Author: Boitumelo Tshehle
Minister of Water and Sanitation Senzo Mchunu has admitted that the government has failed to supply Maquassi Hills residents in the North West with potable water. Mchunu said this after he toured two water treatment plants and saw aging infrastructure and a reservoir that had not been maintained for ten years. This was cited as a factor that has hampered water provision in that region. Mchunu said for now the government can admit that it has failed but cautioned that failure won’t be a permanent thing. He said his department has a challenge when it comes to meeting the water…
A 12-year-old girl was injured by an electric transformer in Khuma, outside Stilfontein in the North West on Tuesday evening. Lesego Phale, a grade seven learner at Abontle primary school, was walking on the street with her friends when a transformer suddenly fell and crushed her. According to her family, the transformer landed on her and several community members had to assist each other to take the heavy transformer off her body while waiting for the paramedics to arrive. Lesego’s uncle Thapelo Msimanga said his niece was admitted to Tshepong hospital with severe injuries and the family was devastated. “We…
The case against a 24-year-old Afro-pop singer, has been postponed by the Stilfontein magistrate’s court on Tuesday for a regional court decision. The singer whose name is known to the publication but is not mentioned because he has not pleaded, faces a rape charge after he was arrested on 28 December 2022 for allegedly sleeping with a 13-year-old girl. The victim is a daughter of the singer’s business friend who then assaulted the accused after noticing strange behaviour in his daughter. According to court documents, the 13-year-old girl explained to her father that she had written a letter to the…
Several schools at the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality in the North West are in a state of disrepair and the North West MEC for Education Viola Motsumi has promised that her department is going to work hard to renovate the affected schools. Motsumi was speaking in Klerksdorp where she visited four schools after she had requested residents through her Facebook page to tell her about the schools that had challenges of infrastructure, stationery, and shortage of teachers. Motsumi said one of the common issues that she has found in all these schools is the issue of infrastructure. “In Tshedimosano…
More than 500 learners from the Phiri Secondary School who reside at the Tsetse and Mafole villages, Ventersdorp, in the North West, have to endure an 8-km walk to school daily, due to the unavailability of a scholar transport bus. The owner of the bus says he’s unable to ferry the learners, as he has run out of diesel. Kamogelo Molebatsi who is in Grade 11 said she is frustrated about the lack of school bus and thought the distance was intolerable. “I chose to hitchhike since I can’t walk to school because it’s too far and I can’t do anything…
The reopening of Kanana Primary School in Orkney in the North West did not get off to a good start on Wednesday as some parents demonstrated outside the school, demanding that their children be admitted for the new academic year. According to the protesting parents, they were told that the school is full and cannot take any more pupils. The parents said they have no other options and that the closeness of the school makes it perfect for their children. Ntswaki Dikgale who has a child in the 3rd Grade said she has been applying for her daughter at the…
Fanele Dlamini, 24, was born with low vision and had never walked more than a kilometer without supervision. Fanele’s family is probably one of the most poverty-stricken families in South Africa. His mother Nombulelo Dlamini, 52, is raising eight sons and one daughter all by herself and together the family has nine members, including Fanele, who were born with impaired vision and other disabilities. Four of the children in the family have no education and don’t go to school because they have no birth certificates and also suffer from impaired vision. “Two of them went to start Grade 1, but the teachers sent them…
Service providers to various North West government departments have suffered a major setback after a breakdown in the Provincial Government’s payment system has resulted in some of them not receiving payments for services rendered. The Premier’s office could not disclose the number of service providers affected but in a statement apologised to the service providers and confirmed that the payment system breakdown was caused by load shedding. The premier’s office also claims to have backup generators, however, the generators have also failed due to power outages, and the power failure that caused the problem happened on Tuesday night. Spokesperson, Brain Setswambung said the…
The North West province has recorded 36 cases of measles and according to the provincial health department, the first verified case of measles occurred in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District at the beginning of December. Of the 36 confirmed cases, 29 were reported in NgakaModiri Molema, three in Bojanala, two in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati and two in Dr Kenneth Kaunda District. Prior to the appearance of the rash, measles is believed to be a highly contagious viral disease characterised by high fever, coughing, and runny nose, among other symptoms. According to the provincial health department, infant mortality rates are…
The families of four children, aged between five to seven years, who drowned while playing in a river in the village of Manthe outside of Taung, North West have pleaded with the Naledi Local Municipality to assist them with burial expenses. The bodies of twins Omatla Sereo (7), Oratile Sereo (7) and siblings Kago Katong (6), and Kabo Katong (5) were found by community members floating in the river on Tuesday. Tshepo Sereo, an uncle to two of the boys, said the family had gone to the local municipality for assistance and that they had been promised aid, but that…