Picture: The dagga found in a vehicle confiscated/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
In a bid to rid communities of drugs, police in Schweizer-Reneke working together with Crime Intelligence, nabbed two suspects on 15 February 2024. The North West police spokesperson, Col Adele Myburgh said the reports suggest that, the police received a tip-off about a Nissan vehicle, which was transporting drugs on the N12 road between Klerksdorp and Schweizer-Reneke.
“The police operationalised the intelligence and the suspects’ vehicle was spotted and stopped. Subsequent to the search, a total of 25kg of compressed dagga with an estimated street value of R100 000 was found inside the vehicle and that lead to the arrest of the duo.
“Thabang George Molefe (24) and Thandazile Ndlovu (24), briefly appeared before the Schweizer Reneke Magistrate’s Court on 16 February 2024 on charges of possession of dagga.
“Molefe was granted R1000 bail, whilst Ndlovu was remanded in custody. Their case was postponed to 19 February 2024,” she said.
The South African Football Association (SAFA) said it has noted with concern reports claiming that, Bafana Bafana may not be paid their bonuses after finishing third at the recent Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.
SAFA president, Danny Jordaan said they wish to confirm that a contract was signed between the association and the senior players, representing the team. Jordaan further said the payments and bonuses were agreed upon, depending on the team’s performance in the tournament.
“Details of which remain confidential. This agreement was confirmed before the team departed for AFCON and all the parties was happy. We further highlight that, the payments and bonuses as agreed with the players will be paid when the prize monies are received from the Confederations of African Football (CAF).
“The remaining funds will be utilised in the further development of football. As previously stated, our junior national teams are not sponsored and rely heavily on the senior national teams for funding to help with access to more preparation camps and competitive fixtures,” he said.
Jordaan added that, the funds are not intended for members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the association or any SAFA staff. He said, they account to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the money that is awarded by the continental body.
“The SAFA CFO will be responsible for effecting payments to the players’ bank accounts on receipt of funds from CAF. The SAFA CEO, who is the accounting officer of the association, will ensure and confirm that payment is made to the players as agreed upon. Both the CEO and CFO will account to CAF on the use of the funds received,” said Jordaan.
The Grade 12 learners from Reivilo High School in Reivilo, who were allegedly found guilty of engaging in irregular practices to obtain an unfair advantage during the writing of the 2023 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, have been sanctioned for two years.
It is alleged that, accounting learners cheated and the North West Department of Education withheld their results. However, one of the affected learners who refused to be named for fear of reprisal, alleged that even though they cheated during the final examinations, teachers were also involved.
“The question paper was leaked by certain teachers and we had to fork R3000 per learner. So, I’m still sitting at home without knowing my fate. It is true that, our results were withheld and the department said, we will only be eligible to write the accounting question paper in November 2025.
“We are prohibited from writing the subject for two years. They said we will only be allowed to write the November 2024 examination, once the sanction period has expired,” she said.
Meanwhile, the North West Department of Education spokesperson, Mphata Molokwane who refuted allegations when they first surfaced on 18 January 2024 said, the matter has been reported to the Provincial Examination Integrity Commission (PEIC) which is regulating examination in the province.
“Then the matter has also escalated to National Examinations Integrity Commission (NEIC). Umalusi has made recommendations that, the matter to be resolved within 6 months. We humbly request parents of affected learners to be patient as the matter is attended to.
“As the department, we believe that this matter is still sensitive and we would not be able to comment further, since there are some investigation and interrogations going on. When the matter is concluded, we will update on what transpired and what was found,” he said.
Molokwane further said there is a bit they can highlight on the letters that have been issued to those learners, who are believed they copied in the 2023 matric final examinations, to come forward and explain what has transpired on the day of examinations or prior that.
The police from Mothibistad Visible Policing unit accompanied by the Department of Health and Social Development, embarked on a campaign educating learners about social-economic challenges such as substance and alcohol abuse, crime, domestic violence lack of parental guidance and meaningful youth participation.
The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Captain Nomvuyo Makoloi said they started a week of communicating across their policing area.
“We were addressing learners at different schools about adolescent pregnancy, child abuse and neglect, crime, domestic violence,drug use, ethnic conflict.
“The police continued with their activities at legal and illegal liquor outlets addressing the patrons and general public about lack of parental guidance, substance abuse, crime, domestic violence, lack of meaningful youth participation, stop and search,” she said.
Makoloi further said they also executed raiding in various sheens. She added that, owners of the establishments were sensitized on the importance of adhering to the law when wanting to pursue liquor trading.
“The initiative was appreciated by managers of the participating departments,” said Makoloi.
Setshwantsho: Monna o neng a itsatsanka ka lebotlolo, Modisaotsile Mokati
Ka OBAKENG MAJE
Ba lelapa ka kwa ga Mokati kwa motseng wa Dryharts, gaufi le Taung ba re ba setse ba kgakgamaditswe ke tiragalo ya go ipolaya ga ngwana wa bone. Seno se tla morago ga gore, Modisaotsile Mokati (30) go begwe fa a ile a ipolaya ka go itlhabakaka ka lebotlolo mo bekeng e e fetileng ka letsatsi la Tshipi.
Go ya ka dibego, Modisaotsile one a tswa kwa kerekeng, mme a leba kwa ntlung ya motlhokomedi wa gagwe, Wageng Morwe go ya go kopa dijo. Go begwa fa gotsweng moo, one a leba kwa lapeng, mme a fitlha a itlhabakaka ka lebotlolo go fitlhela a neela moya.
Kgaitsadie Modisaotsile, eleng Kelebogile Julia Motebe are ba utlwisitswe botlhoko ka mokgwa o monnawe a tlhokafetseng ka teng.
“Modiotsile kgale a dula a le nosi mo lapeng. Fela, o ile a go dula le rre Wareng Morwe jaaka motlhokomedi wa gagwe. Ga ese ke nne le bothata, gonne Morwe one a rile o tla mo tlhokomela. Morwe o ile a mo tsaya fela jaaka ngwana wa gagwe (adopted child), le go mo amogelela madi a motla-o-dutse gonne Modisaotsile one a na le botlhoko jwa go wa.
“Mme gone kgale re tshela sentle fela go sena mathata. Jaanong, fa ngwana a tlhokafala, Morwe one a seo le nna ke ne ke seo. Fela, o tlhalosiwa fa Modisaotsile a ile a ya kwa ga Morwe yo o ileng a mo fa dijo le R5. Gatwe, Modisaotsile o go fitlha mo lapeng, o ile a ikapola le go itlhaba ka lebotlolo,” Motebe wa tlhalosa.
Motebe are o ile a botsa gore fa moswi a itlhaba, a o ne a itlhaba ka setu. Motebe are gatwe Modisaotsile one a kaya fa a sa tshwarwa sentle, ebile ene o batla go tlhokafala.
“Bo nnete ke gore phitlho ya ga Modisaotsile ke e fitlhile botlhoko. Jaaka re bua jaana, ga kena le madi, mme re setse re le bane fela, gonne batsadi ba rona ba ile ba tlhokafala. Ke ne ke tla kopa gore mongwe o a ka re thusang, a dire jalo gonne ga ke itse le gore a kgomo e e tlhabilweng e, a le yon eke a e kolota,” Motebe wa tlhalosa.
Motlhokomedi wa moswi, Wareng Morwe are one a rata Modisaotsile thata, ebile a mo tseile fela jaaka ngwana wa gagwe. Morwe are ba latlhegetswe, ebile Modisaotsile ene ele motho o lerato le fa batho ba ne ba re ga itekanela mo tlhogong.
“Ke gopola gore ka letsatsi leo la Tshipi, o ile kwa lapeng, mme o ile a kopa dijo. Fa ke fetsa go mo fa dijo, one a kaya fa a o boela kwa ntlung. Morago ga moo, ke ile ka Makala thata fa key a go bidiwa gotwe Modisaotsile o ipolaile.
“Kei le ka tla mme maswabi ke ile ka fitlhela mosimane wa ka a robetse. Re ile ra letsatsa sepodisi, mme se ile sa goroga. Jaanong, loso la ga Modisaotsile le nkamile thata, fela Modimo ke ene a itseng. Modisaotsile one a bidiwa Killer, ebile fa ke bua le ene, one a nkutlwa,” Morwe wa tlhalosa.
Kgabagare, moedi wa kgosi, Othusitse Morebodi are: “Ko bogosing, ga e senke re tsamaye re bone motlhanka o wa rona gotwe o molato. Ene ele motho o siame thata, mme a tshidisana sentle le batho.”
A man (34) was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by the Potchefstroom Regional Court for theft on 14 February 2024. A security guard was conducting patrols around the hospital premises in the early hours of Sunday morning (7 May 2023) in Dassierand, outside Potchefstroom, when he saw an electric transformer standing open with some tools nearby.
The North West police spokesperson, Colonel Adele Myburgh said, the inquisitive security guard was still looking around when three men jumped out of the tall grass where they hid themselves. They tried to run away, but the security guard managed to arrest one of them, Tebogo Simon Molapo.
“He and his colleague summoned the police and the man, and the tools and approximately 10 metres of copper cable worth R5000 was handed over to the police.
“Upon being sentenced, four of the 12 years imprisonment, was suspended for five years on condition that the accused is not convicted of theft or its competent verdict to it committed during the period of suspension,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Police, Major General Suzette Pretorius, commended the security guards for their alertness, which resulted in the arrest. She also thanked the Investigating Officer, D/Sergeant, Magdeline Mothebe, and the Prosecutor, Adele Horn for the prompt investigation and prosecution, which ascertained that Molapo was sentenced within nine months after committing the crime.
Picture: The copper cable allegedly stolen/Generic
By OBAKENG MAJE
Two men who were arrested for being in possession of suspected stolen goods and theft were remanded in custody until 19 February 2024. Thapelo Montwedi (27) and Johannes Toboko (36) briefly appeared at Potchefstroom Magistrate’s Court on 12 February 2024.
North West police spokesperson, Col Adele Myburgh said Montwedi and Toboko were arrested at Haaskraal Farm, outside Potchefstroom on 10 February 2024. Myburgh further said, the police were allegedly on their routine patrol along Potchefstroom /Viljoenskroon road, when they noticed three men carrying backpacks at approximately 5am.
“The police stopped their vehicle to engage the trio, but one of them ran away. Upon searching the duo, the police found them in possession of copper cables. They then took the police to the farm, where they allegedly stole the copper cables.
“The farm owner who was not at the farm was called by his neighbour. Consequent to his arrival, the farm owner confirmed that the copper cable was stolen from the farm. The suspects were as a result, apprehended for theft and possession of suspected stolen copper cables,” she said.
Meanwhile, the North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, applauded the police for their attentiveness which led to the arrest of the accused for theft and destruction of critical infrastructure.
The Department of Employment and Labour to host the National Labour Migration Policy Dialogue at Madiba Banquet Hall in Potchefstroom from 9am until 12:30pm.
The Department of Employment and Labour provincial spokesperson, Botsa Huma said, following the issuing of the drafts for National Labour Migration Policy and Employment Services Bill by the Minister of Employment and Labour in 2022, the department embarked on a series of dialogues with different stakeholders to advocate and solicit support as well as inputs on the policy.
Huma said this week on 16 February 2024, the department will host the Labour Migration Dialogue in Potchefstroom, North West.
“The purpose of this event is to facilitate sharing of innovative practices related to labour migration and governance, in particular putting into practice social dialogue by implementing a tripartite plus approach.
“This includes identifying labour migration governance progress since the release of the draft policy, gaps and challenges in the country and main opportunities to consider in the SADC region, as well as to provide a platform for tripartite partners to re-organise and re-strategize labour migration governance,” she said.
Huma further said different stakeholders such as government departments, State-owned Entities, Local and District Municipalities, employers, Social Partners (Business, Community, and Organised Labour), Research and Educational Institutions and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are expected to be part of the dialogue.
Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) bronze medalists Bafana Bafana returned home to a thunderous welcome at OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday morning after making the country proud in Côte d’Ivoire during the recently concluded continental tournament.
The South African senior men’s team walked away with the bronze medal at AFCON after beating DR Congo 6-5 on penalties in the tournament’s third-place playoffs.
A huge crowd gathered at the airport from 2am and patiently waited for coach Hugo Broos and his team to arrive later in the morning on Valentine’s Day.
Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa thanked the team for restoring the country’s pride and also gave special mention to the small band of members of the media who travelled to Côte d’Ivoire to support the team.
“I want to once more thank you coach for bringing this moment of hope to the country. We have not had this moment with Bafana Bafana for the longest time,” he said.
“You have brought us hope. You have brought us a game-changer in football. I thank SAFA for their leadership. I hope as we go along we’ll make sure that we create a pipeline to ensure that with this small opportunity, we now have building blocks for a national team.”
SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan thanked Broos, CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe and the people of Côte d’Ivoire for making the tournament a huge success.
“I want again to thank the coach. We started a long journey, we had many fights with the coach and he is not going to run away from a fight,” he said.
“He runs towards a fight. And you know that he has very strong views and is not afraid to express it. In the end, you could see the team shaping up and the team that played was his creation. I want to thank him for not stepping back, being relentless in pursuit of building the team that he thought would win the AFCON.”
Williams, who was named the best goalkeeper of the tournament, kept five clean sheets at AFCON and only conceded three goals at the event, said the achievement has not sunk in yet.
“We’re still living in the moment. It still feels unreal, what we’ve achieved over the last few weeks,” he said. “We’ve seen all the messages and all the records that we’ve broken as a team. And, you know, of course, you’re in the moment and you’re thinking about the next game. You don’t look for praise or you go on and on about these things.
“You just want to do well in the next game. So, I’m just proud of the boys for the brotherhood, the brotherhood we had from day one. The spirit amongst us has been good. I think that is one of the reasons we’ve been successful is the spirit, the group, the togetherness.”
Broos thanked his players, the members of his technical team and the team’s staff for their relentless effort in the past seven weeks. He said many of them worked tirelessly behind scenes for long hours and until the early hours of the morning, with very little recognition.
“So, this is the work of a whole team, a whole team that I asked for,” the Bafana Bafana coach said. “I remember the first day of our camp, I asked them together and I said, ‘look, I just want one thing, that everybody works for the good of the team.’ They did it and I think that is the reason, one of the reasons why we achieved that fantastic third place. So, again, a happy coach, a proud coach and I thank everybody for that.”
Picture: The dagga allegedly found in a cooler box confiscated by police/Supplied
By BAKANG MOKOTO
A man who was allegedly carrying dagga worth R35 000 in a cooler box was arrested. On 14 February 2024, the Upington Highway Patrol police who were on duty, received a tip-off and reacted to the information.
ZF Mgcawu District police spokesperson, Sergeant Omphile Masegela said, the man was allegedly carrying dagga in a cooler bag and was heading to the hiking spot on the N10 road in Upington.
She said the man fitting the description was stopped and searched.
“Upon searching the man, the police found dagga with an estimated value of R35 500 in his possession. He was arrested and detained for illegal possession of dagga.
“In an unrelated incident, the same team continued and execute a search warrant in the Rosedale area, following information about alleged drugs at the premises. They confiscated dagga with an estimated value of R32 550 and an undisclosed amount of cash found at the premises,” said Masegela.
She further said the suspect aged 27 was arrested and is expected to appear in court soon. Masegela added that, the police will continue unabatedly with disruptive action in an effort to squeeze the space for drug dealers to operate in the province.
The Guardian 