BY Obakeng Maje

Mahikeng-North West Public Works,Roads and Transport Department to re-prioritise some of roads projects in the province.

This was announced by The Head of Department(HOD) of Public Works,Roads & Transport in the province Mr Sam Thobakgale.

“We have put our focus on economic roads that connects towns. And the projects for this roads projects will started soon. Our aim is to improve  more than 25 roads in the province” Thobakgale said.

“This roads are been marked across four districts. So we will like to inform roads users to be more patient as we will make their lives more unbearable with that stop and go situation” He continues.

North West is much known as potholes province as its roads leave much to be desired.

Most roads are in bad conditions as potholes rule. For more typical example, a road from Klerksdorp to Schweizer-Reneke is no go.

“The province also will offer internships to Engineer students as we lost more graduates,but hopefully they will bring their excellent knowledge and skll in the province” Thobakgale said.

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BY Obakeng Maje

Stakeholders in the North West Province are to re-prioritise road projects for their respective communities at a Consultative Provincial Roads Summit to be held as from 9:00am at the Mmabatho Convention Centre tomorrow Friday 2 November 2012 .

“The declaration to be adopted at the conclusion of the summit should become a blueprint and performance measure that communities would hold the Provincial Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport accountable for road infrastructure delivery. Our communities and road users deserve quality and safer roads” says Premier Thandi Modise.

Premier Modise is to deliver the keynote address at the summit which was preceded by district engagements where delegates were engaged on plans for development of new roads, major maintenance and other related road projects to prioritise which the department should attend to first.

Other key stakeholders to participate in the programme for the summit include South African National Road Agency Limited (SANRAL) and the National Department of Transport which will be represented by its Director General, George Mahlalela.

BY Obakeng Maje

 The recognition that the North West Province earned for its contribution towards development of traditional and indigenous music at the 2012 South African Traditional Music Awards (SATMA) should spur the province to intensify its programmes to unearth and nurture talent among its youth, Premier Thand

i Modise said on Tuesday.

 “Scooping the Best Provincial Department of Sport, Arts & Culture” category at the 2012 SATMA awards should not lead to complacency but challenge us to raise the bar and deepen sustainability of the creative industries. We commend officials within the department for their tireless effort, all eight nominees who represented the province and our partners in the industry on the milestone and for making us proud. ” said the Premier.Modise added that the turnaround of Mmabana Arts Foundation should assist the province to develop its enormous talent, unique, rich traditional & indigenous music and dance. 

 In addition to the Provincial Department’s win, last year’s Best Female Artist category winner, Ama-Ausi did the province proud by scooping 

the 2012 SATMA Award 

for the Best Video, Best Song of the Year and Best Setswana Album category.

Poko ya Pina Cultural Group was crowned winner in the Best Setswana Album category.

The awards was also a platform for the province to showcase its strategy for development of the performing arts, visual arts and crafts and creative arts such as Film & TV Learnerships, Film & TV Workshops Film & TV Workshops, Community Mobile Cinemas, Provincial Film Indaba, Choral Music Revival Initiative, Theatre Development Network and other initiatives.

The province has always been a strong contender in SATMA Awards since 2005,The province has recorded 80 cultural groups some of whom have performed at International arena like 2006 World Soccer Cup in Germany, Beigin International Olympics, Festival De Monitque in France, the Shanghai International EXPO, The JAH (Jazz Heritage Africa) have been recorded by the province.

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The North West Executive Council and stakeholders in the province are to make inputs on the implementation of the National Development Plan(NPA) and Vision 2030 during the National Planning Commission’s provincial outreach programme to be held at the Mmabatho Convention Centre on Tuesday next week.

The objective of the engagement to be led by the Minister of National Planning in the Presidency, Trevor Manuel and six members of the commission is to popularise the NDP so that it is translated into targets to be incorporated into future performance and delivery agreements and ensure that its aspects are incorporated into their own long- term planning exercises and implementation plans.

“Though the National Development Plan is a product of consultative process, the provincial engagement affords us broad stakeholder and citizen ownership towards the implementation process,” says Premier Thandi Modise.

The first session to commence at 8:00 am will be with the Provincial Executive Council (Exco) while the second session to commence at 10:00 am will involve invited representatives of the business sector, labour, traditional leadership, civil society, political parties, chairpersons of portfolio committees of the legislature, youth formations, etc.

Premier Modise has following on the establiishment of the National Planning Commission established a Provincial Planning Commission and appointed former MEC Darkey Africa as fulltime Commissioner. Additional commissioners were advertised in the print media and appointments are to be made in due course. 

A Khayelitsha traditional dance teacher will effectively serve three life terms for raping seven young girls after dance classes about two years ago.

Western Cape High Court Judge Nonkosi Saba sentenced Lawrence Gagu, 49, to life in prison for each of the seven counts of rape.

A further four and five years respectively were imposed for charges of sexual grooming and showing pornography to children.

Judge Saba ordered that some of the life terms run concurrently, as she grouped the counts according to the number of times the girls were raped.

Some of the girls, aged between seven and 12, were raped once, twice and thrice. One of Gagu’s victims was raped 12 times.

Between June 2009 and March 2010, the girls were lured to his Makhaza shack in pairs after dance practice under the guise of helping him with household chores. While one of the girls fetched water, the other would stay behind, and Gagu would rape her. He had washed the girls after the rapes and threatened them at knife-point that they must keep quiet or he would kill their parents.

“Rape is one of the most serious crimes… the exacerbating factors are that these crimes were committed repeatedly on young, vulnerable and unsuspecting children. The accused planned these crimes very well. The children obeyed him because they trusted him,” Judge Saba said.

He said the fact the case was heard in the Khayelitsha Regional Court – so the community could attend – was a “blessing in disguise”.

“This case was heard in Khayelitsha so they (the community) can have insight into what transpired and it will serve as a wake-up call for them to be more vigilant, particularly regarding the supervision of children,” he said.

For more details go to http://www.iol.co.za/

Johannesburg –

The hunt was on Wednesday for a small aircraft that was last heard of over Mozambique’s remote northwest, with fears growing about the fate of its occupants.

“The aircraft went missing on Sunday and a search and rescue operation was launched immediately,” said Jonny Smith, spokesman for the Johannesburg-based Aeronautical Search and Rescue.

The craft – a Beechcraft 58 – had two people on board, and was travelling from Malawi en route to Lanseria airport, north of Johannesburg. It was last heard of around Mozambique’s vast province of Tete.

“The Mozambicans requested our help in the search and a joint operation has been set up in Beira,” said Smith.

“At this stage it very difficult to predict what might have happened to it. Our search continues,” he added.

According to Mozambique Civil Aviation Agency, the plane did not send out a distress signal. The agency earlier said the aircraft was last heard of on Tuesday. – Sapa-AFP

BY Obakeng Maje

Banyana Banyana striker Andisiwe Mgcoyi scored the only goal of the match against Senegal to keep her team’s CAF African Women Championship 2012 title hopes alive in Group A action at the Malabo stadium on Wednesday, 31 October 2012.

 The tall Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies (Sasol League Gauteng) player finished off a good move after a period of extensive Banyana Banyana pressure in the 70th minute, to give the South Africans a hard-fought and much-needed win after Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to hosts Equatorial Guinea at the same venue.

The Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana will leave the island for the mainland on Thursday, 1 November 2012, to prepare for their final Group A, fixture, against the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Bata on Saturday, 3 November 2012.

This was Senegal’s second defeat in the tournament, having gone down 1-0 to the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday.

Fielding an attack-minded formation, the South Africans had too much pace on the flanks for Senegal, with Nothando Vilakazi – moved from left back defender to left wing for the match – causing lot of trouble among the Senegalese defenders.

Against Senegal, Banyana Banyana’s midfield dominated possession and the South Africans could have had a healthy advantage by half-time. In the seventh minute, the livewire Mgcoyi latched on to a superb through-ball to beat the Senegalese offside but saw her attempted lob going narrowly wide with the advancing goalkeeper Mariane Fall well beaten.

Portia Modise, playing her 100th international game, was in attacking mood, but was also thwarted by some good goalkeeping by Fall.

In the second half, Banyana Banyana head coach Joseph Mkhonza continued his offensive approach with Bloemfontein Celtics Ladies (Sasol League Free State) striker Sanah Mollo and Durban Ladies (Sasol League KwaZulu Natal) goal-hungry Silindile Ngubane – on for Noko Matlou and Nocawe Skiti respectively – playing key roles in forcing the Senegalese side back into their own half for long periods of play.

Spurs WFC (Sasol League Western Cape) speedster Jermaine Seoposenwe – on for Mgcoyi in the final minutes of the match – also looked dangerous on the attack.