By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the North West said the resignation of the North West Provincial government (NWPG) Director- General, Dr Lydia Sebego is long overdue. Sebego is officially bowed out on August 31 after more than 30 years of public service.

Sebego who served as the Director-General in the Office of the Premier since 2015, was employed by the former North West Premier, Supra Mahumapelo despite her alleged involvement in a tender storm that has cost the North West government as much as R250 million.

According to City Press newspaper, Sebego was implicated in a forensic report by audit firm SizweNtsalubaGobodo, while she was then the head of the health department.

It is alleged that Sebego ‘supervised’ a signing-off on multimillion-rand payments for medical equipment that was not quoted on, but was purchased – and yet not delivered. The SizweNtsalubaGobodo report, concluded in October 2012, led to a fraud and corruption investigation by the Hawks in 2013.

The investigation was commissioned in 2011 to look into alleged irregularities in the procurement of X-ray machines and scanners for a regional hospital in Vryburg and a district hospital in Ledig. The SizweNtsalubaGobodo report revealed that the expensive X-ray machines that had not been quoted on were paid for but not yet delivered.

It is also alleged that other machines that were bought did not have the necessary licences – and could expose patients to danger. Payments were claimed without evidence of invoices submitted.

However, Sebego said she was not aware of any investigation into her activities. She said that when she was appointed director-general in 2015. She said the office of the premier had checked whether she had a criminal case pending, and nothing was revealed.

The EFF’s Member of Provincial Legislature (MPL), Thabo Sehloho said: “Her resignation is long overdue. Actually she was supposed to go when her master, Mahumapelo resigned. Sebego was leading the provincial government during the period when the government, departments and municipalities were collapsing.

“Irregular, wasteful expenditure, maladministration and corrupt activities happened under her leadership. She has contributed on collapsing of the North West government. So, as EFF in the North West, we call on the current Premier to institute an investigation on Sebego’s failure to implement consequence management while she was in the office.”

Sehloho added that they also call on the Hawks to extend their investigations on Mahumapelo to her. He said they will follow up on what prompted Sebego to resign while the water is boiling for her ‘master’.

North West Premier, Job Mokgoro said: “We want to wish Sebego well in the next chapter of her life. We want to describe her as a decisive and courageous leader who displayed a rare ability to commendably manage at operational and strategic level, this despite the turbulent environment within which she worked.”

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Source http://www.groundup.co.za: (One of learners walking bare-footed to school)

By BAKANG MOKOTO

The North West Community Safety and Transport Management department is under siege after a startling report of irregular expenditure to the alleged amount of R1bn. The matter has left many learners especially from far-flung areas stranded with no school transport.

North West Community Safety and Transport Management department MEC, Dr Mpho Motlhabane said they have launched investigations regarding irregular expenditure on the matter.

Motlhabane said what has happened is that the then Executive Committee (Exco) resolved that the function should go to transport agency, North West Transport Investments SOC Ltd. He said the current Exco has reversed that decision after they experienced some unforeseen challenges in terms of implementation of that function.

“The Exco has now resolved again to bring back the function to the department. Remember, we have a fully-fledged unit that works with scholar transport. The department can confirm that it has taken both scholar transport contracts (the previous one in 2010 and the current one) to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) for investigation.

“There are many companies that are rendering their services and we will ensure that service delivery is not interrupted amid court cases. The department has monitoring firms that will bring necessary intervention if need be,” he said.

Motlhabane added that there were many issues that were raised hence they conducted investigations. He said also the Audit General (AG) report reflected on this matter.

“Remember, these matters were raised back in 2010 and they led to the irregular expenditure that you see in the media that the department is having a big figure when it comes to irregular expenditure,” he said.

Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson on Community Safety and Transport Management in North West, Sello Motswenyane said: “Learners do not have transport to school, but ANC still protects those implicated in forensic report.

We will write to Motlhabane requesting him to urgently pay scholar transport service providers. Some of them have been outstanding for as long as seven months. During the meeting by the Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management, Motlhabane implied that the service providers failed to produce the relevant documentation to qualify for payment.

“This is a clear indication that Motlhabane is not taking responsibility for poor governance in his department. Proper procurement processes were not followed and the MEC needs to explain why documents such as tax clearance certificates were not produced before the service providers were appointed.

He said the non-payment of scholar transport service providers has far reaching consequences, leaving learners stranded and thus excluded from essential education. Motswenyane added that the NTI clearly lacks substantial turnaround strategies, dashing all hopes of providing solutions to the scholar transport challenges in the province.

“During their presentation it became apparent that the NTI were unable to reach the set targets for the first quarter. Instead of providing workable solutions, pressing issues were shelved to be dealt with in the second quarter of the financial year. This is a blatant attempt to cover up the long-term corruption that has tainted its image beyond repair.

“The fact that the forensic report by Mochabapula Consulting Services on NTI has been outstanding since 2013 further supports the view that cronies are protected and the large-scale looting is hidden from the public at all costs,” he said.

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By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

The North West Housing Corporation (NWHC) engaged with Pudimoe residents on a data verification project recently. The NWHC co-coordinator, Neo Maja said the initiative was in partnership with the Greater Taung Local Municipality (GTLM).

 “The project is initiated for the purpose of assisting Pudimoe residents in addressing issues such as verification of data between NWHC and the municipality, collection of information for the transfer of all paid up properties, collection of deeds of grants for paid up properties with charge of bonds from the clients and signing of lease agreements as well as offer to purchase for rented properties.

“The NWHC convened a meeting and engaged with Pudimoe Residents Committee (PRC) and other stakeholders. The GTLM representatives were also part of the initiative to give response on the project. During the meeting, NWHC emphasised that the project is meant to help residents of Pudimoe to gain full ownership of the properties they occupied,” Maja said.

She said the NWHC was grateful after a total number of 113 residents visited their office for consultation. Maja added that they visited more than 50 tenants in order to collect necessary documents for transfers and cancellation of charges.

“In most cases, we assisted older people who were less-informed. Fourteen deeds of grants were collected from tenants, thirteen documents were collected for application of lost copies and seven tenants paid up their houses and they are going to be given full title deeds.

Pudimoe Residents Committee (PRC) secretary, Lesego Mohlabi said: “We highly-appreciate the NWHC’s efforts to assist our people. Their dedication and efforts are well-proven after we raised issues regarding the project. So, I am pleased to be part of such a wonderful project that is aiming at changing our lives for the better.

“We encourage community members to visit the NWHC offices and bring along ID copies, marriage certificate, death certificate and letter of authority for cancellation of charges. Deeds of grants and ID copies are required for transfer of ownership.”  

 The NWHC’s offices operate from Wednesday to Friday at GTLM in Taung and Pudimoe.

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Picture: (Dr Ndiviwe Mphothulo)

By BAKANG MOKOTO

Award-winning medical doctor, Ndiviwe Mphothulo, is one of few experienced medics honoured for their passion in serving rural communities.

The 42 year-old doctor, was honoured by the South African Medicine Award (SAMA).

He is a recipient of the Spirit of Medicine Award 2018 conferred during a Gala dinner held at Sun City near Rustenburg on Saturday.

Mphothulo said for a medical doctor to receive this award, s/he must have met the following criteria.

“The recipient must have extra-ordinary service to community extending beyond the field of medicine. The person must also have distinguished him/herself both in the field of medicine and in areas beyond to create an enabling environment and working in wider interest for mankind.

“The recipient must have championed the cause of the poor and the indigent within a given ecosystem. The person must have provided selfless service to medicine without a view of material gain or pursuit of personal aggrandizement too,” he said.

Mphothulo is recognised by his peers as a role model and displayed by precept and example that medicine is a calling.

He regard himself as the ‘descendant and a product’ of powerful men and women who never tolerated injustices.

“I am a beneficiary of hereditary and environment. We are custodians of generational blessings, a dream come true to our forefathers and the wildest nightmare to those who opposed their progress.

“Noting that I am a product of many people, let me dedicate this award to all those who contributed to my development, social and political consciousness and those who had formative influence on me to serve humanity,” he said.

Mphothulo hails from Soweto in Johannesburg but has not allowed the lure of lights and better facilities in Gauteng to take him out of rural Taung.

He has made a name for himself in the TB treatment breakthrough at Taung District Hospital and recently penned a book called: “TB cases from Taung, A Perspective from Rural Hospital.”

The experienced physician said he was inspired to become a doctor after many visits to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

He said he visited his hospitalised relatives and unfortunately some of them died.

“I chose to study medicine in quest of saving lives. I was also influenced by activist medical doctors like Dr Nthato Motlana, Abu Baker Asvat, Neil Agget and Dr Fabian Defu Riberio. I am also a last born of activist parents.

I was also involved in politics since the age of 13. I joined Masupatsela in Jabavu branch in 1989, ANCYL in 1990, and COSAS in 1990 and held different leadership roles in all these organisations,” Mphothulo said.

Mphothulo enrolled for a BSc Degree at Medunsa in 1996 and was accepted for the second year of medicine (MB CHB) the following year due to exceptional results.

“My career in medicine commenced with an internship at Groote Schuur Hospital (Cape Town) back in 2002. It was followed by community service at Taung District Hospital in 2003. At the end of my community service work in Taung, I decided to relegate my goal of becoming a physician and did not go back to Soweto.

“I hold MBCHB (Medunsa), Master of Public Health (Medunsa), Diploma in HIV Management (Colleges of Medicine of SA), a Masters of Business Leadership (MBL) from Unisa and currently a PHD student at University of Cape Town’s School of Public Health and Family Medicine,” he said.

His decision to serve Taung has not gone unnoticed as awards have been coming his way.

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