Picture: (North West premier, Supra Mahumapelo and Renowned Soothsayer and Author, Credo Mutwa) 

BY REGINALD KANYANE

PREMIER Supra Mahumapelo paid a visit to renowned soothsayer, traditional leader and author Credo Mutwa in Kuruman early this week.

The aim of Mahumapelo’s visit was to meet with Mutwa who was forcefully removed from Letlamoreng Dam in Mahikeng by Bophuthatswana government.

Mahumapelo said government is now revamping Letlamoreng Dam and he wanted to meet with Mutwa as he had a traditional house at the dam.

He said that they want to preserve Mutwa’s house for cultural development cultural practises.

“We need to continue to work together as government with our people. So we saw it imperative to meet with Credo Mutwa. North West government believes that we need to follow the suit in rebuilding our government. Those who were here first had plans, now in order to get it right, we need to understand their vision as well. They laid the foundation, so to continue and take it forward, we must meet with them.

“We also visited former Bophuthatswana president, Lucas Mangope. The nother mater is to rely on the living God for guidance. We need to ask serenity from him. We need to practice humanity because all what we have in this world may perish. To be a good leader, one need to show humanity and listen for advices,” Mahumapelo said.

Mahumapelo expressed concern at how Mutwa was kicked out of the provincial capital saying people like the traditional leader play a positive role in building the society.

“We shared our vision with Mutwa. And we urged him to consider his return to Letlamoreng Dam. We need to learn from previous leader. I am glad that he welcomed us in his home. The aim was to know how we can assist him as we are refurbishing the area. We have budgeted R30m to improve Letlamoreng Dam, so his area will also be used as part of heritage.

“We need to preserve our Africanism and make sure that peace prevails in the province. We have put three concepts as our drive of our economy. Agriculture, culture and tourism are our economy drive in the North West province. We also have renewal, healing and reconciliation. We agree with Mutwa when he mentioned that there will be instability in South Africa. However we are fighting unemployment, inequality and poverty,” he added.

In his remarks, Mutwa said he could not agree more with the vision of the provincial government.

“As small as I am, I agree with your vision. We need to make people at grass root level to be able to feed themselves. They also need to be integrated in the bigger plan which joins to greater things. The culture of a human being is capable of sustaining human being’s life.

“I am disturbed by the noise we see in our country currently. Human beings are working in the name God of to bring upheaval in the lives of the masses. There is danger facing our country. Unemployment, inequality and poverty are rearing its ugly head. We need to come up with good planning to improve the lives of the people,” Mutwa said.

-TDN

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BY REGINALD KANYANE

THE North West health department has acquired the services of two emergency medical services companies to address backlog of ambulances in the province.

Department spokesperson, Tebogo Lekgethwane said they have signed a two year contract with the two companies.

“We believe that their services will assist us in addressing backlog of ambulances. This will improve our service delivery to our people. We have experienced lack of ambulances in the past. So those emergency medical services will assist were we are lacking.

“We do not have many ambulances across the province to render service to all communities. Our people always complain that ambulances take long to reach them. Some people say sometimes the ambulances are engaged,” Lekgethwane said.

He added that people need to bring any grievances forward so that they can address them.

“The service level agreement exists with two private EMS providers to offer inter facility transfers for the department. The private emergency medical services will help to reduce the backlog in transportation of patients.

“The private EMS are also bide by the law to assist if they come across any accident. This is as per the health act. The department uses private EMS service providers when we are very busy as well,” he said.

Lekgethwane said that they do not condone private EMS services that poach calls. He said that EMS services signed the contract for inter facility transfer.

“They are paid as per Board of Healthcare Funders rates. If residents are not happy about the service of the private sectors, they can lay a complainant to the department. We will report them to the Board of Healthcare funders or the health professions council of South Africa.

“We are still assessing the impact that private EMS service providers have on patient care. We also held talks with taxi industry to assist with transport to ferry patients to various medical institutions in daily basis,” he said.

The Taung community was left disgruntled recently over the treatment they allegedly received from one of private EMS personnel.

A concern group chairperson from Taung Voices, Bakang Makuroane said there was a terrible accident recently in Chiefscourt section in Taung.

He said the personnel driving a private ambulance stopped but allegedly refused to help them.

“One person died on the scene in a car accident after one of private EMS personnel stopped but refused to assist. The driver alleged that the accident was not in his jurisdiction. So we wanted to know if the accident was not in his jurisdiction, what he was doing in the area. These private EMS services come to North West just to fill up their pockets. The injured person died on the scene after 30 minutes while trying to call an ambulance,” Makuroane said.

-TDN

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BY REGINALD KANYANE

THE EDUCATION and sport development department said winter school campaign was going accordingly so far. The department spokesperson, Elias Malindi said they embarked on the Winter Camps programme to prepare Grade 12 for final examinations.

Malindi said the 35 519 Grade 12 pupils are currently in Winter Camps across the province. He added that pupils will be in camp until July 16.

“The Winter Camps were pursued after the smooth mid-year examination process. The mid-year examination was based on the syllabus. Pupils have done since the beginning of the year. We intend to prepare them for the final examination to be written at the end of the year.

“These examinations assist the educators to observe if pupils have understood the work done to this far. The department has put aside an amount of R6 873 690 to ensure that the winter camp programmes run successfully. There are 68 venues across the province in all four districts. We accommodate pupils and teachers during this period,” he said.

According to Malindi, winter camps are intended to assist and prepare pupils. He said they need to be able to deal with areas which they did not understand in their classes.

“This will enable them to write legibly and think critically. They will also apply the acquired knowledge and skills during their final examination. We are grateful of the smooth running of the mid-year examination.,” Malindi.

The department was happy the way in which the examination process has unfolded. MEC Sello Lehari applauded educators’ professionalism.

“I am also confident that our pupils have done well in mid-year examinations. Winter Camps are like a golden opportunity. Pupils must use and embrace it well. At these camps, pupils should not be scared to indicate their problematic areas. There are experts in various subjects to assist them. We also urge parents to assist pupils of other Grades to focus on their school work,” he said.

The schools for quarter three will reopen on July 18.

-TDN

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BY REGINALD KANYANE

TWO suspects aged 34 and 38 were arrested in Hartbeespoortdam for being in possession of suspected stolen goods and theft on Tuesday. North West police spokesperson, Col Sabata Mokgwabone said the suspects were nabbed at Ten Rooms Informal Settlement.

“Police received a tip-off from the members of the community about two people who were seen selling corrugated iron sheets in the area. They responded swiftly and that led to the arrest of the first suspect. The latter led them to the second suspect who was also arrested.  The police also discovered corrugated iron sheets worth R44 000.

“It is alleged that the corrugated iron sheets were stolen on Thursday last week. The suspects appeared in the Brits Magistrate’s Court on Friday,” he said.

-TDN

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Picture: (North West MEC of Social Development, Kgakgamatso Nkewu died in a tragic car accident)

BY REGINALD KANYANE

NORTH West premier Supra Mahumapelo said he was shocked by the death of MEC of social development, Kgakgamatso Nkewu. Mahumapelo said the provincial government delegation was to meet with the family and further details will thereafter be released.

“This accident represents a tragic loss to the family, the North West Provincial Government and to the entire country. We lost an extremely hard working public representative through Nkewu” Mahumapelo said.

The tragic accident took place on the N18 outside Vryburg at around 1pm. Nkewu was on her way to Taung from Mahikeng. The car she was travelling in rolled several times and caught fire.

Provincial government spokesperson, Brian Setswambung said the accident involved Nkewu, her two VIP protectors and a cyclist.

“The cyclist also passed away in the accident and his identity cannot be released at this stage. The relevant authorities need to inform the cyclist’s family first. Two protectors who survived the accident are hospitalised and are in a critical state,” Setswambung said.

-TDN

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BY REGINALD KANYANE
SOCIAL development department MEC, Kgakgamatso Nkewu passed away in a car accident on N18 in Vryburg.
More details to follow!
-TDN
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ANC in North West continue to visit various areas and introduce its mayoral candidates to the residents. ANC provincial chief whip, Hoffman Galeng said they visited Kagisano Molopo local municipality to interact with residents on Monday.

“People welcomed the ANC mayoral candidate. We are the only organisation that listens to the masses. Twenty years ago we began a new journey to eradicate the oppressive legacy of colonialism and apartheid. We have made significant steps towards achieving the vision of the Freedom Charter.

“We have achieved that through a collective effort. So we urge you to go and vote for the ANC so that we can continue to achieve our objectives. The lives of our people have vastly improved and South Africa is much better place than it was before 1994. Working together, we have defended and consolidated the social gains achieved since 1994, despite the negative global economic situation,” Galeng said.

He also highlighted that they will continue to work together with all South Africans to do more to fight inequality, poverty and unemployment

The Kagisano Molopo local municipality mayoral candidate, Bitsa Lenkopane said: “We are unshaken by many noises made by wannabes. They just talk, but fail to deliver. As the ANC, we have walked that path and we know what our people want. We will continue to improve the lives of our people. We will also continue to work with our people and address their grievances.

ANCYL representative, Seatlathebe Lepomane said: “Far-reaching economic transformation is the central question this election must answer. ANC provides clear, bold and decisive answers to this question. So as ANCYL in the region, we welcome all our mayoral candidates.

“More than ever before, we must work together to promote nation building, unity and social solidarity as we free the economy from the shackles of the past. We cannot rest until the economy is in the hands of the people who were historically excluded from participation.”

He also lashed out the independent candidates who defected from ANC. Lepomane alleged that they were luring voters using the name of the ANC.

SACP member in North West, Dr Mpho  Motlhabane said they supporting ANC and its mayoral candidates. He urged ANC members to follow proper channels to raise their grievances if they are not satisfied.

“As the alliance, we support ANC and welcome its mayoral candidates. We urge members to follow proper channels to raise their views rather than leaving the party. We know there was some mixed up through the candidate lists, but the ANC mentioned that they will rectify that. So there is no reason to panic,” Motlhabane said.

-TDN

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MATLOSANA Secondary School principal, Simon Makhanye said their achievements at ABC Motsepe School Eisteddfod Music Competition will encourage them to work harder. The school scooped the first prize at the competition that was held at Rhema Church in Randburg, Johannesburg on Friday.

“We have reached our mark through discipline, dedication and determination. Our learners put more effort and we practiced until late. The achievements show that hard work pays dividends. We appreciate the support and contribution showed by learners, teachers and parents,” Makhanye said.

North West province was crowned as the best province for their good administration and compliance in the smooth running of the provincial music competitions. The province also won total amount of R155 000 as prize money.  

MEC for education and sport development department, Sello Lehari commended all winners. He said the province made a history.

“I would like to thank our hard working educators and learners for putting the province on the map. The rebranding, repositioning and renewal vision is bearing excellent fruits for the province.

“The top achievements obtained show that unity prevails amongst the teachers, learners, parents and the department. I also want to applaud all stakeholders in education for their consistent support,” Lehari said.

He also added that the ABC Motsepe Schools Eisteddfod, formerly known as the South African Schools Eisteddfod (SASCE) is one of the department’s prestigious events in the annual schools calendar.

“The main purpose is to promote unity in diversity, national reconciliation, social cohesion and a national identity among young South Africans of school going age. The programme also addresses the embedded cultural, traditional and indigenous meanings to nation-building, sense of belonging and definition of a national identity,” Lehari said.  

The North West province sent 25 schools to the national competitions to compete in the 38 renditions. This included to recites the Preamble of the Constitutional of the Republic of South Africa, Plea for Africa, National Anthem and African Union Anthem.

Matlosana Secondary School was the most dominant choir at the competition. They won five renditions and pocketed R57 000 which will be used to address the academic needs of the school.

Some schools which participated and won were Reoleboge Special School from Moruleng Village in Rustenburg, Iteko Special School from Tlhabane Township, Zamakulunga Primary School from Jouberton in Dr Kenneth Kaunda district municipality and Botoka Secondary and Seiphemelo Secondary Schools from Tlokwe and Gatelopele from Tswelelang Township in Wolmaransstad.

-TDN

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IF your children are not learning how to program, now is the time to start now. Those were the words of a 27 year-old Information Computer Technology student from Dinokana village in Zeerust. Tsholofelo Botlholo is doing her final in ICT at Falsebay College in Cape Town.

She said it is important for programming to become a subject at many schools across the province.  

“Our children need to be taught mandatory computer programming education in schools. The ability in programming is taking on an unprecedented level of importance. Programming has not become this popular by accident. There is a growing understanding that knowing how to program is essential, especially for younger generations.

“I am teaching kids programming from the age of seven to 22 years. There is a challenge amongst the kids especially in rural areas. Hence we came up with this project called Kids In ICT. We have visited few schools across Ramotshere Moiloa local municipality and offered the course for free,”

Botlholo said they have also created few applications that could make life easier for people. She came up with an application called Bua which is a translator.

“The application helps kids to understand words easily. It also translates words into different 11 official South African languages. It also has an audio, so this will help kids to easily understand about what they talking about. However we are still waiting for licensing and we can be able to put it into use.

“We also created another application called Pulse App. We are already testing it in few hospitals in Cape Town. The Pulse App helps on filing system. We have realised that filing at many hospitals is still in analog and it is always difficult to find a file of a patient. But with this app, it will be easy to track down the file. Patients can be able to collect their medication from pharmacies and other institutions the health department agreements to fight backlog and queues at many hospitals,” she said.

Botlholo added that the educational system is changing to digital and other children should adjust before they were left behind.

“South Africa is now a global player. We need to move together with the world. These skills will enable children to succeed. Programming is a basic literacy in the digital age and kids are growing up in a very different world than that of their parents.

“We need to also understand the logic behind this. When learning to program, kids understand and tinker with the digital world they inhabit. Programming draws back the seeming magic of technology so they can truly understand the logic and science,” Botlholo said.

-TDN

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NEWLY-built multipurpose at Madidi village in Madibeng local municipality is expected to bring government services closer to the people. Madibeng local municipality spokesperson, Tumelo Tshabalala said a R7.4 million institution will address the underlying issues encountered by those who are impoverished.

“The implementation of multi-purpose centre is to bring government services closer to the people. It will provide the community with the opportunity to communicate with government. Multi-purpose centre has been identified as the primary approach for the implementation of development communication and information programmes.

“We know that many South Africans live in abject poverty. So the centre is part of community development. This is part of unemployment, inequality and poverty alleviation strategy. We also promote the improvement of the quality of community life,” he said.

Councillor Susan Ntshangeni reiterated that the government does not want to alienate those it is trying to serve. She added that this complement the North West premier, Supra Mahumapelo’s vision to develop of villages, townships and small dorpies.  

“Our aim is to improve the quality of community life. We are looking forward to its completion to allow local residents to utilise it for different activities. The project has created 53 jobs to locals,” she said.

One of the workers, Jabu Hlongwane said he was grateful for the job.

“I am now able to provide for my family. I have been out of job for a very long time. Job creation is imperative as we continue to live in abject poverty. We welcome the centre as it will also create jobs after it is completed. People will also have easy access to government primary services. We have been travelling to far-fetched areas to get help,” Hlongwane said.

Community liaison officer, Victor Budlele said: “We have been using the tribal hall to host events. We are looking forward to the completion of the centre to host. However we hope our government will bring more services to be accessible to our people. We will not lose hope as good things come to those who wait.”

-TDN

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