Author: Motlhaping Modise

The North West Department of Education said it is pleased that the annual Winter Camps Programme for the Grade 12 learners in the province are proceeding smoothly across the 124 camps with 31 159 matriculants.MEC Viola Motsumi, has reaffirmed the department’s commitment to improving the final matric outcomes.“Winter camps are more than just revision. They are a critical intervention to ensure that no learner is left behind. We do this with the door purpose of closing learning gaps and building confidence before year-end exams. We applaud all our educators and support teams who are working tirelessly during the winter break,”…

The Correctional Services Minister Dr. Pieter Groenewald’s suggestion that corporal punishment be revisited to alleviate overcrowding in prisons by those who cannot afford to pay the minimum amount of bail has caused a lot of controversy.This particularly from those who believe a better strategy should be employed rather than resorting to ‘apartheid tactics’ to resolve 2025 challenges.Groenewald suggested during the presentation of his departmental budget vote in the National Assembly on Tuesday, arguing that “overcrowding remains a challenge, exacerbated by those who can’t afford to pay small amounts of bail.”He told the house that over 60 000 accused persons are…

The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) in the City of Tshwane has vowed not to back down on its initial 2021/2022 request for the increase of salaries to its members by 3.5% and 5.4% respectively at the metro. This after the two parties failed to find each other during two meetings held under the auspices of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) on June 10 and June 23, 2025. SAMWU’s Tshwane Regional Secretary Donald Monakisi told YOU FM Newshour listeners that the City of Tshwane doesn’t even want to negotiate the 3.5% that was agreed on with…

A Boitekong-based political party, Botho Community Movement (BCM) in Rustenburg has become the latest smaller political party to merge with ActionSA through its “growing Green Umbrella initiative” following Forum4Service Delivery and others across the country.This after BCM leader Ofentse Kombe signed a merge agreement with ActionSA which was represented by party leader, Herman Mashaba, in Rustenburg on Monday. Mashaba told councillors and party members who attended the signing ceremony in Rustenburg that ActionSA’s Green Umbrella Initiative is a movement that is not just about growing the party, but about transforming South Africa for every citizen, in every community.“ActionSA, which is…

Phillip Vilakazi has been elected as the president of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) at the union’s 18th National Congress held at Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg. Vilakazi, who has served as the deputy president of the union for over six years, was contesting the leadership position with former president Dan Balepile. Balepile was elected during the 17th congress in 2022 and only served one term at the helm of the union. Over 700 voting and non-voting NUM delegates gathered at a three-day congress that was touted to serve as a critical platform to debate the challenges confronting…

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) has threatened a court action against the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). NEHAWU is accusing the commission of violating the rights of its employees and part-time workers to affiliate with the union of their choice and refusing to grant it an organisational right and recognizing it as a registered union at the institution. The union alleges that the CCMA management has refused to recognise it despite having undergone all the relevant processes including verification of its membership.NEHAWU’s spokesperson Lwazi Nkolonzi told YOU FM Newshour listeners that they have recruited…

A long-standing issue of professionalisation of administration at all spheres of government has been raised again as a possible solution to persisting challenges of failing service delivery and other challenges facing government in the country. This is according to the North West Provincial Chairperson of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and the Executive Mayor of Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, Khumalo Molefe, who believes that professionalisation will help attract people with required skill and knowledge to run public service affairs. Molefe, who was speaking on YOU FM Newshour, didn’t mince his words when addressing the persisting failure of…

The Ditsobotla Local Municipality in Lichtenburg in the North West has conceded that its outdated 2016 Local Economic Development (LED) strategy, must be reviewed and reformed. The municipality is expected to review the strategy which is unable to bolster the local economy, create viable business and investment opportunities for the town. The review will be held during a three-day workshop which starts on Tuesday in Lichtenburg in conjunction with other stakeholders. Speaking on YouFM Newshour, Mayor Molefe Morutse said that the local economy has a potential of growing and benefitting all its people. “If you look at our municipality, we…

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has sent a clear message for a fair, respectful and dignified leadership campaign as the union’s 18th fiercely contested National Elective Congress gets closer. NUM President Dan Balepile has accused his fellow contenders of running malicious campaigns, destroying the union in the process. His plea comes ahead of the two-day congress which will be held on 24-26 June at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg. Balepile, who is seeking re-election to lead the union for the second stint, was addressing scores of his supporters on the last days of…

The Institute of Elections Management Services in Africa (IEMSA) has lauded the Political Party Funding Act as one of the most important pieces of legislation that has been passed since the dawn of democracy in 1994. The IEC has just concluded the first-ever symposium on Political Funding in Durban which was attended by a wide range of stakeholders, including representatives from political parties, members of parliament, academia, civil society, media, the business sector, as well as international and inter-governmental organisations. The commission’s Chief Executive Officer Sy Mamabolo said that the symposium succeeded in assessing the implementation and impact of the…