Author: Boitumelo Tshehle
A Stilfontein, North West white police officer told a community worker who was mauled by a pitbull while delivering medication to a patient, that she ‘was wrong to enter the yard’ . Maria Diseko said she was mauled by a pitbull in July after the patient let her into the yard in spite of the fact that the vicious dog was not locked up. After the 51-year-old mother escaped the dog by running out of the open gate, she went to the police to report the incident, but the police have still not charged the dog owner. Diseko is now…
The JB Marks Local Municipality in the North West has closed three foreign-owned businesses in Potchefstroom after it was discovered that their owners don’t have proper documents. When the authorities did an inspection on Tuesday, they found some businesses belonging to foreign nationals were not complying with the by-laws according to Community Safety Director Ofentse Masibi. Masibi said some of the businesses start operations without first obtaining licences and paying the necessary fees to the municipality. “Once we find that they are operating without a business licence we close them immediately”. Masibi said the inspection was part of a continuing…
The Boikhutso Extension 3 community in the Ditsobotla Local Municipality in the North West continues to suffer because of failing infrastructure, lack of clean water, no access to electricity, and impassable roads. Residents of Ditsobotla municipality, disbanded in September because of infighting, are looking forward to Wednesday’s by-elections wherein they will elect new leaders from the myriad of political parties that have been promising better services. Fifteen political parties and two independent candidates are fighting to wrestle control in the forthcoming Ditsobotla by-elections, trying to wrestle control of the municipality away from the ANC. The ANC held 21 seats in…
Political heavyweights have recently visited the Ditsobotla Local Municipality in the North West as parties aim to attract voters ahead of Wednesday’s highly contested by-elections. Only a few days after DA Federal Chair Helen Zille campaigned in the area and today it was party leader John Steenhuisen who stepped in. A week ago it was President Cyril Ramaphosa who was championing the ANC’s bid to reclaim power after the council it led was dissolved by the provincial government, citing infighting within the ruling party caucus. Steenhuisen first met with traditional DA supporters before heading to the dilapidated town of Lichtenburg…
Parents of five teenagers who went to an initiation school in Khuma outside Stilfontein without consent and got stranded on Wednesday evening, marched to the local police station, to open a case of kidnapping against the owner of the initiation school. The owner of the initiation school, who identified himself only as ‘Thabiso and refused to give his last name, claimed that he had to kill a cow to open his practice and therefore, won’t release the children until the parents paid him. He said he and a traditional healer were conducting rituals at the school and that the five…
A gender-based organisation in Kanana outside Orkney in the North West has condemned the killing of Jeniffer Kula, wife of ANC member of parliament Sibusiso Kula. The 31-year-old Kula was stabbed to death on Monday by unknown people while she was asleep at her home together with her. Kula was with her 18-month-old daughter at the time of the incident. Her husband said it was after midnight when he returned home and discovered Kula lying on the floor in a pool of blood. The reason for her killing is unknown but her family suspects a robbery that went wrong. The advocacy…
Justice for Peace, a non-profit organisation and an initiative of the Roman Catholic Church in Klerksdorp, is recruiting residents of Jouberton and surrounding areas to establish and implement food garden projects. Through these projects, residents will be able to cultivate their own food and also give surpluses to the poor. The organisation said it came up with the concept of a communal food garden, after the realisation that Klerksdorp was steadily becoming a ghost town as mining operations shut down and business deserted the area leaving people jobless and without sources of income. According to the organisation’s chairperson, Petrus Moshe,…
To help in the fight against gender-based violence, the North West Department of Community Safety has equipped vulnerable families with emergency devices linked to their local police, ambulances and fire departments, to enable a rapid response when needed. Twelve of the devices called Memeza, were delivered to the residents of the Zakhele informal community in Ikageng township near Potchefstroom, including to 89-year-old Martha Monaisa who is blind. Even though she can’t operate it on her own, Monaisa said she appreciates having access to the technology. “Here it is, in my pocket; it will always be in my pocket,” she explained.…
Kenalemang Notwane is a 25-year-old wheelchair bound woman from Tswelelang township in Wolmaransstad, North West. Yesterday she made an impassioned plea to the government to do more in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide. Notwane was born handicapped on her legs. She said that she had witnessed her father beat her mother from the time she was a young child. She claimed she saw the battle unfold while feeling powerless due to her condition. Notwane said she is still battling to recover from the trauma of watching her father beat up her mother. “I grow resentful when I watch…
President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed the ANC will run its strongest candidates in the forthcoming Ditsobotla by-elections. Ramaphosa led the ANC’s Letsema campaign at Itsoseng township outside Lichtenburg on Saturday, two months after the municipality was dissolved amid caucus infighting. ANC’s Letsema Campaign aims to renew the ANC’s social contract with voters and get party members and local volunteers to address community challenges. Ramaphosa lamented the state Itsoseng Township’s infrastructure and urged aspiring councilors to do well if elected and improve the living conditions of the residents. “As I was coming in, we drove for quite a while, and I…