DA focuses on ECDs for first-day-of-school oversights

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Picture: DA spokesperson on Basic Education, Dr Delmaine Christians doing oversight at New Park Primary School in Kimberley/Supplied  

By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

16 January 2025- As part of the renewed focus on early childhood development (ECD), the Democratic Alliance (DA) conducted oversight visits to four schools in the Kimberley area – two public and two private institutions. According to the DA, they were encouraged to find that all the centres and schools demonstrated a commitment to nurturing early learning and development, with well-equipped, positive learning environments.

DA spokesperson on Basic Education, Dr Delmaine Christians, who is also a Member of Parliament (MP) said, there are some key challenges that need to be addressed, including the need for improved outdoor facilities, consistent meal provision and expanded infrastructure to accommodate demand.

Christians said the commitment of educators, support staff, and management teams was evident in every visit, but without increased government support, many schools may struggle to sustain these efforts.

“During the visits, the infrastructure, resource availability, learner support and overall functionality of the centres and classrooms were assessed. West End Primary School has three classrooms catering to 136 children, with approximately 45 learners per class.

“While sanitation facilities were adequate and well-maintained, there is an urgent need to upgrade the playground to ensure a safe and stimulating outdoor play environment. It is also concerning that learners are not provided with meals which may create a barrier to holistic learner development,” she said.

Christians further said Noddies Private Centre is a beautiful, well-equipped learning environment that is registered with the Department of Basic Education. She added that, it has six classrooms, each with two teachers, a dedicated chef, and a gardener.

“New Park Primary School has one Grade R classroom, with only six enrolments for the year so far. With most of its Grade R learners being former learners at a local private centre, it is clear that the school needs to develop a more robust enrolment strategy.

“Kimberley Junior School has four classrooms with an enrolment of 109 learners (approximately 27 learners per class). Learners are introduced in small groups to become familiar with the classroom environment, but due to demand, other learners attend to ensure smoother adaptation,” said Christians.

She said online applications are managed by the district office on a first-come, first-serve basis. Christians said the school requires government support for expansion due to high application volumes.

“While the department has provided a portable classroom, additional space remains a priority. The DA will continue to do oversight and advocate for enhanced support for ECD centres and Grade R classrooms to ensure that every child has access to quality early learning opportunities.

“We appreciate the dedication of each school, teacher and principal and reaffirm our commitment to strengthening this foundational phase of education,” she said.

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SANCO: “Remove corrupt executive mayor of Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, Khumalo Molefe”  

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Picture: The embattled executive mayor of Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, Khumalo Molefe/screengrab

By OBAKENG MAJE

16 January 2025- The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) in North West calls for a decisive action to be taken against the embattled executive mayor of Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, Khumalo Molefe. SANCO accused Molefe of being corrupt and alleged that, since 2023, media reported serious allegations of corruption and maladministration against him.

SANCO provincial spokesperson, Mzukisi Jam said Molefe is accused of extorting money from service providers for personal gain. Jam said according to one of the online media publications, IOL’s sources, Molefe allegedly misused these funds to construct another double-storey house, purchase a BMW for his wife and acquire several other vehicles, including a Toyota Hilux.

“The sources claim that service providers were summoned to secret meetings, where they were coerced into making donations to the mayor. One source noted that he has been meeting with service providers regularly.

“He began by calling private one-on-one meetings in Mmabatho. Molefe’s tenure has been marred by allegations of corruption, maladministration and poor service delivery. Communities in Seweding, Ramosadi, and other villages near Mahikeng have endured dire living conditions, including sewage spills that persisted for months,” he said.

Jam further said this issue was only addressed after a community march and another one led by SANCO, demanded action. He added that, during the SANCO march, Molefe allegedly instructed police to arrest SANCO Regional Secretary, Bennett Masike and other community members who are still going to court.

“The ANC Youth League (ANCYL), recognizing the gravity of the situation, also held a press conference calling for Molefe to relocate his office to Seweding and Ramosadi villages to witness the suffering first-hand.

“Adding to the community’s struggles, the district continues to face water shortages. Allegations suggest that the mayor and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Galaletsang Moroane, diverted funds earmarked for water services to unrelated projects, such as constructing fire stations and paying preferred service providers,” said Jam.

He said the redirection of public funds has left residents shocked, especially given the municipality’s R1.4 billion budget for the 2024/25 financial year. Jam said the reports from senior officials indicate that the CFO bypassed legal processes, paying service providers without notifying the municipal manager, as required by law.

“The controversy deepened in 2025, when a recording surfaced online in which the mayor reportedly admitted to accepting a R300 000, allegedly from a service provider and detailing how he shared the money with other comrades.

“If the audio clip circulating on social media is not proof of Molefe’s corruption allegations, it suggests that the mayor is untouchable and may have leverage over the leadership. In light of these allegations, we demand a forensic investigation into Molefe’s activities, lifestyle audit of the executive mayor and his immediate suspension pending the investigation,” he said.

Jam said SANCO is ready to open criminal cases against those exploiting the poor, but is giving the ANC and government an opportunity to act first. He said should the ANC fail to address the allegations, SANCO will escalate its actions by marching to the ANC Provincial Headquarters in Mahikeng to demand Molefe’s removal.

“SANCO is deeply concerned about the ANC’s silence and lack of accountability regarding these allegations, which have significantly impacted service delivery and the integrity of the liberation movement.

“If the ANC continues to ignore the situation, SANCO will also mobilize communities to shut down the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality until Molefe is removed from public office,” said Jam.

Meanwhile, Molefe said: “This is a sideshow, I am focusing on service delivery. I’ll give you a call, I am still in a meeting.”

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Four men arrested for business robbery in Mokassa to apply for bail

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By REGINALD KANYANE

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.

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Death toll at Stilfontein mine reaches 78

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Picture: The disused mine shaft in Stilfontein

By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

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.

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A man accused of financing terrorism remanded in custody

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By REGINALD KANYANE

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.

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Banna ba le babedi ba ba latofadiwang ka polao ya lekgarebe la kwa Matlhako 2 ba solofetswe go dira kopo ya beile  

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Setshwantsho: Moswi, Boingotlo Makaota/Facebook

Ka OBAKENG MAJE

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.

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Manthe murder case postponed again

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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.

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Mamusa Local Municipality mayor visits schools to assess state of readiness for 2025 academic year   

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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.”

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North West welcomes improved dam levels

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Picture: The iconic Taung Dam

By REGINALD KANYANE

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.

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Forensic Pathology Services facilities in North West has enough space to cater for bodies of illegal miners in Stilfontein  

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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.

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