Author: Motlhaping Modise

Education activist Hendrick Makaneta has called on the Higher Education and Training Minister Dr. Nobuhle Nkabane to urgently dispatch a mediation team to cease an ongoing hunger strike by returning students at Wits University. Today marks the seventh day since financially excluded students organised a hunger strike due to their inability to settle their debt or even pay half of the required amount. According to the institution, the students will only be allowed to register if they have a debt of less than R10 000 or pay 50% of their outstanding debt. Makaneta said that the students’ demands can’t be shrugged…

The Portfolio Committee on Economic Development, Conservation and Tourism at the North West Provincial legislature has threatened legal action against Parks and Tourism Board Executives, after they failed to appear before the committee for the second time to account on the delayed payment of salaries and status quo of the entity. The members are Chairperson Advocate Matshidiso Mogale, including other board members Barney Lobelo, Sharon Sepeng, Tonto Nkadimeng, Mothusi Raphadu and Dr. Goitseone Pholo. Mogale and five of her board members are accused of twice deliberately snubbing the committee chaired by Mpho Khunou, to account on the state of the…

The R600 million lease and refurbishment contracts relating to the AngloGold Ashanti Hospital during COVID-19 pandemic awarded by the two Gauteng government departments have been declared unlawful, unconstitutional, and invalid. The declaration order comes after the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) applied to the Special Tribunal to set aside these contracts and recover the state losses. The SIU’s spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said that the Special Tribunal order reviewed and set aside multiple decisions made by the Gauteng Department of Health and Infrastructure Development respectively. These includes lease agreements entered into with AngloGold Ashanti Limited and Golden Core Trade and Invest (Pty)…

The torrential rains that have battered several parts of the North West have claimed the life of a pensioner in Lebalangwa village in the Moretele Local Municipality. According to municipality spokesperson Mothopi Malebye, the weather condition continues to spiral out of control, municipality personnel have had their hands full trying to assist the over 76 affected villages. Mothupi said the flood victim drowned at his home. “The old man who was in the company of his wife, also a pensioner, died after being trapped in a flooded house amid the rain that has left damages estimated to run into millions…

The ANC Women’s League Provincial Task Team (ANCWL PTT) in the North West has come out strongly in defence of the suspended Mayor of Tswaing Local Municipality in Delareyville, Nora Mahlangu. She was placed on a “one month” special leave by the ANC Provincial Executive Committee after her explicit video was leaked on social media last week. In the video that was widely shared on various social media platforms, Mahlangu can be seen removing her bra and later performing some sexual acts. Speaking on YouFM News Hour, the ANCWL PTT Convener Wendy Matsemela accused the ANC Provincial Secretary Louis Diremelo…

The Department of Health has called for calm following an outbreak of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) in KwaZulu-Natal despite an alarming increase in the number of cases reported thus far. There are over 180 confirmed cases of the disease in KwaZulu-Natal, mostly in the northern parts of Durban. The Department has however sought to allay fears, adding that it is working closely with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases to contain the spread of this common viral infection, which mainly affects infants and children under the age of five. Speaking on YouFM News Hour, the Department spokesperson Foster…

Teaching and learning have been affected in several schools across the North West province following heavy torrential rains that have been pouring continuously since last weekend.The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued orange level 5 warning for disruptive rainfall over the North West, Gauteng and the northeastern parts of Free State until Thursday this week.The rains have caused flooding of roads, bridges and low-lying areas, and schools are not spared either. The situation has prompted a call on authorities to consider closing affected schools as it poses a threat not only to learners but also to educators.Speaking on You…

The former acting Municipal Manager at the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality in Rustenburg in the North West, Dr Johannes Mothupi, said he’s pleased that he managed to turnaround the situation at the Rustenburg-based municipality. The municipality is regarded as the best performing municipality in the province, due to systems put in place by Mothupi run in the province, whose secondment to the municipality expired on 14th February 2025. He was seconded to the municipality by the North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs Oageng Molapisi to turn things around at the municipality that was “on the…

The controversial Political Party Funding Act will come under the spotlight again this week. This as the civil society and advocacy group My Vote Counts has taken parts of the Act to the constitutional court to be declared unconstitutional.In the statement the group’s Project Lead on money in Politics Joel Bregman, said that they’ve been patient with the court processes to have the matter enrolled in court. “Almost two years since we filed papers, our application challenging the constitutionality of the Political Funding Act (PFA) will be heard in the Western Cape High Court, from Monday to Wednesday,” said Bergman.…

The ANC held its Parliamentary Caucus Lekgotla in Cape Town, to discuss amongst others political party funding and its impact on political parties to perform their mandate effectively. This is the party’s first Parliamentary Lekgotla since the establishment of the 7th Parliament, which also consolidated the annual programme of action in line with the ANC’s sixth priorities of this year’s January statement.ANC Chief Whip Mdumiseni Ntuli said the threshold that has been determined to fund political parties, is also at the top of the agenda.“We have raised that concern right from the onset that it (political party funding Act) needs…