Johannesburg- Regardless of political differences, all South Africans must work together to make the country prosperous, President Jacob Zuma has said.
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Mahikeng – A man was sentenced to life imprisonment by the High Court in Mahikeng for murdering his girlfriend and their two children, North West police said on Wednesday.

Samuel Ndlovu, 32, was sentenced on Tuesday for the murder of his girlfriend, their one-year-old daughter, and their unborn baby, Colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said.

He killed Jenaline van Rooyen, 23, and her one-year-old daughter in Blydeville, Lichtenburg, on January 12.

After killing Van Rooyen, Ndlovu cut open her womb.

“He then removed the foetus and slit its throat with a knife,” said Mokgwabone.

The 32-year-old Zimbabwean was arrested the same day.

In a separate case, the Swartruggens Regional Court on Tuesday sentenced a 19-year-old youth to 18 years’ imprisonment for murder.

Johannes Tsietsi Molebatsi stabbed Bapaletse Lamola, 17, to death during an argument in the Borelelo location in October 2012.

Molebatsi was declared unfit to possess a firearm.

Sapa

Johannesburg – The Electoral Court on Wednesday postponed the case by independent candidates in the 2013 Tlokwe by-elections, the Electoral Commission of SA said.

“The Electoral Court heard the Tlokwe matter briefly today and postponed it for further hearing to 12 January,” spokeswoman Kate Bapela said.

“This was done to give the applicants a final opportunity to join all parties affected by their application.”

The independent candidates were also ordered to sort out some of their papers submitted to the court, which were not in order, she said.

The IEC would not comment further on the matter.

Independent candidates were arguing against the IEC’s finding that only 1040 people voted illegally in the by-elections last year, saying the number was much higher.

In September, City Press reported that the IEC had admitted that 1040 illegal voters made their mark in the Tlokwe municipal by-elections, however, it insisted that the illegal votes did not change the outcome of the elections.

The admission was contained in a rejoinder affidavit filed with the Electoral Court in June and signed by chief electoral officer Mostho Moepya.

The case, which started in December, was reportedly postponed in June and was supposed to be heard in August. But it was again postponed indefinitely after Moepya’s affidavit revealed that some registrations were illegal.

The by-elections were called after nine ANC councillors were fired by the party for refusing to support former Tlokwe mayor Mapetla Mapetla.

Independent candidates in nine of the wards asked the court to set aside the results and institute an independent investigation.

The African National Congress won eight of the nine wards.

Sapa

Ramatlabama- Bogosi Foundation Home Based Care in Molelwane village, Disaneng Home Based Care and Mmangwana Day-Care and feeding scheme from Ramatlabama village will from today receive bags of fresh vegetables once a week from the Department of Rural, Environment and Agricultural Development’s Kgora Farmer Training Centre.

This was confirmed by Premier Supra Mahumapelo who started the vegetable donation initiative Wednesday, as part of the recently launched Setsokotsane Programme. 

Joined by MECs for Departments of Rural, Environment and Rural Development, Health, Social Development, Tourism, Speaker of the Provincial Legislature and Kgosi Shole Shole of Ramatlabama, Premier Mahumapelo got down at the centre’s food security garden to harvest vegetables before handing them over to the beneficiaries.

One of the beneficiaries, Jacqueline Modieginyana who is managing Mmangwana Day-Care and feeding scheme said the commitment by the Provincial Government in the fight against hunger will go a long way in addressing food insecurity among rural families, saying the integrated Setsokotsane Programme which seeks to address amongst others poverty, is highly praised and supported.

“We will once every week collect bags of vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, onions, carrots and others, and this will improve the quality of health of the children and families we are looking after”, said Modieginyana.

Impressed by the food security project’s ability to produce fresh and quality vegetables, Premier Mahumapelo challenged the Department of Rural, Environment and Rural Development which is managing Kgora Farmer Training Centre to look at the possibility of establishing satellite centres, this in an attempt to bring the centre’s food security inclined services closer to most people of the Province.

“As we have placed agriculture at the apex of our Province’s economic growth”, said Premier Mahumapelo,

“We further challenge the Department to seriously consider establishing a laboratory that will be equipped enough to test the quality of our agricultural products, this as we endeavour to be the best in as far as certain agricultural products are concerned”.

Mahumapelo encouraged local communities, especially the youth, to take advantage of the training services offered at Kgora Farmer Training Centre, saying there is a need to address skills shortage amongst farmers, for them to be future entrepreneurs and reliable food producers.

The centre is situated in Ramatlabama and is responsible for the development and maintenance of responsive skills, improve capacity resource through tailor- made and adaptive training, as well as empowerment interventions for farmers and prospective farmers alike.
Training at this centre takes various forms that range from excursions, demonstrations, refresher courses, up to credit bearing unit standards to address knowledge and skills gaps on arable farming and livestock husbandry as well as on organisational, marketing and financial management.

Premier Mahumapelo had during the launch of Setsokotsane Programme last week, explained it as an action-oriented initiative that seeks to speedily address service delivery challenges experienced by communities, which include poverty and joblessness. 
-TDN
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