Mahikeng – The Department of Local Government and Human Settlements in Bokone Bophirima has noted with dismay and disgust allegations by the DA’s shadow Minister of Human Settlements, Makashule Gana (MP) recently on what he termed “assault on human dignity in Marikana’s informal settlements and mining hostels’’. In his statement, Gana threatens to engage the Chairperson of Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements, Nocawe Mafu, to summon both Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and MEC Maine to table the inter-ministerial task team’s report on the progress in Marikana.

Gana’s move is but an act of desperation to garner votes and to secure his seat as a Member of Parliament at the expense of the residents of Marikana. The fact is that the Province has registered remarkable progress in as far as developments in the area, are concerned.

Of the 292 Breaking New Ground housing units allocated for Marikana for 2014/2015 financial year, 100 foundations have passed the inspection process. All 252 Community Residential Units (CRU) have ground floor plates and the 1^st floor slabs have already been completed. This project which commenced in 2014 is envisaged to have created at least 204 jobs at completion in July this year. This project remains the 1^st phase of more than 2000 housing units which will be built in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).

“The fact that Gasa wants to ‘summon’ MEC Maine to “table the inter-ministerial task team’’ is meant to give an impression to the electorates that the MEC has refused to account on the progress made in Marikana. MEC Maine, a former Member of Parliament, is available at all times to account on the work of the portfolio that has been assigned to him” Human Settlement departmental spokesperson Ben Bole said.

It is no surprise that Hon.Gasa is learning his way around Parliament procedures and platforms, judging by the fact that he has only been with the institution for just under a year and has a lot to learn on the platforms that he can use to get the Executive arm of government to account, instead of seeking reports through the media.

-TDN

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Pretoria- A man was injured following a pedestrian accident on Johan Vorster Drive in Highveld, Centurion this evening.

Netcare 911 paramedics arrived at the scene and found a man sitting on the pavement after he was knocked over by a motor vehicle while he was crossing the roadway.

“Upon assessment, paramedics found that the man had sustained serious injuries following the accident and after receiving treatment at the scene, the injured man was transported to hospital for further medical care” Netcare 911 spokesperson Santi Steinmann.

Exact detail surrounding the cause of the pedestrian accident and preceding events are still unknown at this stage.

-TDN

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Durban – A KwaZulu-Natal woman is calling on all South Africans to unite against King Goodwill Zwelithini’s controversial call to have foreigners deported from South Africa.

Bandile Mdlalose, 28, who is the president of the Community Justice Movement, an organisation that fights for human rights, said she
believed that the Zwelithini’s comments fuelled an already burning issue.

For more http://www.news24.com

Durban – The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport has slammed the “irresponsible behaviour” of a Durban student whose selfies taken while driving went viral on Wednesday.

Nicci Redelinghuys posted a picture on Facebook which she purports to have taken of herself while driving on the freeway.

For more http://www.news24.com

Pretoria – Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s two-day state visit to South Africa, his first since 1994, ends on Thursday with meetings between the countries’ business delegations.

The South Africa-Zimbabwe business forum was part of what International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane had called an effort to consolidate bilateral ties and to help Zimbabwe’s effort to industrialise.

For more http://www.news24.com

By Obakeng Maje

Vryburg- As part of marking The year of the Freedom Charter, African National Congress in Bokone Bophirima will be holding the Freedom Charter Forum and the event has been planned as follows:

Venue  :  Naledi Municipality Amphitheatre, Vryburg
Time   :  16H00
Date   :  Thursday 09 May 2015

The event is aimed at reflecting on the achievement of the ANC government for the past twenty one years in line with the Freedom Charter.

Earlier in the day ANC will also be rewarding Mama Ruth Segomotso Mompati for the years she played during the freedom struggle by giving her a car. Chairperson of the ANC and also the Premier of Bokone Bophirima Supra Mahumapelo will be doing a key note address.

-TDN

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Kimberley- The Northern Cape Provincial Government, and specifically the Department of Transport, Safety & Liaison, under the leadership of the Honourable MEC Barbara Bartlett has embraced the decision by the United Nations to declare the ten (10) year period after 2011 as the Decade of Action for Road Safety.

The declaration is a commitment to work towards halving road fatalities by half by the year 2020 and as a Province we are beefing up and investing in technologies that will help us achieve this target and ensure effective traffic operations for a better Northern Cape Province.

The innovative technology that the Law Enforcement agents (Provincial Traffics) will be utilizing in their effort to reduce accidents and fatalities, will form part of a series of events and developments that will be unveiled over time. 
These innovative technologies are:

• The Latest alcohol testing breathalysers (100)
• State of the art speed checking cameras (10) 
• Dual cellphone – two way radio communication system (54)
• Conferencing facilities for road safety engagements and updates

The use of these innovative technologies will enhance and improve our efforts with regards to road safety and strengthen our plans to address the challenges of non-adherence to the rules of the road.

The high-tech alcohol breathalyser can detect alcohol from someone’s breath during a conversation if it is brought close to the person’s mouth where the old technology required one to blow a certain amount of air into the device.  The speed camera can capture speed of 2 to 3 vehicles simultaneously unlike the traditional equipment which only captured one vehicle at a time. 

The dual cellphone technology allows for our traffics to communicate over a 1 000 radius which will aid in effective traffic policing.  So, these technologies will form part of proactive approaches and measures that will be implemented over time to ensure road safety in our Province. 

These efforts is an indication that Road Safety is top priority in the Province and that it is not an event but a 365 days process, and remains the responsibility of each and every one of us.  So, what we are saying as a department is that we are putting our money where our mouths are thus engaging on on-going operations, activities and improving on our technologies.

Over a period of time, we will unveil a series of activities that will demonstrate the gravity that we give to Road Safety in order to reduce fatalities on our roads in additions to those that we are implementing.

Some of the interventions, approaches and plan of actions will entail aspect of continuous awareness, education, marketing and branding, mobilization, effective operationalization of weigh-bridges, involvement of schools, learners and teachers; and the use of innovative technology to improve and enhance Road Safety leading to the reduction fatalities.

-TDN

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It was another bloody Easter on South Africa’s roads.

The 2015 Easter road death toll has increased compared to previous years. 287 people have died in 208 collisions over the Easter weekend.

This is 139 more fatalities than last year. 148 people died on the country’s roads last year over Easter.

For more http://www.sabc.co.za