By Obakeng Maje

Lichtenburg-A 37 year-old woman was found lying near the railway line by the security guard at about 02:00am on Saturday.

“The woman could not speak and it was realised that she was allegedly been raped” she said.

Makau said men are also victims of murder. 

“Several cases are being reported where men ended-up being murdered after their visits to taverns. It has come to the attention of police that these men carry a lot of cash and leave taverns drunk. They end-up being mugged and murdered by unknown suspects” she concludes.-TDN

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By Obakeng Maje

Klerksdorp-A woman from Khuma near Stilfontein, is in a critical condition at the hospital after she was allegedly raped, stabbed thirty five times on different parts of her body. 

“The suspects allegedly cut-off her private parts after she was allegedly kidnapped from a nearby mining area” said captain Pelonomi Makau.-TDN

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By Obakeng Maje

North West police are encouraging everyone to take precautionary measures to safe-guard themselves against consuming anything that is given to them, especially from people they do not know or trust, captain Pelonomi Makau said. 

“It has come to the attention of the police that during the festive season, people consume a lot of alcohol and others consume alcohol or soft drinks that has been spiked”.

Makau said cases of rape and murder that are reported are mostly of people who visited taverns and leave in the early hours of the morning being drunk. 

“They end up being raped and murdered by unknown people. Most of the cases reported are of women and young girls who visit taverns and end up being victims of rape and murder.

Police are also appealing to hitch- hikers who end up being given cold drinks that are suspected to have been mixed with drugs. Victims end up being raped and murdered.

“In recent incidents, a woman from Khuma near Stilfontein, is in a critical condition at the hospital after she was allegedly raped, stabbed thirty five times on different parts of her body. The suspects allegedly cut-off her private parts after she was allegedly kidnapped from a nearby mining area” Makau.

Another incident happened in Lichtenburg where a 37 year-old woman was found lying near the railway line by the security guard at about 02:00 in the morning.

“The woman could not speak and it was realised that she was allegedly raped” she said.

Makau said men are also victims of murder. 

“Several cases are being reported where men ended-up being murdered after their visits to taverns. It has come to the attention of police that these men carry a lot of cash and leave taverns drunk. They end-up being mugged and murdered by unknown suspects”. 

“People should not carry a lot of cash at night and they should walk or drive in company of others”.

Police further appeals to the young girls and women not to walk alone especially at night.

“Parents are urged to know the whereabouts of their children and play a pivotal role in ensuring that their girl children are safe and protected” concludes Makau.-TDN

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A broader consultation with the Bapo Community is necessary to consider a proposal to covert mining royalties it is supposed to receive from Lonmin into equity shares, North West Provincial Government delegation led by Premier Thandi Modise and the mining house agreed in Mahikeng on Friday.

While Premier Modise and members of Executive Council (Exco) have expressed their in-principle support for Lonmin’s proposed empowerment transaction, they have insisted that it needed endorsement by the community.  

 The meeting also agreed that the Public Protector, Advocate Thuli Madonsela who is investigating the payment of mining royalties to Bapo Ba Mogale Tribal authority and their administration through the Provincial D: Account should be briefed about the proposal by Lonmin before it is finally sanctioned by the provincial government.

In welcoming an announcement by Lonmin’s Executive Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs, Lerato Molebatsi that her company has ring fenced R120 million for local procurement in the new financial year, Premier Modise said that while this will boost the local economy and improve the lives of people around the mining community, the provincial government wishes to review Lonmin’s social labour plans to ensure that communities in the province benefit from the R6 billion that the mining house has set aside for Corporate Social Investments over the next 5 years.

“While mining is a national competency, the abject poverty that surrounds the world’s second producing  platinum mines in the province is our greatest concern hence we are insisting on an urgent review of social labour plans of all mining houses,” emphasised Modise.

The provincial government has set aside R20 million for water and sanitation projects to be implemented in Marikana during the current financial year. Lonmin has also committed to augment the amount with an additional R35 million towards the projects and development of roads in the area.

The company has recently donated 50 hectares of land to the provincial government for development of an integrated human settlement project in Marikana towards which it would invest R500 million over the next five years.-TDN

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By Obakeng Maje

Bethanie-Police are investigating a murder that took place on Tuesday at Segwailane Moshongoville Section. 

This is after the police received information from the community that a body of a 47-year-old man was lying next to the road that leads to Moshongoville

section. 

“The Police went to the scene of crime and found the deceased

with six bullet wounds in his body. It is alleged that the victim, who is a Lesotho National who was working at Lonmin mine and was shot dead whilst

on his way to work from Segwailane in Bethanie when the incident happened” brigadier Thulani Ngubane said.

The deceased was taken to Brits government mortuary. The motive for the murder is still unknown and no arrests has been made. 

A case of murder is investigated.

“Police would like to urge members of the public to assist with information that can lead to the arrest of the suspect by contacting the Investigating Officer Constable Thapelo Mothobi on this number on 082

416 3336″ Ngubane said.-TDN

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North West Premier Thandi Modise is to meet with Lonmin to discuss payment of royalties on behalf of Bapo Ba Mogale Traditional Authority. 

“The meeting aimed at finding solutions to the impasse around the D: Account is

scheduled to be held at 9:00 am at the Premier’s office in Mahikeng today” premier spokesperson Lesiba Kgwele said.

Premier Modise who has recently said that the provincial government wants

to see traditional authorities becoming shareholders instead of recipients of royalties from mining houses is confident that the meeting will pave a way Bapo Community to benefit in the next phase of the empowerment

transaction which Lonmin expects in the first half of 2014.

The Premier is to later in the morning at 11:00 am also meet with South African National Road Agency Limited (SANRAL) to receive the quarterly

progress report on implementation of Strategic Infrastructure Projects

(SIP4).

“She is to also receive a presentation on the R512 to N4 in the Hartbeespoort Dam vicinity and Mahikeng Airport. Both projects have been identified as priority projects for the province” said Kgwele.

SANRAL is the strategic infrastructure project (SIP) coordinator for SIP4 aimed at unlocking economic opportunities in the North West Province.-TDN

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