Author: Motlhaping Modise
Former President Thabo Mbeki has strongly denied any political interference in the prosecution, or lack thereof, of more than 300 cases referred by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for a final decision. Mbeki testified before the Khampepe Commission of Inquiry, also known as the TRC Cases Inquiry, on Monday. His testimony drew sharp criticism from the Foundation for Human Rights (FHR), which represents 25 families of apartheid-era victims and survivors who have spent decades waiting for accountability. Speaking on YOU FM Newshour, FHR attorney and programme officer Vuya Nako said Mbeki’s testimony focused…
Three Bengal tigers and a serval seized by the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) from a captive predator breeding facility in North West have been relocated to safety following alleged severe animal welfare violations. According to the NSPCA, two of the tigers were found in an enclosure contaminated with faeces and decomposing carcasses, while the third tiger and the serval were suffering from untreated injuries. Douglas Wolhuter, chief inspector and manager of the NSPCA’s Wildlife Protection Unit, said the animals were removed from the facility in collaboration with a wildlife veterinarian and members of the Groot Marico South African Police…
South Africa’s largest labour federation, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), has faced criticism following its resolution on which alliance partners workers should support in the upcoming local government elections. COSATU’s reconvened 15th Elective Congress urged workers to support and vote for both the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) in the local government elections scheduled for 4 November. Speaking on YOU FM’s Newshour, independent labour analyst Mamokgethi Molopyane warned that COSATU’s failure to clearly identify which of its alliance partners it supports could have serious political consequences. “It signals both weakness and…
The first day of the matric final examinations in the North West has passed without any major disruptions. More than 52,000 candidates are registered to write the examinations across the province, with the first paper being Computer Applications Technology (CAT) Paper 1. Acting Education MEC Kenetswe Mosenogi visited Malatse Motsepe Secondary School in Mmakau Village, within the Madibeng Local Education Office, where she expressed satisfaction with the smooth start to the examinations. Speaking on YOU FM Newshour, the Department’s Head of Communication, Dr Elias Malindi, confirmed that measures were in place to ensure CAT Paper 1 proceeded smoothly without major…
The National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders (NHTKL) has issued a strong condemnation following separate shooting incidents targeting two of South Africa’s most prominent traditional leaders. The attacks targeted Morena Neo Mopeli, Chairperson of the Free State Provincial House, and Kgoshi Lameck Mokoena, Chairperson of the Mpumalanga Provincial House and current President of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (CONTRALESA). The NHTKL has declared that the safety of traditional leaders is “not negotiable” and is calling for urgent intervention from the national government. Speaking on YOU FM Newshour, NHTKL Chairperson Kgosi Thabo Seatlholo said there were similarities…
The North West Department of Education has commended police after four suspects were arrested in connection with a burglary and arson attack at Tiragalo Secondary School in Kgakala Township, near Leeudoringstad. Chaos erupted in the township on Friday morning after the fire forced Grade 12 learners to interrupt their historic matric pledge ceremony. A large-scale law enforcement operation led to the swift arrest of the four alleged perpetrators. The Department said the block gutted by the fire housed a library, a computer storeroom, a textbook storeroom and three classrooms used by Grade 12 learners as an examination centre. The incident…
The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) has condemned recent demonstrations targeting illegal immigrants in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, describing incidents of violence and destruction as criminal acts rather than genuine expressions of grievance. Briefing the media on Saturday night, NATJOINTS Co-Chairperson and Deputy National Commissioner for Policing, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, confirmed that 30 people had been arrested in connection with the demonstrations. Of those arrested, 25 were apprehended in KwaZulu-Natal and five in Gauteng following incidents linked to public violence and unlawful protest activity. Mosikili said the unrest involved the burning of vehicles, damage to buildings, looting and…
Four suspects have been arrested and face charges of burglary and arson following an incident at a school in Leeudoringstad, near Wolmaransstad, in the North West. The arrests followed a joint law enforcement operation that used technology and community intelligence to identify and track down the suspects. According to North West police spokesperson Sergeant Morake, the incident came to light after emergency services were called to extinguish a fire at the school. During a preliminary investigation, police discovered that a separate school block, which had not been affected by the fire, had been broken into and burgled. Police then activated…
The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has spent more than R86 million on the R52 Community Development Project in Koster, near Rustenburg in the North West, with R19 million directed towards supporting micro-enterprises and strengthening local economic participation. The investment was highlighted on Friday by Transport Minister Barbara Creecy during a high-level oversight visit to the project, which is designed to improve road infrastructure while creating employment, developing local suppliers and expanding business opportunities for communities along the route. Creecy was accompanied by Bojanala Platinum District Executive Mayor Suzan Nthangeni and a SANRAL delegation led by board…
The newly formed Matlosana Service Delivery Movement has promised to clean up municipal governance and restore basic infrastructure if elected to office this November. Speaking on the YOU FM Newshour election debate, the party’s mayoral candidate, Kgotso Sindi, told host Motlhaping Modise that putting residents first was their top priority. He stressed that the movement’s campaign was built on a firm commitment to delivering quality, reliable and timely services to a community tired of systemic municipal failures. “As a movement, we were formed last year due to the harsh material conditions we found ourselves living under. “We have been led…