Picture: The jewellery was stolen during armed robbery/Generic
By OBAKENG MAJE
Jewellery worth thousands of rands has been stolen during an armed robbery at a shopping mall in Kimberley on 18 July 2018. According to the Northern Cape police spokesperson, Sgt Molefi Shemane, five unknown men dressed in black, entered the store and demanded the jewellery from the owner and fled the scene.
Shemane said the incident took place at around 10:50am.
“No injuries were reported during the incident. The police have launched a manhunt in search of the suspects. It is believed that, the suspects fled in a Toyota Etios and the public is urged not to approach the suspects as they are deemed armed and dangerous,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Northern Cape Provincial Organised Crime unit is investigating the case.
Setshwantsho: Baagi ba neelwa mantlo a nakwana kwa Magogong
Ka OBAKENG MAJE
Bangwe ba baagi ba mantlo a bone a ne a digiwa ke diphefo le morwalela kwa motseng wa Magogong, gaufi le Taung, ane ba amogela matlo a nakwana go tswa go masepala o mogolwane wa Taung mo letsatsing la maabane. Majoro wa nama-o-sa-tshwere, kwa masepaleng o mogolwane wa Taung, Itumeleng Maribe are, ba tlile go agela baagi bao matlo a saruri mo nakong e e sa fediseng pelo.
“Re nnile le lenaneo mo mosong, mme re tshimolotse ka go neelana ka diaparo ga mmogo le go fepa jalo bangwe ba baagi ba ba dikobo di dikhutshwane ka sopo kwa renkeng ya ditekesi mono Taung. Mme diaparo tseo, ene ele kabelano go tswa go bangwe ba badiri ba rona ba masepala.
“O tla gopola gore letsatsi le, ke letsatsi le legolo le le tshwailweng lefatshe ka bophara go keteka botshelo jwa mogaka yo eleng molwelwa kgolo, Dr Nelson Mandela. Ka bokhutshwane, ene le letsatsi la kabelano. Mme morago ga moo, re ile ra nna le go neelana ga mantlo a nakwana go baagi ba dulang mo matlung a mmu,” Maribe wa tlhalosa.
Maribe are baunngwelwa ba ile ba itumela thata, mme masepala o ba tshepisitse fa o tlile go ka ba agela matlo a di RDP mo nakong e e sa fediseng pelo. Are, baunngwe bao, ba ile ba neelwa dijo ka borataro jwa bone.
“Re ile ra etela gape le lelapa la ra Molokwane kwa Madipelesa jaaka re itse ba latlhegetswe ke bana mo kotsing ya tsela ka Sontaga. Mme re tla boa gape re etele lelapa le lengwe la ra Mocumi kwa motseng wa Mamutla jaaka le bona ba latlhegetswe ke bana bale babedi mo kotsi yone eo ya tsela ka Sontaga,” Maribe wa tlhalosa.
Picture: The North West acting Premier, Nono Maloyi handing over a house to a beneficiary, Bakang Mahlangu at Chaneng village, near Rustenburg/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
A man who is the only surviving member of his family in Chaneng village, near Rustenburg said he is happy to receive a newly-built house. According to Bakang Peter Mahlangu (52), he has been living in a shack for many years.
“I have lived in a shack for many years and never thought I will own such a beautiful house. Today, my prayers have been answered. So, I am a happy man and this house will heal all the pain and suffering that I went through. I can’t thank the government enough,” he said.
The North West acting Premier, Nono Maloyi who handed over the house said, it was built with alternative technology methods by a good Samaritan.
“We have made a commitment to eradicate all mud houses in the province. This initiative will restore the dignity of many residents living in such conditions. This is part of the Nelson Mandela International Day. In line with this message, I believe it is possible to rid the province of all mud houses for the benefit of the poor, vulnerable, and marginalised.
“Mud houses are not safe as they can collapse, injure or even kill our people, especially during rainy weather. I have instructed my team at the North West Human Settlements Department that, we need to eradicate all mud houses and restore the dignity of our people as a matter of urgency,” said Maloyi.
Meanwhile, the North West MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Desbo Mohono who accompanied Maloyi also donated goats to other community members and implemented food gardens as part of the government’s food security programme.
The School of Accounting Sciences at the North West University (NWU) has once again distinguished itself as an indisputable leader in its field with the recent announcement by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). The school’s Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Accountancy has been accredited for the purposes of SAICA’s Associate General Accountant [AGA(SA)] designation.
The NWU is one of only two universities to receive this accreditation from SAICA in 2023, with the accredited programmes being the Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Accountancy and the Extended Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Accountancy.
The role of an AGA(SA) is officially described as that of enhancing, driving and measuring organisational value thanks to their broad, future-focused, multi-disciplinary approach to driving operational performance.
According to Professor Heleen Janse van Vuuren CA(SA), Director of the School of Accounting Sciences at the NWU, the AGA(SA) designation is recognised professionally for equipping members with the professional values, attitudes and abilities and technical competencies that enable them to drive operational efficiency and quality in the value-creating process, thus enhancing organisational value.
After the completion of an extensive formal accreditation process, SAICA’s Executive Director for Learning, Development and National Imperatives, Robert Zwane said that SAICA is confident that the programme at the NWU met the formal regulatory accreditation requirements of the Department of Higher Education and Training and that the NWU has the “appropriate resources to deliver high-quality programmes at the required standard and quality to meet SAICA’s requirements for the AGA(SA) designation”.
Vuuren said: “This accreditation by SAICA is an exciting one for the university, as it provides our BCom Financial Accountancy students with another opportunity to obtain a professional designation from a globally recognised professional body.
“We believe that the quality of our programmes, together with this opportunity to pursue the AGA(SA) qualification, will ensure that our students are well-equipped to fulfil their prospective roles in the industry.”
Northern Cape MEC for Transport Safety and Liaison, Nomandla Bloem donates gifts/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
Northern Cape MEC for Transport Safety and Liaison, Nomandla Bloem, donated bicycles to Louisvaleweg Primary School in Upington in commemoration of International Mandela Day. Bloem then proceeded to Kanoeneiland Police Station Victim Friendly Facility to donate furniture that caters to the needs of victims of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
“A brief station profile and crime overview were presented by the Station Commander of Kanoeneiland, Captain Bakang Kgwadi. The newly-appointed District Commissioner, Major General Thabo Mphuthi, along with the members of Kanoeneiland SAPS warmly received the gifts,” she said.
Meanwhile, Mphuthi said: “On behalf of the SAPS management, we express gratitude and encourage our members to take care of the facility. They should ensure that, at all times, the victims are treated with respect and dignity.
“We have also refurbished a house belonging to an elderly man in Paballelo. The occupant was provided with new furniture and groceries.”
Picture: The traffic officers conducting roadblocks in Brits and Tshwane/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
Motorists who allegedly transgressed on the roads between Brits in North West and Tshwane in Gauteng were penalised. This comes after the Trans Kalahari Corridor National Committee in the Republic of South Africa held the Inter-Provincial Joint Law Enforcement Operations between Brits and Tshwane on 18 July 2023.
The Trans Kalahari Corridor (TKC) is a road network ranging approximately 1900 kilometers across the territories of South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia.
The TKCS Executive Director, Leslie Mpofu said traffic fines were issued for those driving without licenses, illegal immigrants were arrested, those having warrants of arrest paying their dues on the spot, and discontinued unroadworthy vehicles.
Mpofu further said they also educated road users about the importance of road safety in honour of International Mandela Day. He added that, the operations were consisting of 253 law enforcement officials from North West and Gauteng Provinces.
“The law enforcement officials took to the N4 road after the opening parade to conduct stop and check in all vehicles coming and going to North West and Gauteng to ensure compliance of drivers, passengers and roadworthy of these vehicles.
“We were also joined by delegates from Eswatini. The support we receive from various stakeholders in South Africa is appreciated and clearly shows that, working together, we can achieve our set goals. I am further pleading for continued working relationship and supporting each other even in the future,” he said.
Mpofu said this will ensure that the roads are safe from accidents and criminal elements. He said operations like this will also ensure that motorists do comply with road regulations.
“We also welcomed delegations of Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA) led by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), David Mfanimpela Myeni from Eswatini. The Eswatini MVA visit is informed by the SADC bilateral agreement on the harmonization of systems and processes in ensuring a better African trade.
“They are benchmarking on South African transport agencies’ regulations and tools to correlate their services and working force. The Trans Kalahari Corridor (TKC) is a tripartite transboundary Corridor Management Institution that was established with a political and economic vision to pursue or contribute towards deeper regional integration programs of SADC, SACU, and indeed NEPAD,” he said.
Picture: One of the placards at Naledi Service Point in Vryburg/Morongwa News
By OBAKENG MAJE
The smooth running operations at North West Social Development’s service points in Vryburg and Ganyesa were affected on Monday. This comes after aggrieved security guards locked the gates of these service points demanding their three months’ salaries.
This left North West Social Development employees stranded.
According to one of the security guards, who refused to be named for fear of reprisal and works for Mabotwane Security Services, it’s been three months since they received their salaries.
Mabotwane Security Services company is contracted to the North West Social Development to guard some of the service points offices across the province.
“We barricaded the gates because we cannot work without being paid. This has affected our livelihoods and imagine how are we going to survive. We also have bills to pay, but our company keeps on giving us empty promises.
“Most of us are behind with our policy payments. Imagine if something happens to our family members. How are we going to handle the whole situation? Other security guards have been evicted from their rental homes because they were not able to pay rent,” he said.
Meanwhile, the North West Social Development spokesperson, Petrus Siko said they are aware of the matter. Siko said as the department, they have an obligation in terms of Treasury Regulation 8.2.3 to settle the invoices within 30 days upon receipt.
“However, during April and May this year, the department has been experiencing delays in processing payments of security services claims due to non-compliant vouchers. The delays of payments are attributed to non-submission or incomplete timesheets, incorrect invoices, and no submission of incident reports.
“As a way of intervention, the department will soon conduct a workshop with all contracted security companies to address the current challenges. We fully understand the plight and the inconvenience caused by the delays in paying the security officers,” he said.
Siko further said they request calm and patience as they work towards resolving the challenges at hand.
*The Mabotwane Security Services was not available for comment at the time we published the article. However, we will incorporate its comment in the article when received.
Picture: The deceased, Matshidiso Cathrine Mojaki/Facebook
By OBAKENG MAJE
A man who stabbed his wife to death in Kolong village, near Taung was sentenced to life imprisonment by Taung Regional Court on 18 July 2023. Thapelo Edwin Mojaki (41), who pleaded guilty to the matter, stabbed his wife, Matshidiso Catherine Mojaki (36) to death with a sheep shearing scissors back in 2022.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson, Henry Mamothame said, on 9 October 2022, Mojaki approached his wife, who was on her way to catch a taxi to work, accompanied by their 16 and 18 years-old children respectively.
“He subsequently asked for money and when his wife, Matshidiso said she did not have any, Mojaki took out sheep shearing scissors and stabbed her several times.
“She was declared dead on the scene and Mojaki was arrested the following day. The court denied him bail until the completion of the case,” said Mamothame.
In aggravation of sentence, the state prosecutor, Tecia Khula urged the court not to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence, as there were no compelling circumstances to deviate. Khula further highlighted the trauma experienced by their children, who experienced their pregnant mother being stabbed to death by their own father.
In imposing the sentence, Magistrate Buti Zulu agreed with the state and remarked that the accused had a responsibility to protect his family and not be a perpetrator of crime towards them.
Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the North West, Dr Rachel Makhari, together with the North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, lauded all role players for ensuring the perpetrator is brought to book.
They further called on strong advocacy against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBV&F) in communities.
Picture: The missing man, Basil Smith who is mentally challenged/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
The Northern Cape police are requesting the public to assist them in locating Basil Owen Smith (35), who resides at 45201 Ivory Park in Roodepan. According to the Northern Cape police spokesperson, Sgt Timothy Sam, Smith was last seen on 11 February 2023.
“He was wearing a black jean trouser and a white shirt. Smith is mentally challenged and likes walking from home to sit at the corner of Raven Street in Roodepan and he would normally return home.
“The police released a statement on 23 February 2023 appealing to the public to be on the lookout for him, but he has not returned home. So, anyone who might have information about the whereabouts of Smith, can contact Detective Sergeant William Maenetja at 076 834 8758 or 08600 10112 or either sms anonymously to 32211 or use the MySAPS app,” he said.
Picture: The identikit of the suspect, who allegedly raped a woman/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
A woman was allegedly raped while jogging in the vineyards, near the industrial area in Kakamas. It is alleged that, she heard footsteps behind her, and when stopped and turned around, an unknown man asked her for money.
The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Capt CJ Prins said the woman allegedly told the suspect that, she does not have money with her. Prins further said, the suspect then allegedly pinned the woman to the ground and raped her.
“The suspect then allegedly grabbed the victim’s cell phone and walked away. The incident took place on 26 June 2023 late afternoon. An identikit of the suspect was compiled and is between the ages of 20-25.
“He is approximately 1.55m tall, of medium build, and at the time of the crime, he was wearing a black beanie, denim pants, and a dark blue golf shirt,” he said.
Prins said anyone who could identify the suspect, is requested to contact the investigating officer at Kakamas FCS unit, Sgt Dippenaar on 079 6977836 and 08600 10111 or through MySAPS mobile application. He said all information will be treated as confidential.
