Author: Motlhaping Modise

The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) in the North West, is calling for a thorough investigation and consequence management, following the escape of Stilfontein illegal mining kingpin, James Tshoaeli, known as “Tiger.” The civic organisation was responding to the provincial acting Commissioner’s Major General Patrick Asaneng’s announcement on Thursday, that two of their members are being investigated for allegedly assisting Tiger to escape. “The alleged illegal mining kingpin James Neo Tsoeli also known as “Tiger” did not actually escape but was clearly abetted to walk away.It is deeply disheartening to witness members of the SAPS, tasked with upholding the…

Eskom in the North West has raised concerns that the R7.7 billion owed by municipalities in the province, is putting strain on its financial stability and sustainability to provide cost-effective and reliable electricity supply.This was revealed by Eskom’s provincial spokesperson Ezekiel Baruti, who highlighted that if the debt had been settled, the entity would be in a be in a better financial position to fulfil its mandate. “The cost of supplying electricity is expensive.Now Eskom must use its reserves and funds earmarked for electrification projects, to service those municipalities which don’t pay,” said Baruti. According to a list that Eskom…

Twenty-five families and survivors of anti-apartheid activists have hauled President Cyril Ramaphosa and his administration to court, seeking constitutional damages for the government’s “gross failure” to adequately investigate and prosecute apartheid-era political crimes following the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) process. The families that include of former Justice Minister Thembi Simelane and Potchefstroom struggle activist Nicholas ‘Boiki’ Tlhapi briefed the media about their court application in Pretoria. The applicants are the survivors of the Highgate Hotel Massacre, Neville Beling and Karl Weber, family members of the Cradock Four, Richard and Irene Motasi, Caiphus Nyoka, the PEBCO 3, the COSAS 4,…

The North West government is resolute that its latest intervention proposal that the beleaguered Lichtenburg-based Ditsobotla Local Municipality abdicate its electricity supply function directly to Eskom will permanently resolve its electricity provision problems. The provincial government said it’s unable to disregard the fact that the municipality is overwhelmed by the function of providing sustainable electricity to the communities in the past festive season. Premier Lazarus Mokgosi, who was accompanied by MEC for Cooperative Governance, Oageng Molapisi made the suggestion to the Ditsobotla Council after it invited him yesterday. Mokgosi’s spokesperson Sello Tatai told Newsnote that the municipality has for the…

The North West Department of Health has cautioned parents, legal guardians and prospective nursing students against bogus acceptance letters issued to unsuspecting students purporting to be from the Mahikeng and Klerksdorp Nursing Colleges respectively. The Department spokesperson Lucas Mothibedi has removed the Department and Colleges from the letters, adding that the circulating “acceptance” letters on social media platforms aren’t authentic. “We have been inundated with calls from both parents and prospective students for the last two weeks or so, some of them even made some doorsteps in our offices to say they have arrived. Because the assumption is that they…

The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has raised concerns regarding the first-year student’s intake target set by the National Department of Agriculture for the province. MEC for Agriculture Madoda Sambatha told Newsnote that following his oversight visit to the Potchefstroom College of Agriculture, the college could register more than the limit set by the national department.   This emerged when he was conducting an oversight visit at the campus, to observe the registration process of first year students yesterday. “We now have a restriction on numbers and it’s the matter that the province is not happy with. On…

As the 2025 academic year begins, South African Universities are facing an overwhelming surge in the number of first year students eager to further their studies in the current academic year. The North West University has reached its full capacity for the 2025 intake, with no extra spaces available. The institution said it received more than 390 000 applications, and more than 276 000 have already submitted their final applications. Of these, only 11 754 can be accommodated in terms of an approved enrolment target by the Department of Higher Education and Training.The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)…

In what many have described as a historic move, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has opened its first ever offices in Mahikeng in the North West. The offices are named after the current party leader and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa.The opening ceremony was led by the National Chairperson Mziwenkosi Gwala, accompanied by the Treasurer General Narend Singh and other senior leaders including the North West’s Interim Provincial Chairperson Themba Gwabeni on Saturday.During the ceremony, the IFP leadership refuted claims that the party has always been a “Zulu-regional party” with stronghold in KwaZulu-Natal without any prospects of…

Calls are mounting for the President Cyril Ramaphosa to appoint a Commission of Inquiry into all aspects of what happened at the Buffelsfontein Gold mine in Stilfontein near Klerksdorp in the North West. This after the completion of a government sponsored rescue mission at the mine yesterday. Two hundred and forty-six (246) alive illegal miners were retrieved from shaft 11 while 78 of them were declared dead between Monday and Wednesday this week.Two of the parties in the Government of National Unity, GNU, the Democratic Alliance and GOOD Party are leading the campaign for the establishment of the commission. Congress…

North West EXCO members who conducted oversight visits at various schools across the province to check and assess their state of readiness for the first term of the 2025 academic year, have raised concerns about several challenges that they identified during their visits. Some of the recurring challenges that were noticed include but not limited to shortage of mathematics and science educators, lack of proper school infrastructure and substantial plan around the administration of the Grade R classes for the first time to some schools. The Chairperson of the North West Portfolio Committee on Education Priscilla Williams visited Onkgopotse Tiro Comprehensive School…