Since joining forces last Sunday, farmers, farmworkers and police in the Mafikeng area in North West province have apprehended six suspected farm attackers, according to a report on Friday.

On Thursday, they arrested four men just two hours after a woman was reportedly overpowered in her farm shop, Beeld reported.

Kotie du Toit was attacked by four men in balaclavas on Thursday morning.

After taking money from the cash register, they took her back to her home, tied her up and demanded the keys to the safe.

“They held a gun to my head… I prayed out loud the whole time. God was there. One of the robbers stroked my hair and said ‘Sorry, Ouma’.”

They left, and after she managed to free herself, Du Toit called for help.

Local security forces were mobilised, along with farmers, herdsmen and local businessmen.

“We cordoned off an area of about 500 hectares with vehicles,” local farmer Wynand Buys said.

“Farm workers were dropped off every 50m so they could see each other and spread the word if they spotted the robbers. Herdsmen patrolled the fences.”

Two suspects were spotted when they crossed a road and a farmworker spotted another hiding in the grass.

Eventually all four surrendered to police and, after they were arrested, Du Toit’s stolen belongings were found in two bags in the  veld.

In a separate incident, farmers caught two thieves in the act in a local farm house last Sunday and they were swiftly arrested by police. – Sapa

The Farlam Commission of Inquiry is hoping to continue as planned next week, following an attack on miners’ advocate Dali Mpofu, a spokesperson said on Friday.

“We are engaging the legal teams where Mr Dali Mpofu works from,” said Tshepo Mahlangu.

Mpofu is recovering in hospital after being attacked and stabbed on an East London beach.

Options being explored include the possibility of Mpofu’s team putting someone else in his place while he recovers, or for retired  judge Ian Farlam and the evidence leaders to meet to see whether the sequence of the inquiry’s programme can be changed.

“The commission has to continue,” said Mahlangu. “We can’t afford any more delays.”

Earlier, Eastern Cape police said Mpofu was in a “serious but stable condition” after being stabbed and robbed near Eastern Beach.

Mahlangu said the commission was shocked and saddened by the attack on Mpofu.

“He is an important member of the commission, playing a very important role. We want to wish him a speedy recovery.”

Mahlangu said the commission did not see a link between its work and the attack on Mpofu.

“Not at all. The police have said very clearly that it is robbery. There is no information that we have that seeks to suggest otherwise,” he said. – Sapa

Mpumalanga Black Aces will appear in front of the PSL DC facing various charges: They face three charges relating to failure to honour National First Division fixtures.

The first game they failed to honour was a scheduled fixture against Cape Town FC on 23 September 2012 at NNK Stadium. The second fixture they failed to honour was on 19 September 2012 against United FC at the GWK Stadium.

The third fixture they failed to honour was against Sivutsa Stars on 15 September 2012 at Secunda Stadium.

They will appear this evening.

Courtesy of http://www.psl.co.za

By Obakeng Maje

North West- Most schools in North West are over-crowded and this affect learners as the conditions derail them.

According to reports, most learners are forced to share textbooks and do not have enough classrooms.

The sentiment shared by Sadtu secretary-general Thabo Sematle.

“Most schools in the province does not have enough classrooms and this results in overcrowding” Thabo Sematle told Sabc.

Last month Sadtu in the province plea with MEC Louisa Mabe to resign.

The department of Education has been under siege as Mabe was implicated in maladministration.

Department of Education spokesperson Brian Setswamung admits that most schools in the province are overcrowded.

“We can attest that most schools are overcrowded and the department is looking how to solve that issue” he told sabc.

Overcrowding and lack of textbooks affect learners in their studies and their progressive reports said Sematle.

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Johannesburg – Lawyer Dali Mpofu is in a serious but stable condition after being stabbed and robbed near East London’s Eastern Beach, police in the Eastern Cape said on Thursday.

Two people allegedly attacked the former South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) CEO on Esplanade Road on Thursday at around 3pm, said spokesperson Colonel Sibongile Soci.

The SABC reported that the attackers took his cellphone.

“He also sustained stab wounds in the upper and lower body, and was rushed to a hospital in East London,” Soci said.

No arrests had been made yet.

Mpofu is representing the miners involved in last year’s shooting in Marikana, North West. The SABC reported he was on a short break before the Farlam Commission of Inquiry into the shooting resumed next week.

The African National Congress condemned the attack.

“This act of thuggerism should not be tolerated as it undermines public safety and is a threat to lives,” spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said in a statement. – Sapa

North West acting local government MEC Paul Sebegoe was shut out of the Ditsobotla municipal chambers by angry workers as government’s action to intervene in the Lichtenburg-based municipality backfired.

Sebegoe, who came to invoke Section 139 (1) (b) of the Constitution on the municipality to put an interim administrator at Ditsobotla local municipality, was prevented from implementing the decision of the provincial cabinet.

Sebegoe ended up addressing only 11 councillors including mayor Lesego Holele as the other 31 were either shut out or failed to turn up for the scheduled meeting.

Ditsobotla is one of three local municipalities placed under administration after the provincial executive council said they had become dysfunctional.

The provincial legislature’s portfolio committee expressed reservations on the interventions and queried why it had not been consulted.

But tension against the intervention highlighted the extent of factionalism within the ANC in the province as one group of protesters is said to be aligned to ANC provincial chairperson Supra Mahumapelo, while the other to ousted provincial secretary, Kabelo Mataboge.

On Wednesday, the grounds at Ditsobotla municipal offices in Lichtenburg resembled a battlefield with police having sporadic clashes with protesting members of the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and other councillors.

Samwu official Alfred Pele said: “We welcome any intervention but the way this one has been done is factional. Then Sebegoe came here and did not want to consult us, instead, police were unleashed on union members.

“We know what is at stake here, there is talk of $2bn (R17bn) sourced to revamp service delivery and the MEC and his principals want to get their hands on that money.”

Pele said an administrator sent to the municipality would not enter the municipal building.

“We will make sure everything stops here, no one will report for work because we want to bring this factional approach to its knees.

“They should have invoked Section 139 (1) (b) on Ngaka Modiri Molema district and even Tswaing, but they can’t because mayors there belong to their faction,” he said.

Cope councillor Molopi Moseki echoed Pele, saying: “What we are seeing here are factional battles and the failure by the acting MEC to adhere to procedure renders the situation worse.

“What could have been good intervention was lost in political battles.”

Mayor Holele said she welcomed the administration so that it could clear her name.

“I have been accused and even kicked out of office for alleged corruption, maladministration and other ills. This intervention is welcome because it puts things to rest,” she said.

Holele said there were sharp divisions on the move, a situation that could make it difficult for the administrator.

Spokesperson Dineo Lolokwane said contractual agreements with the administrator were being finalised.

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

The North West University (NWU), Potchefstroom campus, has introduced a collection of faultless Afrikaans texts known as Afrikaanse SkryfGoed 4, available for individuals wishing to write excellently in one of South Africa’s 11 languages.

Such a collection of Afrikaans electronic proofing tools has been developed by the Centre for Text Technology (CTexT®), a research and development centre at the university.

The collection is also described as the most recent version consisting of four tools for Microsoft Office including Afrikaans spelling checker, grammar checker, thesaurus and hyphenator, and was entirely compatible with Microsoft® Office 2013 and Windows 8.

The grammar checker and thesaurus are one of a kind in Afrikaans for Microsoft Office, and the spelling checker was the only “so-called” second-generation spelling checker currently existing for Afrikaans.

A statement from the university said the most recent technology and advanced processing were used to deliver better results, also that the proofing tools have already generated positive reactions from several language experts and language practitioners.

Chairperson of the Afrikaanse Taalkommissie Tom McLachlan said: “I really no longer want to work on an Afrikaans text without my SkryfGoed.

“The grammar checker often helps me to see mistakes that I have made due to hurried typing.”

McLachlan is a writer, academic and businessman.

Prof Franci Greyling, a lecturer in creative writing at the university, said the Afrikaans spelling checker was a useful method to swiftly spot spelling as well as typing errors.

Greyling further said she frequently use the thesaurus to enhance her writing.

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

Lindani Magade, the only medical student from the province to return home from Cuba after a hunger strike in February, has apologised for letting the government and community down.

Officials from the department of health in partnership with the Mnquma local municipality, organised an event in Butterworth yesterday aimed at encouraging the 22-year-old student who has decided to return to Cuba to finish his medical training, and said they still supported him.

Unconfirmed reports are that Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has forgiven four of the six students who chose to return to the country following the strike.

Magade from Chebe, Centane, who started studying in Cuba in 2011 said he was grateful for the second chance he has been given by the department of health.

“I promised that I will conduct myself in a good manner in Cuba and be the star of my community. Once I finish my studies in Cuba, I will never abandon my community,” Magade said.

He said he had felt the pain of his family and community when news about their return broke out.

“Our intentions were to come here and explain to health authorities what happened in Cuba,” he said.

Mphumzi Mdledle, a doctor at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha, who studied in Cuba came to offer moral support to Magade. He said conditions in Cuba were tough.

“It was never easy studying there. We once thought of gathering a strike after we went for three weeks without food.”

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

Expressed confidence that they would be able to grow their businesses and plan better after they received financial management training.

The training was sponsored by the provincial department of economic development as part of its contribution in empowering small businesses and promoting responsible liquor trading.

More than 50 traders have so far benefitted from the course that has been run in Mahikeng, Khuma and Jouberton townships, in Klerksdorp.

Economic development spokesperson Dumisa Seshabela said that liquor traders were important stakeholders who played a vital role in the provincial gross domestic product.

“The liquor industry is estimated to have created about 109000 direct employment opportunities, with an estimated number of 95000 jobs existing within the formal liquor retail sector. The decision to embark on a financial management training course focusing on tavern consumption was meant to help them improve their businesses,” she said.

Seshabela added that the course would be extended to traders in other centres in the province that were not covered in the first round.

“The objective of the training was to equip licencees with the financial management skills which would assist them to run their business effectively. It would furthermore ensure sustainability in order to create more job opportunities and grow the economy of the province. The training was offered by Taletso FET College in Mahikeng and was managed by Thuto ya Setshaba working in partnership with Ratidzo Training Solution, which is accredited by Agri-Seta,” she said.

A resolution to train and empower traders was taken at a liquor lekgotla, held in Mahikeng on February 15 this year.

One of the tavern owners, Molato Charles Moqhai of King Lucky’s Place in Stilfontein said: “This training has equipped some of us with skills to analyse income and expenditure statements. It will go a long way in helping us to make informed financial decisions that promote a sustainable and responsible liquor industry.”

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