Author: Boitumelo Tshehle
A forensic investigator from Bizz Tracers, Calvin Rafadi says the 14 hand grenades found by the police in Khuma, near Stilfontein, are a rare type and used by terrorist groups. The suspect, who is an undocumented national, appeared at the Stilfontein Magistrates Court on Monday. after he was found walking on the streets of Khuma with the explosives. His case was postponed to May 2 for bail application and verification of his address. Rafadi said it was unusual for this type of explosive, the pineapple-shaped grenade – to be in the hands of ordinary people because it is used exclusively…
Doctors at the Tshepong Hospital in Klerksdorp are calling on the North West Department of Health to beef up security and hire armed security guards to protect them from criminals following a recent incident where ten of their colleagues were robbed of their belongings at gunpoint . Dr Mpho Molema, who represents the doctors, said doctors are often intimidated and harassed by criminals and the general public. Molema said the situation is dire taking into consideration that doctors by the nature of their work, have to work night shifts to ensure the wellbeing of patients and to also address emergency…
Police have launched an investigation following a shooting incident in Khuma and Jouberton outside Klerksdorp which claimed the lives of two taxi operators on Wednesday and left one injured. Last month the Transport and Community Safety MEC Sello Lehari met with the feuding associations in an effort to make peace, but it seems his efforts were fruitless. The North West police spokesperson Colonel Adele Myburgh said the first taxi operator was killed in Khuma. “Apparently the 61-year-old taxi driver was leaving his house. The wife heard gunshots as he was driving out of the yard. She went to investigate and…
Seven businesses in Klerksdorp, North West were shut down during operation Okae Molao on Thursday because they owe the Matlosana Local Municipality money, while others were closed for stealing electricity. The Matslosan Municipality is under pressure after Eskom obtained a court order that allows it to attach assets to recoup the R1.5 billion it is owed by the municipality. Eskom says the total debt owed by municipalities in the North West is R5.3 billion. Operation Okae Molao is a joint effort by law enforcement and the municipal authorities and Member of the Mayoral Committee responsible for electricity, Fikile Mahlope said…
Parents of learners at Gaenthone Secondary School in Tigane are appealing to the North West Department of Education to start using the mobile classrooms purchased to alleviate overcrowding at the school. Grade 8 learners in Tigane have been going to school on a rotational basis since the beginning of this academic year because of a shortage of classrooms. The North West Department of Education mandated that the 540 learners not show up at once to avoid overcrowding and said it had invested in mobile classrooms as a temporary means of relieving the situation. The classrooms were delivered with new furniture…
Opposition parties in the North West’s troubled Matlosana local municipality are concerned about Eskom’s threat to attach its bank account. This after the Gauteng High Court granted Eskom a relief order to attach the municipality’s account, to recoup R1.5 billion, a debt that has been accumulating since 2020. Lerato Mathopa of the Patriotic Alliance said Matlosana Municipality is not the only municipality in South Africa facing this crisis because of ANC corruption. “It’s a problem replicating itself in several parts of the country as a result of mismanagement, maladministration, and corruption of the ANC,” she said. Mathopa said the North…
The Ventersdorp Regional Court in the North West has postponed the fraud and theft case against the former Executive Mayor of JB Marks Local Municipality Kgotso Khumalo and his co-accused Cecil Henry and Mohau Shuping. The three are facing eight charges of fraud and theft after they allegedly stole money donated to the municipality by North West University. According to court documents, there was a trust account with R5 million that was intended to be used by the municipality, however, the three allegedly used the money for their gain. It is alleged that the trust account attorney was given instructions…
The Teddy Bear Foundation has weighed in on the Dalai Lama saga and cautioned parents from putting their trust in religious leaders at the expense of their children. The foundation runs the Teddy Bear Clinic which is a specialised medical facility for children who have been abused and neglected. It promotes healing and strives to stop further abuse. The Foundation Director Dr Shaheda Omar said children must be taught about their rights and safety. “This (Dalai Lama video) creates more worry and concern about many children out there and parents should not sit in their comfort zone when they send…
The future of scores of learners at the North West School for the Deaf hangs in the balance as there are still no teachers and no study material while they are expected to sit for their matric supplementary examinations soon. While the education department registered all the 28 affected Grade 12 learners for supplementary examinations, it has not provided them with learning material or sign language teachers. All this is happening following the government’s constitutional amendment bill that will pave the way for sign language to be recognised as the twelfth official language. An affected parent at the School for…
The case against six people who were arrested for their alleged involvement in the sale of driver’s licenses in Klerksdorp has been postponed by the Klerksdorp Magistrates Court. The suspects whose ages range between 31 and 48 and include three examiners and the owner of a driving school, were arrested in January, for allegedly soliciting bribes from people in exchange for driving and learners license. They all face charges of fraud and corruption and they were each granted bail of R3 000 and the case was postponed to July 24. The National Prosecuting Authority Spokesperson, Henry Mamothame said the arrest…