Author: Motlhaping Modise

The North-West University (NWU) has rejected accusations of favouring students from outside the province over local prospective students. The university poured cold water over the claims, describing them as false and reaffirmed its commitment to fair, transparent admissions as a public higher education institution, “whose policies and rules are governed in accordance with the country’s constitution. NWU comments come after several groups of concerned community members staged a protest outside the Mahikeng campus, accusing the institution of accepting students from other provinces while snubbing prospective students from the province. Speaking on YOU FM Newshour, the University’s Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor…

The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) has called for accelerated national action to modernise the disaster management framework and strengthen support to municipalities to mitigate against the escalating disaster incidents affecting communities across the country. This after the Head of the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), Dr Elias Sithole classified a national disaster due to a severe weather condition which resulted in deadly floods across parts of the country with Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and North West mostly affected. Heavy rainfall, strong winds, lightning, and flooding have resulted in deaths of people, significant damage to infrastructure and property,…

As South Africa, particularly Gauteng is mourning and reeling from a horrific scholar transport crash which left 13 pupils dead in Vanderbijlpark on Monday, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in the North West has released an incriminatory report same day, confirming prevalent constitutional rights violations within the province’s scholar transport system. Speaking on YOU FM Newshour, the commission’s Provincial Manager Shirley Mlombo said that the report was compiled following an extensive investigation involving government departments, civil society, and parents. “We found that the scholar transport challenges in the North West are systemic and not isolated events These includes among…

The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) , Velenkosini Hlabisa, has welcomed the classification of a National Disaster following severe weather conditions and widespread flooding across parts of the country. The classification was effected by the Head of the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) Dr Elias Sithole, after consultations with various organs of state and Heads of Provincial Disaster Management Centres through the National Joint Flood Coordinating Committee. Hlabisa said the decision followed a comprehensive assessment of adverse weather conditions experienced since late November 2025. “The severe weather, including heavy rainfall, strong winds, lightning and flooding, affected Limpopo,…

A relief fund has been launched to support the reconstruction of the Kruger National Park after severe flooding caused by recent torrential rains left extensive damage across the reserve. Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Willie Aucamp announced the initiative on Saturday following an oversight visit to the park, which included an aerial assessment to evaluate the scale of the destruction. Speaking to the media after the visit, Aucamp said the extent of the damage underscored the urgent need for financial support. “In order to start rebuilding the Kruger National Park, we will need funding, and we have therefore decided to…

South Africa’s state-owned company, Eskom, has for the second consecutive year been recognised as a Top Employer in the country for 2026. The utility received the same accolades last year as a “testament to its commitment to creating an exceptional workplace environment, developing and embedding cutting-edge Human Resources (HR) policies, and people practices.” It has been recognised amongst 2500 organisations across 131 countries as impacting the lives of its employees positively by the Top Employers Institute, a global authority on transformational people practices, which has impacted over 14 million employees globally. The Top Employers Certification is awarded to organisations that…

South African universities are facing unprecedented pressure as applications for the 2026 academic year surge far beyond the available spaces, highlighting the growing demand for access to higher education across the country. North-West University (NWU) is among the institutions grappling with the overwhelming response. The university has confirmed that it received more than 420,000 applications across its eight faculties and three campuses in Mahikeng, Potchefstroom and the Vaal Triangle for the 2026 academic year—numbers that vastly exceed its admission capacity. In a statement, NWU said it will only be able to admit 11,800 first-year students, including both contact and distance-learning…

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has vowed to closely monitor the implementation of a Rustenburg Local Municipality council resolution to adjust workers’ salaries from a Level 5 to a Level 7 municipal scale. The federation has welcomed the decision, which was adopted during a special council sitting on Tuesday, following COSATU’s intervention in what it described as a long-standing and unresolved matter. Speaking on YOU FM’s Newshour, COSATU General Secretary Solly Phetoe said the resolution was long overdue, noting that the municipality had been declared a Level 7 municipality more than 15 years ago. “You will remember…

The North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi, has raised concerns over the growing number of underperforming schools in the province, despite ongoing efforts to revitalise them. Motsumi was speaking during the release of the 2025 matric results at Rutanang Primary School in Rustenburg, within the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality. She was accompanied by Premier Lazarus Mokgosi, members of the Executive Council, the provincial legislature, and leaders from traditional and Khoisan communities. Speaking on YOU FM’s Newshour, Motsumi expressed disappointment with the performance of the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, which recorded a decline in its matric pass rate. “Three…

South Africa’s 2025 matric results have sparked mixed reactions following their release by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube in Fairlands on Monday evening. According to the minister, the Class of 2025 achieved a historic 88% pass rate, the highest in the country’s history, marking what she described as a major milestone for the basic education sector. However, the announcement has been met with skepticism from several political parties and civil society groups, who argue that the headline figure masks deeper systemic failures in the education system. Build One South Africa (BOSA) was the first political party to challenge the results,…