Author: Thabang Morutloa

The North West Department of Health is drilling boreholes at all health facilities because of municipalities’ inability to provide sufficient water to some hospitals and clinics in the region. The Joe Morolong Memorial Hospital has been forced to turn away new patients because of a water shortage because of the Naledi Local Municipality’s inability to supply enough water to health facilities in its jurisdiction. MEC Madoda Sambatha said the water crisis at the Joe Morolong Memorial Hospital alone, has forced the department to cough up more than R1.5 million for interventions, as a result of the municipality’s failure to provide…

The DA in the North West is calling for Eskom to be held liable for an alleged economic loss of R2 million suffered by small businesses, following four days of extended power outages in Mahikeng. Businesses in the city’s CBD and industrial site, including the Market Square, were recently left in the dark because of the blackouts. DA’s councilor in the Mahikeng Local Municipality, Arista Annandale has warned that Mafikeng’s electricity crisis poses a threat to the sustainability of small businesses, which are already crippled by load shedding. “Market Square employs more than 100 individuals and should the center close,…

North West Department of Health MEC, Dr Madoda Sambatha has raised concerns about a growing number of families who are refusing to get their children vaccinated for measles citing religious and cultural reasons. The North West has some 168 measles infections with a majority of 148 affected children coming from the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality. Sambatha in partnership with the North West Department of Education led a vaccination drive against measles at Signal Hill Primary School in Mahikeng on Tuesday. “One of the serious challenges is an issue of beliefs by families. There are families who don’t believe in…

Eskom spends more than R2 billion annually fixing infrastructure damaged by cable theft syndicates who are also responsible for the current blackouts experienced by most residents in the North West, the power utility said this week. Eskom’s provincial customer relations manager, Ezekiel Baruti, said the amount used to replace stolen cables, delays progress in other areas. “Cable theft is very rife in the North West, Eskom is losing more than R2 billion per annum as a result of cable theft, which could have been invested somewhere to do maintenance. It could have been brought back to do electrification and make…

The North West Department of Social Development (NWDSD) has raised concerns about the rising number of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases in the province. This follows the recent killings of five women in the province allegedly by their partners. The NWDSD spokesperson Petrus Siko speaking on behalf of the MEC Boitumelo Moiloa said she condemned the killing of women and urged community members to help end the scourge of GBV. “The MEC for Social Development in the North West, Boitumelo Moiloa condemns the sporadic incidents of Gender-Based Violence in the province. “We, therefore, call on every member of society to play…

A pressure group opposed to the demolition of Itsoseng’s Thusong Hospital in the North West has threatened to go all the way to the Constitutional Court in a bid to prevent the provincial government from tearing down the facility. The group known as Reclaim Thusong Hospital Committee rejected the government’s claims that the hospital, which serves the community of Itsoseng and surrounding areas, is built on uninhabitable land. The founder of the pressure group Babey Makgeledisa said people’s rights were violated and that the department of health did not follow the right procedures by informing the residents of their intentions…

Following an outbreak of swine flu, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development yesterday announced its move to place farms in Gauteng, North West, and the Free State under precautionary quarantine. Department spokesperson, Reggie Ngcobo, said after the first case was detected in Gauteng, the provincial Veterinary Services had launched an investigation to identify any properties that could have had direct or indirect contact with the affected farm. “Farms in Gauteng, North West, and Free State Provinces have been placed under precautionary quarantine as a result of this. The ASF-negative status of these farms will be confirmed before…

The North West’s Joe Morolong Memorial Hospital has been forced to turn away new patients because of water shortages in the health facilities caused by a lack of water supply from the Naledi Local Municipality. The Health Department MEC, Madoda Sambatha, said the hospital is highly affected and the number of patients at the hospital has been reduced and this has forced the department to use water tankers to supply water. “The hospital is affected by the shortage of water at the Naledi Local Municipality, so we have been tankering for the past two weeks. But what we have instructed…

ANC Member of the Provincial Legislature Lenah Miga is the new Deputy Speaker of the North West legislature. The former local government MEC beat the DA’s Winston Rabotapi with 20 votes over 11 votes at a special sitting presided over by outgoing Speaker Susana Dantjie. The ANC’s Kabelo Mataboge who was chairing the education portfolio committee was elected unopposed to become the new Chair of Chairs. Miga who was recently axed as an MEC following a short stint said her election today is a vote of confidence by the ANC. “It really is a blessing that the organisation has confidence…

Residents of areas falling under the Ramotshere Moiloa Municipality have vowed to intensify protest action if authorities do not supply them with water soon. The communities who have recently embarked on violent demonstrations demanding services today handed a memorandum to Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu who was accompanied by the North West local government MEC Nono Maloyi. March organizer Kagiso Booysen, said all wards in the municipality need crucial water infrastructure. “There should be a reconstruction of all water infrastructure in all wards. Water reservoirs in Ramotshere should be renovated or reconstructed. We demand that from today onwards, all…