NORTH West education and sport development department will embark on Letsema Cleaning Campaign at various schools across the province during the weekend after a four week long winter vacation.

Education and sport development provincial spokesperson, Elias Malindi said they are ready to resume with teaching and learning in all the schools in the province.

“The campaign is part of the school reopening readiness. Parents and community members will embark on a cleaning spree in the neighbouring schools across the province.

“Educators are also ready to resume with the syllabus. We expect to wrap the syllabus by the end of August. So that pupils can have enough time for revision programmes in the problematic areas of learning,” Malindi said.

MEC for education and sport development department, Sello Lehari says the province is ready to run with the programme.

“On behalf of team North West Education, I sincerely thank all the parents by looking after our little stars throughout the four week holidays. We are now preparing for the upcoming quarter. Grade 12 pupils embarked on winter camps and we hope they benefited from that.

“We also want to commend all educators for their dedicated efforts. They have spent long hours facilitating the smooth running of the winter camps. We aim to reach for gold in the final examinations,” Lehari said.

-TDN

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NORTH West premier Supra Mahumapelo said that plans are underway for the appointment a new chief executive officer at Mmabana Foundation.

Mahumapelo said his office was in talks with culture, art and traditional affairs department (CATA) MEC, Ontlametse Mochware to speed up the process.

“We want the Mmabana Foundation to have a CEO and that process is underway. The Mmabana Foundation plays a pivotal role in art and culture. We are planning to have extended programmes for school children. They need to engage in various activities after school.

“The provincial government invested heavily on culture and forms part of our economic drive. Young children learn and develop through their early experiences and relationships. As children get older they begin to develop a sense of who they are and where they belong. So, culture is imperative and North West province preserves that,” he said.

The premier added:   “We will also make sure that we acquire unused schools to make sure that the children get those activities at their door steps. Art, culture and tourism complement each other and that’s what our province specialises with. We also have agriculture at the apex of our triangle.”

Mmabana Foundation experienced challenges a month ago when its employees downed tools and embarked on a strike.

Workers demanded that the institution management should commit in writing that it will address their grievances like the review of their salaries and being treated with respect.

NEHAWU provincial organiser, Cassper Nanto said the union has since reached an agreement with Mmabana Foundation management on the issues raised.

He said they welcomed the move to appoint a permanent CEO at the organisation.

“We heard those rumours, but if it is true, we welcome the move. We have engaged with Mmabana Foundation and reached an agreement. The organisation agreed to give employees 7.6% salary increase from April 1, 2016 until 2017. We also agreed that all those who are acting on positions will receive acting allowance. We are also engaged with the Mmabana Foundation management to make the institution accredited,” Nanto said.

Provincial coordinator for workers, Portia Phadi said they welcomed the decision on the appointment of a new chief executive who would take charge of the institution.

-TDN

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BOITEKONG residents in Rustenburg went on a rampage and torched six vehicles on Wednesday night.
  Residents were angry after a disagreement with local mines operating in Ramochana village over their recruitment processes.

  Community leader, Thabo Nthaudi said mining houses reneged on their employment promises leaving residents in the dark.

  Angry residents took to the streets and vented their anger by setting alight an ambulance, a municipal vehicle and four others belonging to a security company.

   “We want to condemn the violent protests, however people were felt short-changed. The mine was supposed to recruit local people but changed their minds on the 11^th hour. However we met with them on Thursday and reached an agreement.

 “They promised to incorporate local business persons to render their services at the mines. People who own cleaning, security and other companies will benefit. We cannot continue to live in abject poverty while we have mines at our door-step,” Nthaudi said.

  Rustenburg local municipality spokesperson, Thapelo Matebesi said it was unfortunate that six vehicles were torched in Boitekong.

  “The torching of vehicles was fuelled by some community members who complained about lack of job opportunities in the neighbouring mines and at municipal sewer plant. The area remains volatile after intervention by the municipality’s public safety directorate in collaboration with police,” Matebesi said.

  North West police spokesperson, Col Sabata Mokgwabone said the police in Boitekong were investigating a case of public violence.

  “The vehicles were set alight at a sport ground in Sunrise Park extension 11. They were allegedly taken individually from the drivers by a group of approximately ten people. Investigations are underway,” Mokgwabone said.

-TDN

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MINISTER for Rural Development and Land Reform, Gugile Nkwinti said that he is impressed with the progress made by rural, environment and agricultural development department (READ) in the province.

Nkwinti said this when he witnessed the first grain value chain agri-park harvest day in Springbokpan on Wednesday.

“Agri-parks are set to boost economic growth. We want to increase our own contribution to growth development plan. Our national development plan is talking about economic growth of 6% by 2030. In order for that to happen, it means sectors of agriculture and manufacturing should bring in more effort noting the challenges we face in other sectors like mining.

“We want to increase GDP through agriculture. Right now this sector is at 3% and this is still less. Establishment and functioning of the agri-parks will take us a long way,” Nkwinti said.

North West premier Supra Mahumapelo said they have put agriculture at the apex of their economy drive. He said they aiming at fighting unemployment, poverty and inequality.

“We have chosen to deal with agriculture, culture and tourism. The harvest attests to the correctness of our decision. We also encourage young and old people to embark on farming. We are reaping the fruit after we conceptualised, planned and executed.

“We also want to bring our people together. They must benefit from the entire value chain of agricultural sector. This will create jobs, deal with inequality and unemployment,” Mahumapelo said.

He said they will also bring in technology to farming, commending READ and RDLR departments for supporting his vision of Village, Township and Small Dorpies development.

“All this big cities like Johannesburg and Pretoria will not succeed if they were not getting their feed from rural provinces. So in terms of economy strategic plan, we are better located than them.

“The major challenge we are facing as the province is youth unemployment. It has reached staggering 37%. However we formed Youth Entrepreneurship Services (YES) and Youth in Agriculture and Rural Development programmes. We must just make sure that we maximise and push much harder to empower young people in agricultural sector. If we reduce youth unemployment, we would defeat hunger,” he said.

READ MEC, Manketse Tlhape said: “We have witnessed the first harvest for the storage. We are building a processing plant next to silos where we will produce maize and other commodities. We are also building a warehouse where we will have our mechanisation.”

She added that they spent R50m on rehabilitation of the silos last year.

“We have injected also injected R4m to do the costing and spent R8m for the mill. We want our people to beneficiate from the whole value chain. We are also having another agri-park in Makapanstad.

“We also did sod-turning for satellite agricultural farmer produce campus. Our department has a farm training centre called Kgora at Ramatlabama in Mahikeng. This will assist emerging farmers,” she said.

-TDN

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TOWNSHIPS – for long a prominent feature of both the past and modern era of South Africa – are beginning to demonstrate massive potential in terms of creating employment through stimulating local economies by bringing together small businesses and franchises under “one roof”.

The Foro Shopping Complex – located in the heart of Tlhabane, just outside Rustenburg – has been undergoing a positive transformation that has cemented its status as the commercial hub of the old township.

A few years ago, the area where the complex stands only had a single retail shop and a few other small businesses involved in selling cellphone accessories, providing salon services or selling clothes.

Today, however, the picture is different as many more businesses have since set up their operations to cater for the needs of community members who previously had to travel to the Rustenburg central business district and other areas in order to access services that were not offered in Tlhabane.

A dental clinic and pharmacy, as well as other enterprises that are involved in the fast food and catering industry, the repair of televisions and other electrical appliances, Information Technology (IT) as well as a video club are now part of the complex.

Additionally, a prominent franchise involved in selling building material has also opened a shop within the complex.

The increase of commercial activity around the area has not only created more jobs for people living in Tlhabane, it has also seen the major commercial banks installing several ATMs which bring with them a welcome convenience to those who frequently visit the complex.

“The good thing about having more shops at the complex is that I can now buy many more things in one area,” said a 34-year-old resident of Tlhabane, who did not want to be named.

“This helps a lot because in the past I had to move around many places in town to buy what I wanted. Now I just go to the complex and this saves me a lot of money,” the man added.

In the middle of all this transformation is Godfrey Kinni Rangaka – an entrepreneur who owns the land upon which the complex stands.

Rangaka’s exploits has won him the Freedom of the City Award, which was recently bestowed on him by the Rustenburg municipality.

“What he (Rangaka) has done at the complex is a good example to all of us. He is an inspiration to us all,” Rustenburg’s executive mayor, Mpho Khunou, said during an event held to hand over the award to him and other outstanding residents of Rustenburg.

-TDN

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PREMIER Supra Mahumapelo said that South Africa has to come up with a law requiring those who start informal settlements to apply to government.

Failure to have such a law makes government unable to deal with developments in such areas.

This he said would mean that such communities are forever battling for sanitation and water.

“Wherever shacks are put up the people there will first thing demand water, then electricity and then a school for children, roads and shops. Yet in the government plans there won’t be a plan to put water pipes in whatever area occupied illegally,” said Mahumapelo.

He said if people apply then the government can plan properly.

“We are not saying do not put up a shack for settlement but apply so that you are not all over. We have to do environmental impact assessment for instance some areas can be dolomitic or can be easily flooded. An example is Ntswanahatshe village in Taung. The people there will forever suffer from November to February during rainy season. They settled without assessment done in the area,” Mahumapelo.

The premier said there is need for controlled and well planned settlements and suggested that the provincial department of housing should look at ways to craft a policy on this aspect in the next 18 months.

“This is to make sure we can look at the situation and be able to say this is where the people can locate, so that we do not have what is happening in Mahikeng, for instance. We are building RDP houses in Rooigrond suddenly the number of shacks is increasing,” he said.

He said that government plans are done in three to five year cycles and anything that happens in between comes a challenge.

“We are dealing with the inherent corruption in the allocation of RDP houses. MEC for local government and human settlements is currently working with municipalities to ensure that they clean the beneficiary lists because it is the fact that lists are corrupted in some of our municipalities,” he said.

The premier suggested that priority should be given to vulnerable groups in the allocation of RDP houses.

“Senior citizens, people living with disabilities and child headed families must be prioritised before the rest of the people. It was painful two weeks ago when we were giving a house to an 89-year-old woman in Khunwana village, she has never stayed in a proper house. She was saying she can now die peacefully now that she has a proper house,” Mahumapelo said.

-TDN

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THE North West government said its decision to spend 70% of government money in villages, townships and small dorpies still stands.

Premier Supra Mahumapelo said this was done in effort to reduce capital flight to other provinces.

“We have also taken a decision of where a big contract for instance where we do not have capacity at the province, we must form partnerships. In the province we do not a huge number of grade nine in construction so we have to increase that number as possible. Now we can’t grow without giving them work and they must work with the established ones so that we can gradually stop capital fight,” said Mahumapelo.

He said doing that does not mean the province should be isolated.

“We must also have business people from the province doing business in other provinces so that we show our capacity in issues that are economic and enterprise related,” Mahumapelo said.

The premier added that the economy can only grow when that was done and not only in provinces but in SADC countries as well.

“We must also share our skills through Brics countries. The agricultural skills that we have can be transferred to Brazil and China and help with the knowledge that we have. That is why we are working on the process to deal with the Chinese on the skin and the meat of the donkeys,” he said.

He further said that government is waiting for the laboratory tests from China on the issue of donkey meat before doing business with the country.

“As soon the tests are done and were ok to do business, we will start with the production of the donkey meat to take to China,” Mahumapelo said.

He also called on business people who do business in North West, to relocate to the province or own some properties to be able to pay rates and taxes.

“This is part of boosting our economy in the province,” he said.

-TDN

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RESIDENTS of Mathibistad in Moretele local municipality are against the construction of municipal offices worth R59m when they are struggling to get basic services.

They staged a protest on Tuesday demanding that the municipality puts resident’s needs first.

Community leaders said that the municipality was prioritising non-essential issues when all they need is to have water, roads and other services.

Johannes Raseala said service delivery is more important than new municipal offices.

“The reason we embark on a march is that we have challenges at Moretele local municipality. The municipality decided to build new offices while we living in abject poverty. We believe that budget could have been allocated for service delivery.

“There is no water, sanitation and the roads are in bad condition. There are no high mast lights too and crime is rife in the area. We submitted a memorandum of grievances to municipality to urge them to halt the project,” Raseala said

Municipality spokesperson, Abel Malebye said they will address issues of service delivery raised by Mathibistad residents.

Malebye added that there was consultation session conducted before the decision was taken to build new municipal offices.

He also highlighted that the project was advertised on various local newspapers and they received no objections.

“We are not building any hall at the municipality as it was reported. But we are building municipal offices. Since the inception of municipality back in 2000, we have been using Baga-Mathibi Tribal Authority offices. We are now building municipal offices to capacitate our employees who are working here at Mathibestad,” he said.

-TDN

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BY REGINALD KANYANE

NORTH West health MEC, Dr Magome Masike dismissed as misleading a media report that painted Tlakgameng Community Health Centre in Morokweng as a shambles.

Masike visited the facility after the Sowetan newspaper reported that patients were reportedly turned away because the clinic faces a severe shortage of nurses.

In its report, the newspaper alleged that the centre has no hot water or sterilizers. It also mentioned that most of the light bulbs were burnt out and the centre has just one oxygen cylinder.

“Based on this provision, the allegation that there is no water in Tlakgameng CHC is just a fabricated story intending to dent the reputation of the institution. As for the shortage of nurses, the newspaper alleged that the centre operated with five nurses, but that is not true. Tlakgameng Health Centre is managed by the operational manager who is capable and always at the forefront in focusing on the provision of quality health care services at the institution,” Masike said.

He added: “The institution has nine general workers which consist of seven female and two males. We also have three admin clerks, two data capturers, four auxiliary nurses, one environmental health practitioner, one enrolled nursing assistant, one professional nurse relieve at the clinic when a need arise at PHC Re-engineering. On school health, we have one professional nurse, relieve at the clinic when a need arise too.”

The MEC said 11 professional nurses attend to patients on a daily basis and that the health centre has one pharmacy assistant.

“The above mentioned team is aware that there is shortage of professional nurses which is a colossal challenge. However they always make sure that it does not hinder the provision of quality health care services. They meticulously ensure that services are rendered 24 hours in the institution.

“The operational manager always elevates all challenges that are above his scope of practice, therefore he could have informed the management if ever there had been load-shedding at the centre,” he said.

The department is also in the process of buying a standby generator to supply power if load-shedding occurs.

Masike said that the institution has never encountered any challenges with regard to water as alleged.

“Hot water is also available at Tlakgameng CHC. The institution has two geysers. One of the geysers was temporarily not working, but it was already reported. The process for procurement of a new geyser was at an advanced stage,” he said.

The MEC added that if the journalist had doubled-checked with the department she would have known that a new geyser was on the way.

“The new geyser has been delivered at the centre as we speak. The medical equipment was also enough and in good working condition. The facility had all the essential items needed even for deliveries at the maternity unit. Few globes at the outpatient department were not working.

“However our investigation revealed that not long ago they were replaced. Eskom has been requested to visit the facility to inspect wiring and correct any abnormalities if any,” he said.

-TDN

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