Author: Motlhaping Modise

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…

North West MEC for Economic Development and Tourism Bitsa Lenkopane has urged Sun International to treat its Section 189 retrenchment process as a last resort, amid strong opposition from labour unions. Lenkopane made the call after receiving a memorandum of demands from the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and its affiliate, the South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (SACCAWU), at the Sun City resort on Wednesday. The unions are calling for comprehensive consultations with key stakeholders and strongly opposing the proposed job cuts. The demonstration formed part of a nationwide COSATU strike held on the World…

The Speaker of the North West Provincial Legislature, Viola Motsumi, has promised to engage the Provincial Treasury to secure funds for the agreed salary increases and the six-month back-payment backlog for National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) members. This follows a crucial engagement meeting on Tuesday between Motsumi, her Deputy, Collen Maine, the Secretary to the Legislature, Advocate Lutendo Netshitumbu, and NEHAWU. Speaking on YOU FM Newshour, Motsumi said the high-level meeting focused on finding a resolution for the implementation of outstanding Bargaining Council resolutions regarding employee salary increases. “It has been an intensive six months of deliberations…

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has secured a major victory after the Special Tribunal dismissed an application by former ANC spokesperson and Member of Parliament Pule Mabe to pause civil proceedings against him. The Tribunal dismissed the application by Mabe and his company, Enviro Mobi (Pty) Ltd, ruling that it lacked merit and was an attempt to delay accountability. In addition to dismissing the application, the Tribunal ordered Mabe to pay the legal costs. Mabe and Enviro Mobi, now renamed Groen Mintirho, had argued that the SIU’s civil recovery case should be paused until their parallel criminal trial had concluded.…

The Department of Water and Sanitation has reassured farmers, water users and other stakeholders affected by upstream slope damage at Bloemhof Dam in the North West that there will be no disruption to water supplies or flooding downstream ahead of a major water release. The department has begun lowering the dam level to enable engineering teams to safely commence rehabilitation work. The leader of the engineering team overseeing the rehabilitation of the dam, Motebele Moshodi, told YOU FM Newshour that a coordinated plan was being implemented to ensure there was no interruption to water supplies. “At this current moment, there…

The Women in Need Organisation, an advocacy group, has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s new four-point plan to tackle gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). During his address to the nation on Tuesday evening, Ramaphosa announced an urgent four-point national strategy aimed at confronting the country’s GBVF crisis. The strategy seeks to eliminate significant backlogs in the criminal justice system and fast-track government interventions. Dorothy Mabelebele, founder and chairperson of the Women in Need Organisation, told YOU FM Newshour that the President’s commitment was encouraging. “We welcome the commitment to prioritise investigations and bring those responsible for the recent horrific killings of…

In a decisive move to address concerns around operational inefficiencies and a lack of specialised capacity within the public service, the National School of Government (NSG) has officially launched two groundbreaking occupational qualifications aimed at professionalising the civil service from the ground up. The qualifications, comprising the Occupational Certificate: Public Service Administrator (NQF Level 5) and the Occupational Certificate: General Manager Public Service (NQF Level 6), are aimed at bridging the skills gap, improving service delivery, and shaping the future of public administration. Speaking on YOU FM Newshour, the school’s Acting Principal, Phindile Mkwanazi, emphasised that the two new occupational…