e e fetileng. Re santse re emetse setlankana se se neelanang ka tetla ya go epa (mining permit) go tswa kwa bogosing, mme ha kgosi a tshwanetse gore are se neele, ga dire jalo,” Densen wa tlhalosa.
Motlhabane yo dikopano tsa gagwe di tsamaileng sentle kwa metsaneng e mengwe, o kaile fa a tlile go boela kwa baagi ba Tlapeng le go ka buisana le bone sesha.
Picture: Former ANC MP, Nono Maloying who is vying for the ANC North West chairperson position/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
The much-anticipated ANC provincial elective conference in the North West will finally take place from 23 to 25 June 2022 at Rustenburg Civic Centre.
There is a fierce political battle for the provincial chairpersonship between the former ANC provincial chairperson in North West, Supra Mahumapelo, the North West Premier, Bushy Maape and the former North West MEC for Local Government, Nono Maloyi who is believed to be the favourite.
The ANC’s Head of Media and Publicity Desk in the Greater Taung Sub-region (ward 7), Vela Ntuli said the ruling party in the province needs a solid, tried and tested leader who will unite and rebuild the organisation.
“I and many other silent citizens of this province have no doubt or whatsoever that Maloyi will provide proper, revolutionary, conscious and ethical leadership that will translate into economic growth, social transformation, political stability and better life for all.
“Working with the collective, Maloyi is better positioned to take this province to new heights thus restoring the confidence of the people in the congress movement,” Ntuli said.
Maloyi’s culpable homicide case was provisionally withdrawn by the Stilfontein Regional Court on 25 May 2022. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in North West, Henry Mamothame said the court provisionally withdrew a culpable homicide case against Maloyi, owing to his application for representation.
“Maloyi has applied for representation to the office of the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), for his case to be struck off the roll. Should the application be rejected, the case will be re-enrolled and a new court date will be decided upon.
“Maloyi is facing a charge of culpable homicide, following a fatal crash that resulted in Pontsho Motsamai losing her life. It is alleged that on the night of 1 September 2018, Maloyi was traveling at high speed on the N12 between Klerksdorp and Stilfontein, when he crashed into another vehicle that had two occupants,” he said.
The former ANC regional secretary in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda region, Lopang Rothman said they support Mahumapelo to become the new provincial chairperson in the upcoming elective conference.
“One of our reasons is that there was unity and stability during Mahumapelo’s tenure as the provincial chairperson. So, we have confidence that his leadership will assist us to unite, re-build and take the organisation forward in the province.” Rothman said.
The ANC member, Mmoloki Cwaile who supports Maape said: “Maape is a historical and contemporary experienced candidate for the position. He is dedicated, selfless and embodies humility. So, he has the capacity to bring unity in the province.
“It is painful to see the money meant for service delivery stolen from the public coffer and being used for campaigns. However, we are not worried even that Maape was not nominated at the branch level, but we urge our delegates to vote wisely and make determination.”
Meanwhile, the ANC IPC spokesperson in the North West, Kenny Morolong said the anticipated ANC provincial elective conference preparations are at an advanced stage. Morolong said they have already conducted the remainder of BBGMs, which sat on Tuesday.
“We are also resolving all disputes through our provincial Dispute Resolution Committee. So, we have given ourselves a 20 June 2022 deadline, where we would have dealt with all disputes,” he said.
The Political analyst at North West University in Potchefstroom campus, Professor Andre Duvenhage said there is ‘dirty’ politics at play. Duvenhage questioned the timing of handling Maloyi’s case.
“It is a month before the anticipated conference takes place. So, according to my understanding, Maloyi is by far the favourite to win the provincial chairperson position. So, what we are seeing now are individuals who want to use a step-aside rule for their political purposes.
“The timing indicates that this is part of the dirty politics we come to know here in the province. I am not sure about the status of this case, but it happened over three years ago,” he said.
However, he said if Maloyi wants to have a successful political career, he should clear his name.
Graphic picture: SA screengrab from a gruesome video, where a man seen beheading a woman/Screengrab
By OBAKENG MAJE
North West police spokesperson, Brig Sabata Mokgwabone urged community members to refrain from circulating a disturbing video where an unknown man was seen beheading a naked woman, while other two bodies were seen exposed in a shallow grave.
Mokgwabone said the gruesome video surfaced almost a month ago.
“A few days ago, this old video was re-circulated with text suggesting that the atrocity occurred in Vryburg in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District. We would like to indicate that no such incident was reported in Vryburg or in the province.
“So, members of the community are once more urged to use social media responsibly and to refrain from sharing unverified information as that creates unnecessary fear amongst our communities,” he said.
According to www.effectiviology.com website, most people use social media in one form or another. The website said, while there is nothing inherently wrong with that, and while social media can sometimes be beneficial, it’s important to be aware that social media is associated with a number of issues and potential dangers, including stress, anxiety, loneliness, and depression.
“Understanding the dangers of social media is important, both so you can deal with them yourself, and so you can help others deal with them. The use of social media is associated with various issues, when it comes to people’s emotional wellbeing, mental and physical health, and many other areas of life.
“Specifically, research shows that the use of social media is associated with anxiety, stress, emotional exhaustion, depression, loneliness, envy, low self-esteem, low-quality sleep and health problems.”
It says the addiction to social media, which can be referred to as social media addiction, or as addiction to a specific platform (for example, Facebook addiction), interferes with important obligations, such as schoolwork, which can lead to issues such as worse grades.
“General issues, such as exposure to misinformation, violation of one’s privacy, and political polarization. Issues that play a role in specific situations, such as cyberbullying and stalking.
“These issues have been found, to varying degrees, in users of various social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Snapchat. Some of these issues aren’t limited to social media, but are rather associated with internet use in general.”
The website further said: “However, many of these issues are associated most strongly with social media and with behaviours that are almost entirely exclusive to social media. An example of this is the negative impact of taking a ‘selfie’, which has been shown to increase people’s social sensitivity and reduce their self-esteem.
“Finally, note that some of the research listed here only shows that these issues are associated with social media, and does not conclusively prove that they are caused by it, since the causal relationship is more difficult to establish.”
Senepe: Mongwe wa dingaka a bontsha bokgabane jwa gagwe/Google
Ka REGINALD KANYANE
Baagi ba Taung ba itsisiwe fa tiro ya tlhatso kwa Dikgageng gaufi le Mokgareng mo Taung e weditswe. Seno se tla morago ga gore moithuti wa tsa bongaka jwa setso, Boitshepo Sapelo (32), a tlhokafalele kwa lefelo la tiragalo mo dibekeng di feta tharo tse di fetileng.
Go begwa fa moithuti, Sapelo yop o ne a ithutela tsa bongaka, mme a setse fela ka malatsi a le mabedi go ka konosetsa dithuto tsa gagwe tsa bongaka, a ne a nwela kwa tamong eno.
Go ya ka sebueledi sa sepodisi sa Bokone Bophirima mo sedikeng sa Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Sarasanta Tryphosa van Rooyen, sepodisi sene sa bilediwa kwa tamong morago ga dipego tsa go nwela.
“Go begwa fa Sapelo yo one a na le morutabana wa gagwe wa tsa bokgaka ga mmogo le baithuti ba bangwe, o ne a nyelelela mo metsing ka motsi wa tlhapiso ya gagwe. Go ya ka dipego, setopo sa ga Sapelo se ne sa tlhagelela morago ga metsotso.
“Sepodisi se se thumang sene sa itelekela kwa tamong go ka ya go ntsha setopo sa moswi, mme kgetsi ya morago ga loso ene ya bulwa ke sepodisi sa Taung,” van Rooyen wa tlahlosa.
Kgabagare, Pooepadile Tas o ne a kopa batho ga mmogo le dingaka tse dingwe go se etele lefelo leo pele le tlhapisiwa. Jaanong Tas are tiro ya go tlhapisiwa ga le felo e weditswe, mme o sentse a ikuela go dingaka le batho go ka efoga lefelo leo go fitlhela ba itsisiwe gore le siametse go ka dirisiwa gape.
“Madume ke se Afrika morahe wa Taung. Kelo itsise fa re kgonne go fitisa tiro ka ko Dikgageng, mme ke rata go leboga losika la ga Power Seleke go re ema nokeng ka go nna teng. Ka maswabi, dingaka tsone dine di seo bagaetsho, re tshwaraganetse tiro eo le Otlhagile Maetso/Maine re patilwe jaalo ke Rremogolo Keonyaditse go tswa Cokonyane.
“Ke sa lebale tshegetso ya ga Kgosi Ntokwe le tirisano mmogo ya ga Kobela ene o o tlhagetswe ke bothata jo. Ka mohau wa Modimo le tshireletso ya sedimo, go weditswe ntle le kgaruru epe. Ka jaalo baagi le dingaka re sa lo kopa gape go emisa go ya ko Dikgageng go fitlhelela lo lokololwa go ya teng,” Tas wa tlhalosa.
The Guardian 