21 Phatwe 2025- Setlamo se se tlamelang baagi ka motlakase sa Eskom, se kaile fa se tla bolotsa dipatlisiso mabapi le molelo o runtseng gaufi le seteishene-potlana sa motlakase kwa Taung. Eskom e kaile fa molelo o, o runtse kwa lefelong le go latlhelwang matlakala kwa go lone, gaufi le seteishene-potlana sa Eskom.
Motsamaisi wa Eskom mono Bokone Bophirima, Ezekiel Baruti are go pegwa fa molelo o, o tlhodilwe ke mongwe wa baagi. Baruti are se se monate ke gore molelo o, o ile wa thibiwa ke khuti e neng ele gaufi.
“Ga gona di tshenyegelo dipe kwa seteishene-potlana sa rona. Setlhopha sa rona sa tsibogo ya ka bonako (Emergency Response Team), ga mmogo le lefapha la go tima-molelo (Fire Emergency Department), le ile la tsiboga ka bonako.
“Re tla netefatsa fa motlakase o ile wa busediwa tirisong kwa Taung. Dipatlisiso tse di tseneletseng di tla tswelediwa go ka netefatsa se se tlhodileng molelo o ka botlalo,” Baruti wa tlhalosa.
Baruti are ba tlile go tlhatlhoba dithapo (cables) tsa motlakase, mme ba tla bega ka seemo sa mafaratlhatlha a tsone kwa tlase ga lefatshe. Baruti are ba lebogela tsibogo ya ka bonako ya setlhopha sa bone, mme tshedimosetso enngwe e tla neelwa baagi mo nakong e e sa fediseng pelo.
20 August 2025- Orlando Pirates got off the mark in the Betway Premiership this season with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Stellenbosch at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday night.
The three points earned on the night pulled the Soweto Giants out of unwanted territory in the bottom three of the standings, bringing them up within a point of the top eight. They avoided an unprecedented third straight defeat at the start of the league campaign in what was their first midweek outing at Orlando Stadium in the new season.
Having failed to open their account on two attempts prior to their clash with Stellies, the Buccaneers were quick to dominate proceedings in search of their first league points. Oswin Appollis struck the upright four minutes into his return to the starting line up when he was played through by Relebohile Mofokeng, with the duo combining well on the left flank.
They continued to pull the strings during the early exchanges, with Mofokeng and Deon Hotto both proving to be a menace in the attacking third. Neither could find the opener however, as the visitors’ defence proved equal to the task in the opening exchanges.
The resistance did not last for much longer as Kamogelo Sebelebele quickly made it two goals in as many starts in Bucs colours. The winger was heavily involved in a swift move upfield, initiating then finishing the attack with a cracking right-footed strike that went beyond the reach of a diving Sage Stephens to make it 1-0 with just 15 minutes played.
He could have been joined on the scoresheet by another recent signing in Sihle Nduli who nearly struck his first Bucs goal against his former side in the 23rd minute. The midfielder found himself in space just outside the penalty area and managed to draw a save from Stephens with a well-struck shot.
His effort was followed by one from a similar range by Sipho Mbule – brought in halfway through the first half to replace the injured Deano van Rooyen – with striker Evidence Makgopa following suit with a shot that landed off target as Pirates continued to dominate proceedings at home.
More attempts late in the first half failed to yield another strike for the home side, who went wide through Mofokeng before Thalente Mbatha was denied by Stephens three minutes from the break.
The Buccaneers took a slim lead into the second half, and quickly went about attempting to double their advantage with another early blitz which consisted of shots from Hotto, Mbule and Mofokeng inside the opening 10 minutes of the second period.
Chances at goal were mainly concentrated at one end throughout the game’s opening hour, as Sebelebele had a chance to increase his tally around the half-hour mark, but only managed to fire inches wide with his left foot. Bucs keeper Sipho Chaine had to wait until the last half hour of the contest to make a real save, and he did so denying Langelihle Phili whose heavy first touch resulted in a fairly-comfortable stop for the shot-stopper.
An attempt from Khomotjo Lokoloane demanded more of Chaine in the 73rd minute, and he was again equal to the task. That turned out to be the last real attempt for the visitors, with the Buccaneers continuing to spark some bright moments at the other end, where replacement winger Tshepang Moremi and Mofokeng both had some close calls without really troubling Stephens.
The Bucs defence stood up well to a late onslaught by the men from the Cape Winelands, who desperately sought an equaliser in injury time. Their determined team effort pulled through in the end as they held on to their slim lead to walk off with all three points on offer, ending their four-match winless run in league matches against The Maroons.
20 August 2025- A man (58) from Mamelodi East in Gauteng convicted for two counts of rape of his neighbour’s son (13) and his nephew (9). On 12 April 2022, the man called his neighbour’s son on the street while playing with his friend under the pretence that he needed his help to fix his door at his place of residence in Mamelodi East.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in Gauteng, Lumka Mahanjana said when both the boy and the man arrived inside the house, the man closed the door and proceeded to rape the boy. Mahanjana said he threatened him that if he screamed, he would kill him.
“After, the man instructed the boy to dress up and not to tell anyone about what had happened. The boy then left the man’s house and went back to play with his friend.
“Later, the same day, while the man and his nephew whom he stayed with were in the house he undressed the nephew and inserted his fingers in his buttocks resulting in him bleeding,” she said.
Mahanjana further said later in the evening, when the mother of the child who is a sister to the man returned home, the child told her what had happened. She added that the following day, the mother opened a case against her brother, and he was arrested.
“When the neighbour’s child heard about the arrest, he came forward and reported the matter to the police. Both victims were taken to Mamelodi Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC), where they received medical, psychological, and legal assistance from the police and prosecutors.
“In court, the man pleaded not guilty, denying the rapes and alleging his sister fabricated the charges due to a family house dispute. However, state prosecutor, Andries Ntjana, presented compelling evidence from Dr Lukhozi, proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt,” said Mahanjana.
She said during sentencing, the accused, through his legal representative, sought leniency, citing his role as a family man with two children and a wife, arguing a lengthy sentence would separate him from them. Mahanjana said, however, Ntjana countered that the man was on parole for a 2008 rape conviction when he committed these offences, showing no remorse and blaming his sister.
“Moreover, Ntjana submitted Victim Impact Statements (VIS), facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Kgomotso Lodi, detailing the victims’ humiliation and lifelong scars, and the mothers’ shattered trust.
“Magistrate Lynn Pillay agreed with the state, agreed with the state that the man showed no remorse and that he committed this offence while on parole for the same offence,” she said.
Mahanjana said the man committed these offences against children, who were close to him and saw him as an uncle. She said Pillay emphasised rape’s degrading nature and the courts’ duty to protect communities, finding no compelling circumstances to deviate from the minimum sentence.
The acting Director of Public Prosecutions, advocate Marika Jansen Van Vuuren, praised Ntjana and said: “This sentence sends a clear message: the NPA prioritises GBV cases targeting vulnerable children and will pursue justice relentlessly.
“Both victims received services from Mamelodi TCC, which provided them with ongoing support throughout the court process, reflecting its victim-centric approach.”
Meanwhile, Mahanjana said the NPA commends the mother’s vigilance and the TCCs’ ongoing support. She said this case encourages young boys to report abuse and urges families and communities to stay alert, report suspected cases, and support survivors through TCCs.
“The NPA calls on South Africans to unite against gender-based violence, ensuring safe environments where children’s rights to dignity and safety are upheld, and perpetrators face the full force of the law.
She said the court ordered his name entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders, declared him unfit to work with children, and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
Picture: The North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi/Supplied
By REGINALD KANYANE
2025- The North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi convened a crucial parents meeting on Tuesday at Grenswag Hoërskool in Rustenburg, addressing the recent academic challenges faced by the school. Motsumi said a meeting was called in response to the disappointing performance of 126 out of 198 learners who passed during the second term of the 2025 academic year.
This engagement follows Motsumi’s recent provincial roadshow aimed at assessing Grade 12 performance across several schools. She further said the roadshow revealed that several schools, including Grenswag Hoërskool, fell short of the provincial target pass rate of 95%.
“We emphasized the importance of collective responsibility and active participation from both parents and learners as the school prepares for the upcoming preparatory examinations scheduled for the end of the month.
“We must work together to support our learners and create an environment that fosters success. Grenswag Hoërskool plays a critical role in the Rustenburg Local Education Office, and we are committed to providing all necessary support to improve its performance,” said Motsumi.
She added that, her department remains steadfast in its mission to uplift educational standards across the province. Motsumi’s visit underscores a commitment to addressing challenges head-on through community engagement and strategic support to schools.
Meanwhile, the school principal highlighted key issues contributing to the poor results. These include frequent learner absenteeism, especially during support classes, habitual lateness during weekend lessons, and learners attending exams unprepared without necessary textbooks or stationery.
The principal urged parents to play an active role in ensuring their children attend school regularly and come prepared for classes and examinations.
20 August 2025- The Northern Cape MEC for Land Reform, Agriculture and Nature Conservation and Environmental Affairs, Mase Manopole has successfully hosted the The Northern Cape Blended Finance Roadshow held at Flamingo View in Kimberley. Manopole said this was in collaboration with the National Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), the Land Bank, Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), and Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), under the theme “Unlocking Inclusive Agricultural Development in the Northern Cape.”
She further said the event provided a platform to raise awareness of blended finance opportunities for farmers, improve access to affordable and sustainable finance, and foster meaningful engagement between policymakers, financiers and farmers to explore innovative financing mechanisms aimed at addressing persistent challenges in the agricultural sector.
Manopole added that, blended finance, combining concessional public funding with private sector investment, was a strategic tool to bridge the agricultural financing gap.
“We note that smallholder and emerging farmers often face barriers such as limited collateral, climate-related risks, and high production costs, making access to affordable credit difficult.
“In the past year, over 1000 producers received training, 1300 subsistence farmers were supported with garden establishment packs, agriculture contributed R11 billion to the provincial GDP in 2023 as reported by Stats SA,” she said.
Manopole said 13 000 new jobs were created in the Quarter 3 and Quarter 4 of 2024. She said looking ahead, her department aims to increase agriculture’s GDP contribution from 7% to 10%, support 60 land reform farms, train another 1000 producers and create 750 additional jobs in the sector.
“The road to agricultural prosperity is long, but it is not out of reach. When resilience meets opportunity, transformation follows.
“Through blended finance, we can unlock not only funding but the full potential of the Northern Cape’s agricultural sector,” said Manopole.
She said over 600 farmers from all five districts of the Northern Cape attended the roadshow, welcoming it with open arms as a gateway to unlocking financial opportunities. Manopole said the roadshow concluded with a strong call for partnership and accountability, reinforcing that blended finance is not a handout but a collaborative investment in sustainable agricultural growth and rural economic empowerment.
Picture: The North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Oageng Molapisi/Supplied
By REGINALD KANYANE
19 August 2025- The North West Department of Human Settlements said it has targeted to deliver 6718 Title Deeds in the 2025-2026 financial year. The department said this number will add to the national target of delivering 80,000 by 2029.
The North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Oageng Molapisi said the objective was recently announced during the relaunch of Title Deed Friday in Polokwane by the Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Semelane during her meeting with Human Settlements MECs from across the nine provinces.
Molapisi said his department will follow the band wagon and intensify the Title Deed campaign during the Thuntsha Lerole accelerated service delivery programme every Friday.
“The gesture will contribute more in restoring the dignity of the people in the province and further ensure ownership. For many families, a home is more than just shelter.
“It is a foundation for economic stability, a source of security for future generations, and a fulfilment of the promise of our democracy,” he said.
Molapisi further said that the department is going to roll-out a massive programme aimed at ensuring that title deeds reach beneficiaries in a timely fashion as move will assist in achieving the intended goal. He added that to accelerate the delivery of Title Deeds, he calls on all municipalities to adopt a door-to-door title deeds campaign to ensure that they are delivered to its rightful beneficiaries.
“This is an essential step in reducing backlogs and ensuringrightful ownership reaches our people without delay. We will also continue handing over tittle deeds during the Phase 5 of the upcoming Thuntsha Lerole Accelerated Service Delivery Programme.
“This approach will see an overall decrease in title deed backlogs and further reduce the delivery of title deeds to wrong beneficiaries,” said Molapisi.
He said handing over a title deed to a beneficiary does not only recognise a beneficiary as rightful owners of land and property, but also goes a long way in restoring their dignity. Molapisi said having irrefutable proof of ownership of a home, the members of the families gets to be assured that generations to come have a sense of dignity and pride, which stems from security and belonging.
“With every title deed, the department rests assured that a family has been empowered, an assert secured, and a sense of dignity restored,” he said.
19 August 2025- North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi will reaffirm the provincial government’s commitment to accelerating service delivery by leading the rollout of Phase 5 of Accelerated Service Delivery Programme Thuntsha Lerole Reloaded on 22 August 2025, at Ditsobotla Local Municipality.
Mokgosi said this phase marks a strategic continuation of the provincial government’s efforts to bring integrated services closer to the people, address long-standing service delivery challenges, and strengthen public participation in governance issues.
“During Phase 5, the provision of water and sanitation infrastructure, sewer network upgrades, roads maintenance, clearing of illegal dumping sites, fighting crime and job creation will be reinforced at targeted and prioritised local municipalities which include Ditsobotla, JB Marks, City of Matlosana, Tswaing, Madibeng, Kagisano-Molopo, Ramotshere Moiloa, Moses Kotane, Rustenburg and Mahikeng.
“On 22 August, government departments, state-owned entities and the private sector will converge at Itsoseng Community Hall at Itsoseng Township, where on-the-spot services will be provided and a community feedback session held,” he said.
Mokgosi further said central to this service delivery-oriented programme, will be the handing over of community facilities including a Community Hall at Springbokpan village, a sports facility at Itekeng Township in Biesiesvlei, a Community Hall at Tlhabologang in Coligny, and a new cemetery site at Itsoseng.
He added that through the Integrated Economic Development Services, dummy cheques will be presented to two local informal traders as proof of machinery and equipment delivered.
“An oversight visit will be conducted at the Itsoseng brick-making plant where job opportunities have been created through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), as well as an inspection of a special maintenance project on road D40 from Thusong to Itsoseng.
“Some of the standard Thuntsha Lerole features which will be performed during the day will include the fixing of high-mast lights, mass registration of indigents for Free Basic Services, clearing of illegal dumping sites, law enforcement, distribution of agricultural packages to a community agricultural project and a local school, provision of integrated primary health care services as well as distribution of sanitary towels to identified local schools,” said Mokgosi.
Picture: The delegates at First Quarterly Review Session/Supplied
By AGISANANG SCUFF
19 August 2025 – The Northern Cape Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola is currently hosting the First Quarterly Review Session at the Kimberley Police Station Gymnasium. The two-day session commenced this morning and is attended by the five District Commissioners, Provincial and 92 Station Commanders across the province.
Otola is accompanied by the Provincial Management, includes the Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Policing, Major General Keagekae Besnaar, the Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Crime Detection, Major General Luntu Ngubelanga and the Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Corporate Services, Major General (Dr) Thabo Mphuthi.
The Northern Cape Police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Thabo Litabe said the purpose of this session is to review the performance of provincial components, districts, and stations in terms of service delivery and crime reduction for the first quarter (April–June 2025) of the 2025/2026 financial year.
Litabe said the proccedings were officially opened with a prayer and devotion led by Chaplain Cornelius Shupinyaneng, followed by messages of support from the labour unions, POPCRU and SAPU.
“In her keynote address, the Provincial Commissioner highlighted critical issues affecting service delivery across all SAPS environments.
“She urged commanders to take ownership and accountability in their respective areas, emphasizing the importance of maintaining discipline among members and employees,” he said.
Litabe further said, Otola called for proper management and safeguarding of state resources to ensure they are well-maintained at all times. She added that the session will continue with presentations and interactive engagements from attendees over the next two days.
Picture: Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi
By BAKANG MOKOTO
19 August 2035- Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi said although significant progress has been made to empower women and in ensuring that they assume positions of responsibility in all spheres of society, there remains a lot of work to be done to ensure that the workplace is a conducive environment for women to thrive and prosper.
Kubayi said sexual harassment and abuse of power by men who are in positions of responsibility is a blight in the society.
She further said women are still asked for sexual favours in return for promotion and other benefits to which they are entitled, is a cancer that they must fight hard to eliminate. Kubayi added that they have asked her to talk about is not completely divorced from what she has just raised about creating a conducive environment for women to thrive and prosper.
“Today, you have asked me to speak about repositioning the NPA as the heartbeat of the justice system. To have a clear vision of how we can reposition an institution such as the NPA we need to clearly understand both the, domestic and global environment, under which the institution is operating.
“It requires us to understand the complexities of the world in which criminals operate and the sophisticated tools that are in use today when crimes are committed,” said Kubayi.
She said the kind of changes that have happened in the world require institutions that are flexible, innovative and adaptive to remain effective and resilient. Kubayi said they need to ask themselves the question: “What is it that we are going to do to ensure that the NPA is a flexible, innovative and adaptive organisation?
“The most fundamental point to understand is that the NPA exists because our country and world in general is afflicted by crimes and the criminals responsible for those crimes need to be held accountable.”
She said an ideal world, there are some who would insist that their focus should be on ending crime so that they can live a crime free world. Kubayi said unfortunately, the real existing world is such that crime will always be with them and as such there will a need for the NPA to continue to do its job and do it well.
“We now live in a world in which rapid technological changes that include the emergence of artificial intelligence have changed life as we know it.
“These changes have changed the way we interact, the way we produce goods and the way crimes are committed. Crimes that we used to watch in science fiction movies have become a reality today and we have to find ways of building the capacity to tackle them,” she said.
Kubayi said historically, they have known the generators of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) relied on the exploitation of human victims. She said these new technologies, this kind of material are becoming a thing of the past.
“In 2024, the Internet Watch Foundation released a report in which they raised a concern about the emergence of AI-generated content which has now replaced human involvement.
“Prosecutors who have dealt with these types of cases in the United States have already raised their concern that AI-generate CSAM, complicates detection efforts and raises new ethical and legal challenges,” said Kubayi.
She said they need to ask themselves the question: “Are we ready to tackle this type of crime? Will we be able to detect this crime before it destroys the fabric of our society?
“The team has been led by Ismail Momoniat has done a sterling job to get our country off the FATF greylist. We ended up in the greylist because there were concerns raised about our capacity to prevent and detect certain types of financial crimes that can compromise state security or fund terrorist organisations.”
Kubayi said as they are making progress in dealing with these challenges, these new technologies are likely to further complicate how they tackle financial crimes, artificial intelligence is poised to completely change how money laundering happens. She said human mules and manual coordination, particularly for cybercriminals, drug traffickers, and fraudsters are what traditional money launderers rely upon to achieve their end.
“New AI driven technologies such as synthetic ID generators and automated cryptocurrency account creation, are poised to automate these operations significantly accelerating the speed with which these crimes are committed.
“This means that we need to start today our work to train our people to be able to deal with crimes of this nature otherwise we will stay on the greylist for longer than we would like,” said Kubayi.
She said other complexity that AI has brought is the level of autonomy, which these technologies exhibit which is sometimes difficult to understand on whom to lay the blame when a crime has been committed. Kubayi said US Department of Homeland Security has highlighted in their 2022 report on “Emerging Threats in AI” that Autonomous AI systems could eliminate the need for human hackers enabling widespread attacks at a scale previously unimaginable, with dire economic and security implications.
Picture: North West MEC for Health, Sello Lehari during his visit at Christiana District Hospital/Supplied
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
19 August 2025- As part of the province-wide monitoring programme and efforts to ensure progress on ongoing infrastructure projects, the North West MEC for Health, Sello Lehari, conducted a political oversight visit to Christiana District Hospital. Lehari said Christiana District Hospital is currently undergoing refurbishment following a fire incident that destroyed a section of the facility in September 2021.
He further said reconstruction of the hospital commenced in October 2023, but experienced several delays which led to extensions of the completion date. Lehari added that project is estimated to the cost of R90 million.
“To date, 85% of the work has been completed. Critical units such as maternity (including ANC, delivery and postnatal services), Paediatrics Unit, Male Ward, Female Ward, Out-Patient Department (OPD), Emergency Unit and X-rays Unit are currently under construction.
“We are here to intervene and ensure there is progress. We are not satisfied with the slow pace of the project – this is unacceptable. We expect all contractors to come forward and account,” he said.
Lehari said the people of Christiana must have a fully functional hospital by October 2025 as promised. He said failure to do so will result in consequences.
“Contractors have since recommitted to completing the project by October 2025,” said Lehari.
The Guardian 