16 January 2025- Four men who are accused of business robbery in Mokassa 1 village, near Taung, will be back in court and apply for a formal bail application today. The accused were arrested after a swift response by the police and members of the community.
The North West police spokesperson, Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said Aobakwe Motshela (26), Thatayaone Mongalenyane (26), Goitsemodimo Dikhucwe (33), and Zwelinzima Mohapi (31), were arrested on Tuesday evening, 7 January 2025, after allegedly committing a business robbery in Mokasa 1 village.
“It is alleged members of Visible Policing rushed to the scene after receiving a call at about 6pm, informing them of a robbery in progress. Upon arrival, the police joined members of the community who were found chasing the suspects.
“Three men were as a result arrested. The fourth suspect who was seen carrying a firearm, was apprehended after being found hiding in the bushes,” he said.
Mokgwabone said a search for the firearm was conducted immediately and the following day, but that did not yield positive results. He said the accused briefly appeared in Taung Magistrate’s Court.
“They were remanded in custody until 16 January 2025, for a formal bail application,” said Mokgwabone.
Meanwhile, the District Commissioner of Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Brigadier Tshenolo Tlotleng, thanked members of the community and the police for their cooperation, which he said is a good example of what can be achieved if everyone is involved in the fight against crime.
16 January 2025- A total of 84 alive illegal miners have been retrieved as at 4pm on 15 January 2025. All 84 have been placed under arrest.
The national police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said: “Eighteen illegal miners have been certified dead. Mathe said the total figures on day three of operations by 4pm on Wednesday afternoon showed that 216 alive illegal miners were retrieved, while 78 are deceased.”
Meanwhile, the acting North west Police Commissioner, Major General Patrick Asaneng, provided further updates at 7:30pm yesterday.
16 January 2025- A terror financing case against a man (35) was postponed by the Lichtenburg Magistrate’s Court to 22 January 2025, for bail judgement. Ziyahd Hoorzook allegedly financed a terrorist organization back in 2017.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson, Sivenathi Gunya said Hoorzook is facing charges under the Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Activities Act 33 of 2004 (POCDATARA), including six alternative counts of contravening Section 4(1) (f)(ii) of the Act.
Gunya said additional charges include contravening the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act of 15 of 1998 and Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000 for failing to secure firearms in the prescribed manner.
“During the proceedings, both the state and defence submitted to the court their closing arguments for the bail application. He is remanded in custody until his next court appearance,” he said.
16 Ferikgong 2025- Banna ba le babedi ba kwa motseng wa Matlhako 2, gaufi le Pudimoe, ba solofetswe go dira kopo ya beile kwa kgotlha-tshekelo ya Taung mo letsatsing la gompieno. Phemelo Maine (40) ga mmogo le Onkemetse Phatlhanyane (27), ba latofadiwa ka go bolaya Boingotlo Makaota (16).
Go begwa fa setopo sa ga Makaota, se bonwe kwa lebitleng le le seng boteng kwa nageng kwa motseng wa Matlhako 2 mo bekeng e e fetileng ka Labotlhano. Sepodisi se begile fa Makaota a ka tswa a bolailwe mo bosigong jwa Labone gone mo bekeng e e fetileng.
Go ya ka moagisani, one a utlwa segajaja sa lekgarebe mo bosigong jwa Labone kwa ntlung ya ga Maine. Go begwa fa moagisani o, gape a tlhalositse fa a ne a bona Maine ga mmogo le ditsala tsa gagwe ba kgorometsa kereibaye e go bontshang fa ene e pegile sengwe mo teng mo mosong wa Labotlhano.
Sebueledi sa sepodisi mo Bokone Bophirima, Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone are: “Sepodisi se ile sa tswa letsholo, mme seo se ile sa lebisa kwa go epololweng ga setopo sa ga Makaota.
“Go begwa fa setopo seo, sene se thatilwe ka kobo, mme moswi one a supiwa ke ba lelapa la gagwe. Dipatlisiso di shupa fa setopo sa ga Makaota, se ne se na le dintho mo tlhogong, mo diropeng ga mmogo le mo maotong.”
Mokgwabone are dipatlisiso di ile tsa bolodiwa kwa lelapeng la ga Maine, mme diaparo tsa moswi di ile tsa fitlhelwa teng. Mokgwabone are, Maine o tshwerwe ka Lamatlhatso morago ga go ineele kwa sepodising.
“Monna o, o ile a isiwa kwa sepodisi ke morwa rragwe, mme one a tshwarwa. Sepodisi se ile sa botsolotsa Phatlhanyane o bonweng a tsamaya le Maine fa a ne a kgorometsa kereibaye, mme le ene o ile a lelelwa ke ditshipi,” Mokgwabone wa tlhalosa.
Mokomishinara wa Sepodisi wa nama o sa tshwere mo Bokone Bophirima, Major General Patrick Asaneng, o kgadile ka bogale tiragalo e. Asaneng are polao eo ya go tlhorontshiwa ga bong e kabo e efogilwe fa baagi ba ne ba le malala-a-laotswe.
Kgabagare, modula-setilo wa mokgatlho wa baagi wa South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) mo Taung, Joseph Tanyane are: “Re utlwile ka tiragalo eo, mme re tlhabilwe ke ditlhong thata. Re dira boikuelo go makgarebe a atlhogang gore ba itlhokomele thata jang mo makawaneng a tlang kwa morago a.
“Ko bofelo, ba feleletsa ba ba tseela matshelo, mme re ba rotloetsa thata gore ba itlhokomele. Re leboga sepodisi sa rona sa Afrika Borwa ka gore se sebaka ba be ba setse ba tshwere babelaelwa. Ba dira tiro entle go baagi ba rona.”
Tanyane are ba romela matshidiso go ba lelapa la ga Makaota gore ba beye tshotlhe fa pele ga Modimo, gonne ke ene fela o a itseng.
Picture: Three of four murder accused persons/Facebook
By OBAKENG MAJE
15 January 2025- A murder case against a rapist and alleged murderer, Bakang Katong (32), his co-accused, Thabang Lenyai (23), Katlego Mosimege (31), and Phenyo Katong (34), was postponed to 24 February2025 by the Taung Regional Court.
The accused persons were arrested two years ago for allegedly killing Thabiso Mothibedi (35), in cold blood. This comes after they accused Mothibedi of stealing R20 000 cash and cigarettes worth R600 from Katong’s house in Manthe village, near Taung.
The North West police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Sam Tselanyane said the preliminary investigation revealed that on 29 April 2022, the deceased was at Longaneng village in Taung, when the accused fetched and ferried him back to Manthe village.
“Upon arrival, the deceased was allegedly chained to a generator and assaulted. After the assault, the victim was reportedly transported to a local clinic by the accused, however, he was declared dead upon arrival.
“The accused were arrested and charged with murder,” he said.
On 1 May 2022, the community members were up in arms and torched three houses and a bakkie belonging to Katong’s family.
Picture: The The Mamusa Local Municipality mayor, Seitebaleng Chelechele/Facebook
By OBAKENG MAJE
15 January 2025- The Mamusa Local Municipality mayor, Seitebaleng Chelechele, accompanied by her office and other stakeholders, visited Itshupeng Secondary School and Ikgomotseng Primary School in Extension 4, Schweizer Reneke. Chelechele’s purpose of her visit was to evaluate the readiness of these schools for the 2025 academic year.
She also addressed challenges impacting these schools’ performance.
Chelechele said this initiative reflects the municipality’s commitment to improving education standards and ensuring better learning environments. She further extended her heartfelt congratulations to the staff and learners of Itshupeng Secondary School for their extraordinary achievements in 2024.
“The school recorded a significant 33% increase in its pass rate compared to the Class of 2023 pass rate, achieving an impressive overall pass rate of 83% from 50%.
“Key stakeholders, who were part of the visit include representatives from the Parliamentary Constituency Office (PCO), municipal councillors, office of the mayor personnel and School Governing Body (SGB) chairpersons,’ said Chelechele.
She said as part of the engagement, they held productive discussions with school principals and SGB members to explore practical strategies aimed at sustaining and improving educational outcomes in 2025.
Chelechele added: “We are happy for the achievements of the Class of 2024. I commend the learners for their perseverance and the teachers for their unwavering dedication. May this resilience and hard work continue to inspire success in the new academic year.”
15 January 2025- North West province has experienced a significant amount of rainfall this season, bringing much-needed relief to the region’s water resources. As a result, the province’s dam levels have shown notable improvements over the past week.
According to the Department of Water and Sanitation latest report on the country’s water levels, the overall dam levels in the North West have increased from 64.7% to 72.5%.
The department spokesperson, Wisane Mavasa said the upward trend will bring a relief to the province, and the department is optimistic that this upward trajectory will continue. Mavasa said several dams in the province have experienced significant increases in their water levels.
“The Olifantsnek Dam has shown a notable increase from 48.0% to 60.4%, while the Vaalkop Dam has jumped from 28.9% to 65.9% this week. The Bospoort Dam has risen from last week’s 92.7% to 102.2% this week, indicating a substantial improvement in water storage.
“Other dams that have experienced an increase include the Ngotwane dam, which has risen from 32.0% to 35.0%. Buffelspoort Dam has increased from 84.5% to 91.3% this week. Lindleyspoort Dam from 17.5% to 30.0% and Roodekopjes Dam from 78.9% to 87.8% this week,” he said.
Mavasa further said Marico-Bosveld Dam has risen from 20.0% to 27.4%, Molatedi Dam, which has increased from 27.5% to 37.1%, Madikwe Dam and Pella Dam has risen from 36.8% to 47.7%, and 36.0% to 37.8% respectively. He added that in addition, the Disaneng Dam has reached full capacity, increasing from 75.0% to 100.0%.
“On the other hand, some dams in the province have experienced decreases in their water levels. Hartbeespoort Dam has decreased slightly from 97.6% to 95.1%. Taung and Setumo Dams have maintained their levels at 82.3% and 98.9%, respectively.
“Moving forward, the department remains committed to ensuring sustainable management of water resources by continuing to work closely with all stakeholders to maintain a positive momentum and to guarantee a reliable water supply to the province’s residents, businesses, and industries,” said Mavasa.
Picture: A body of illegal miner carried out after being retrieved from disused Stilfontein mine shaft/Google
By OBAKENG MAJE
15 January 2025- The North West Department of Health has refuted allegations that the provincial Forensic Pathology Services facilities are unable to cope with the increasing number of illegal miners’ corpses extracted underground in Stilfontein in the ongoing national rescue operation.
The department said its plan of readiness has been approved and shared by the North West MEC for Health, Sello Lehari during his briefing session yesterday at Stilfontein.
Lehari spokesperson, Lucas Mothibedi said the department has identified several forensic pathology services facilities to deal with the expected, sizable number of corpses as the operation is ongoing. Mothibedi said as of this morning, 51 bodies have been retrieved underground in the last three days of the rescue operation.
“All corpses have been handed over to the department’s forensic facilities. We have also beefed up our medical personnel by contracting more nurses, radiographers, doctors and other medical personnel.
“The department is also assisting with identification processes through DNA and other medical means, including post mortems to determine whether these deaths were as a result of hunger, illness or injuries,” he said.
Mothibedi further said the department cautions members of the public and media against disinformation and misinformation peddled by some groups at Stilfontein, aimed at discrediting all efforts and strides made by the department so far. He added that 36 bodies were retrieved on 13 Jan 2025, while 51 were extracted on 14 Jan 2025.
“Total bodies retrieved by yesterday were 87. We have 70 space at Forensic Pathology Services facility in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District and 240 in Bojanala District. So, there is enough space in the province to store the bodies for now.
“On the issue of Gauteng Forensic vans, the province has 20 vehicles that can carry 4 bodies each. Due to the high number of bodies in a short space, Gauteng Forensic Pathology Services has been asked to assist with vehicles to deliver the deceased to North West Forensic Pathology Services mortuaries. All bodies remain in the North West,” said Mothibedi.
Picture: North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi/Facebook
By BAKANG MOKOTO
15 January 2025- The North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi said unlike the preceding years, her department was confronted with many internal and external challenges, which had the potential to sway it off the rails. Motsumi said, however, against all odds, driven by their unshaken beliefs in serving the best interest of the child and in advancing the boundless potential of the learners, they weathered every storm and soldiered on.
She further said finally, they have successfully reached their destination and that moment of eagerly awaiting the release of the 2024 NSC results is over. Motsumi added that the Class of 2024 holds a special historic significance as a transitional Grade 12 cohort that she led from the then 6th administration to the current 7th administration.
“For 2024, a total of 40 575 candidates sat for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations. For the record, an overwhelming majority of the candidates that made up the Class of 2024 enrolled for Grade 1 in 2013.
“Technically, their results, for which we are gathered here to celebrate, are the first for the 7th administration, which took over the government in June 2024. I am thrilled to announce that the Class of 2024 obtained a spectacular pass rate of 87,52% and position 4 nationally,” she said.
Motsumi said this ground-breaking achievement represents an increase of 5,89% from 81,63% by 2023. She said the NSC pass rate by that margin and retaining position 4 is no mean feat, taking into account the tightness of the competition among the nine provinces for at least a top 3 spot, which they missed by a percentage point.
“It is not mere rhetoric when we say that for us, the game is never over until we win. We are determined to do everything in our power to reach the top three of the national NSC Examination results league table.
“Nonetheless, this accomplishment of 87,52% matric pass rate is not only a source of pride for the province. It also indicates that the department has out-done itself as it is above the 2024/25 APP target of 87% matric pass rate,” said Motsumi.
She said besides being unprecedented in the history of the province, at least in the last five years, it is a quantum leap that needs to be sustained. Motsumi said it is important to remember that the 2024 provincial matric pass rate is not the only significant figure in their records, but it is a robust sign of progress registered by the maturing provincial education system.
“Needless to say, this achievement was not a coincidence and it did not happen overnight. It is a product of years of hard work, the power of collective effort, shared vision, numerous interventions and dedication, with a firm desire for quality over quantity.
“To confirm this, the quality of our passes has also improved dramatically. To start with, the Class of 2024 obtained a total of 7 901 distinctions in various subjects, excluding Life Orientation, compared to 7067 in the previous year. The number of candidates who passed with admission to Bachelor Studies has increased to 18 279 (45,05%) from 15 059 (36,36%) of the Class of 2023,” she said.
Motsumi said the admission to Diploma Studies has also improved to 11 455 (28,23%) compared to 11 646 (28,12%) of 2023, and to further demonstrate their sharp appetite for quality over quantity. She said the number of those who passed with Higher Certificate has dropped to 5 777 (14,2%) against 7 089 (17,11%) of 2023.
Picture: The police officers are accused of ignoring drug peddlers/Generic
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
15 January 2025- The police in Rustenburg said they have noted with concern a video doing the rounds on social media platforms, especially tik-tok wherein they are unfairly accused of doing nothing about alleged drug peddling at a block of flats.
The flats, which are not far from the police station, are said to be occupied mainly by Nigerian foreign nationals.
The North West police spokesperson, Brigadier Sabata Mogwabone said while the police are constitutionally mandated to prevent, combat and investigate crime, it must be emphasised that they cannot fight crime alone. Mokgwabone said therefore, there is nothing wrong about exposing criminals and criminality, but it is important to share such information with the police so that necessary steps can be taken.
“This must be done not only in Rustenburg, but other places. It must also be stated that a number of drug related operations were previously conducted at the flats and the neighbouring streets and that led to the arrest of suspects, including foreign nationals.
“Furthermore, drugs were confiscated during the operations, which were in most instances, intelligence driven. We would also like to advise members of the community to engage relevant authorities, especially on issues pertaining to acquiring of flats, payments of rates and services, the legal status of the tenants in the country, among others,” he said.
Mokgwabone further said, however, some of these issues, particularly contravention of the Immigration Act, 2002 and dealing in drugs, are dealt with weekly by the police and other law enforcement agencies through the high density Operation Shanela.
He added that police request anyone who may have information about any criminality, to call the South African Police Service (SAPS) Crime Stop number on 08600 10111.
“Alternatively, tip-offs can be shared via MySAPS App,” said Mokgwabone.
The Guardian 