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R300m water treatment project launched by Premier Mahumapelo


Mahikeng – Premier of Bokone Bophirima Province Mr Supra Mahumapelo says government remains steadfast in its commitment to provide the more than 40 000 households in the City of Mahikeng and surrounding villages with clean water on daily basis.

Mahumapelo said this on Wednesday while launching a R300m worth project for the upgrading of the Mmabatho Water Treatment Works as part of the Setsokotsane Programme. 

The upgrading phase which started immediately after its launch will see the plant’s capacity to release clean water to communities residing in Mahikeng being upgraded from 20million litres to 30million litres per day by November 2016.

About 48 temporary employment opportunities will be created for local communities, of which 13 will be skilled labourers while 35 will be unskilled.

This R300m project will be implemented in phases and will include the construction of a 25 mega-litre reinforced reservoir at the existing Lokaleng pumpstation site, and the construction of approximately 11km of gravity pipelines from the new Lokaleng reservoir to directly serve certain parts of the City of Mahikeng by gravity. These two projects are earmarked for commencement in 2016.

Addressing local communities who attended the launch at the project site in Moletsamongoe village, about 20km west of the Province’s capital, Premier Mahumapelo said the upgrading of the treatment plant is critical for the City of Mahikeng’s present and future water demands to be positively met.

“We therefore urge communities to continue using water sparingly and most importantly, to jealously guard against vandalism and stealing of the provided water infrastructure as vandalism and stealing are equal to denying communities their right to basic services which is enshrined in the constitution of South Africa”, appealed Mahumapelo.

Implementation of this project is a tripartite partnership between the national Department of Water and Sanitation, the Provincial Government and Mahikeng Local Municipality.

Premier Mahumapelo stressed government’s intent to work with everybody in improving the communities’ living conditions through Setsokotsane Programme which seeks to ensure provision of basis services to all communities in the Province.        

Setsokotsane Programme was initiated by Premier Mahumapelo who started its implementation activities in Ngaka Modiri Molema District’s Mahikeng Local Municipality on Tuesday.

The Programme will from next week be taken to other Local Municipalities in Ngaka Modiri Molema District.
-TDN
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North West Tourism welcomes over ninety employees to the department


Mahikeng – As part of the provincial department’s reconfiguration process in the North West province, MEC for Tourism, Desbo Mohono has officially welcomed over ninety transferred employees to her department and immediately urged them to work hard and in uniformity to ensure that the department reaches its set targets and ultimately delivers on its core business and constitutional mandate.

Mohono was addressing the first departmental meeting between the departmental management committee and the newly transferred corporate support staff in Mahikeng recently.

“I’d like to welcome you all to this department and urge you to perform your duties to the best of your abilities. We are starting a new journey together and we should all remember that when starting out something new there will always be challenges which we must confront together”, she said.

Mec Mohono expressed her gratitude saying that her department finally has the necessary support staff which will now be able to support the department’s programmes administratively.

“I also hope that as we will be working together you will be able to advise me with matters regarding your areas of specialty as I am also willing to listen and learn from you”, she added.

In her conclusion MEC Mohono highlighted that despite a tight and limiting budget, systems will be put in place to ensure that the department’s mandate is delivered with excellence and that Tourism in the province continue to change people’s lives.

The Acting Head of department, Mr. Charles Ndabeni said that the newly transferred employees should take this as an opportunity to make history as they are the first generation of the first ever stand alone department of Tourism in the province and the only one in the country that has followed the national model at a provincial level.

“We will have to work as a team and be as creative and innovative as possible to provide the necessary technical support to the core business of the department and the also support the MEC in her quest of growing the tourism economy in our province by amongst others promoting village and township tourism products”, he said.

Whilst assuring employees of his open door policy, Ndabeni said the strive to ensure that this department becomes a flagship department for the North West province is through perseverance and determination.

Employees were recently horizontally transferred from various departments which were affected by the reconfiguration process which amongst others included the former department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, the former department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism and the former department of Human Settlements, Safety and Liaison.-TDN
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MEC Molapisi encourages wellness and protection on truck drivers and sex workers


Vryburg- North West Community Safety and Transport Management MEC Gaoage Molapisi said government is committed in delivering services to its people in all aspects of life.

Speaking during the trucking wellness campaign as part of the October Transport Month commemoration in Vryburg, Molapisi said the government doesn’t encourage the sex workers business but has to face the reality of the business existence and respond to the need of government services to those affected.

He called upon truck drivers and sex workers to use protection and encourages them to make use of government services availed to them.

“The least we can do is to provide the services and encourage protection during the interaction of both parties. It is sad that these drivers have left their loved ones behind and spend too much of their time on the road, and they find it difficult to resist the temptations they come across, while on the other hand the living conditions seem to drive our mothers and sisters to the street were they say is making a difference in trying to make end meets and feed their families,” said the worried MEC.

One truck driver admitted that they get tempted and pay for the services from sex workers because they (truck drivers) leave their loved ones at home for a very long time, however he doesn’t believe in protection.

“These condoms also causes us allergies, to be honest I personally don’t prefer using them yet one find it difficult to ignore the temptations from these women,” said the driver who was interested to attend the event but had to leave Vryburg to Durban in the early hours of Tuesday.

One of the sex workers said they don’t enjoy the street life, but they are forced by the circumstances.

“Some of us we are bred winners, we have children and siblings to take care, feed, bath and buy them clothes and this is the only way we survive,” she said as she was leaving to one of the trucks to look for business.

Her partner in business added that they sometimes get abused by their potential clients.

“Life is not easy here but this is our only means of income, it is very risky and scary but one has to live with it,” she concluded.

In partnership with the Department of Health, services of HIV/AIDS, STI counseling, TB, sugar diabetes and all other related diseases were provided to hundreds of people who were gathered at the event, including male circumcision.-TDN
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Prinicipal sacked for racist class displays


Johannesburg – The principal of Wilgehof Primary in Bloemfontein, where the old South African flag and pictures of Julius Malema alongside monkeys were displayed in a class, has been fired, Beeld reported on Wednesday.

Fanie Roeloffze was sacked on Tuesday. Earlier this month a disciplinary hearing by the Free State education department found him guilty of not doing anything about the displays in a classroom.

His representative Marius van Rensburg said they would appeal the decision. He said the finding was a shock, as lighter sentences had been given to teachers found guilty of more serious offences.

Two teachers were suspended in connection with the matter. The outcome of their cases was not immediately known. – Sapa

R51bn crisis hits student funding scheme


Cape Town – The student funding scheme is in crisis, with a huge gap of R51 billion between its budget and the amount needed to meet demand.

The situation is so serious that the Department of Higher Education and Training will have to ask the National Treasury to increase the National Student Financial Aid Scheme’s budget dramatically from its R6bn this year.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Axe killer pleads guilty to two murders


Kimberley – Axe murder accused John Langeveldt pleaded guilty to two charges of murder in the Northern Cape High Court on Tuesday, following the brutal attack on four family members, two of whom were hacked to death, earlier this year.
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We must be careful not to glorify crime


The media should be discerning about who we give a voice to and ask if we want to portray a violent mob as being heroic, says Fikile-Ntsikelelo Moya.

Pretoria – I asked a colleague the other day why we were covering yet another violent strike by yet another group disgruntled about something. His answer was the stock answer you will find among journalists – because it is happening. We report what is happening. While that is true, it does not seem enough of an answer for me.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

MyCiTi evictions are ‘like District 6’


Cape Town – Mixed communities in Plumstead and Wynberg say the construction of a MyCiTi “freeway” through their peaceful suburbs will, like the Group Areas Act of apartheid, rip apart their neighbourhoods and their families.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Dewani: measurements match gunman


Cape Town – A police expert measured the arms of the gunman who killed Swedish beauty Anni Hindocha a day before he died.

This emerged in the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday when ballistics expert Pieter Engelbrecht took the stand in the trial of British businessman Shrien Dewani, who is accused of orchestrating the murder of his wife Anni while they were on honeymoon in Cape Town.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Iconic newspaperman Bradlee dies


Washington – Ben Bradlee, the hard-driving editor who reigned over the Washington Post newsroom with the style of a well-dressed swashbuckler and the profane vocabulary of dockworker as the newspaper helped topple President Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal, died on Tuesday at age 93.
For more http://www.iol.co.za