Author: Thabang Morutloa
Two trucks carrying cement were earlier today set alight by angry residents during a service delivery protest over a lack of water in Blydeville outside Lichtenburg in the North West. One of the residents, Ben Ntsaku, said their taps have been dry for almost 2 years now. “We are not happy about the violence that happens in this place, but it seems like it’s the only language that the government understands. We need services, there is no service delivery at all in this area. “We have not had running water for almost two years now. There is sewage spillage everywhere…
The mother of an eight-year-old child from Ramokgolela Village outside Zeerust in the North West, who was allegedly burnt by an electricity transformer is pleading for help after the incident left her son with a mental illness. Elizabeth Moiloa tragedy struck when a group of children including Lethlogonolo Moliloa were about to be immunised at Naledi ya Masa and they saw injections which made them panic and run away. “My son and the others ran away as soon as they saw injections. And when he was running he came across an electrical transformer that was on the ground. Earlier the…
The Lichtenburg Chamber of Business and Commerce has expressed concern that some businesses at the Ditsobotla Local Municipality have collapsed, due to the deteriorating state of the municipality and the huge municipal debt to Eskom. Several interventions from the provincial government to find a lasting solution have also been unsuccessful, said the chamber. The chamber’s chairperson, Chris Breedt, said the municipality’s Eskom debt is affecting business operations and so is the rolling blackouts. South Africa is currently under Stage 6 Loadshedding, meaning businesses and households can be without electricity for up to four hours at a stretch in a 24…
A civic organisation called Save Ditsobotla Movement (SDM) in the North West has tabled a motion of no confidence against the speaker of the Ditsobotla Local Municipality, Fikile Jakeni who was elected in a council sitting this week. The motion was seconded by the EFF who were citing the speaker’s violation of the house rules for failing to follow the adopted agenda of the day by including an item on the secondment of the acting municipal manager. The SDM leader, Letlamoreng Mosiane, said they’re mobilising other parties in the council to support the motion, which is expected to be debated…
The Mayor of Ditsobotla Local Municipality Itumeleng Elizabeth Lethoko has retracted her resignation after she initially stepped down as mayor only a few hours after she was sworn in on Monday night. Lethoko, who is a Patriotic Alliance member was voted into the position through the backing of the ANC and Forum 4 Service Delivery but resigned her position soon after accusing the ANC of trying to get the council to appoint a municipal manager without following proper procedures. PA’s Deputy President Kenny Kunene said Lethoko’s return follows discussions with the national leadership. “She has withdrawn that resignation based on…
Schooling has ground to a halt in the North West’s Lehurutshe region where angry parents have prevented learners from going to classes as part of the residents’ protest for the delivery of basic services. The disgruntled community of the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality accused the provincial government of making empty promises and is now using the children in a bid to force the government’s hand. Community leader Lerumo Ditlhage is accusing the government officials of deliberately depriving the area of water. “In the previous government of Bophuthatswana, the water plant in this area was well-serviced to provide us with water.…
Police in the North West have confirmed that Serame ‘Tololo’ Mosiatana, whose body was found at the Rietvlei Farm in Coligny on Wednesday, died from a snake bite, days after he was reported missing, quelling rumours that his death was racially motivated. Residents were suspicions that Mosiatana was killed, and his body dumped on the farm, owned by the employers of the two white farmers, Pieter Doorewaard and Philip Schutte who were found guilty but later acquitted on charges of the murder of Matlhomola Mosweu in 2017, whom they accused of stealing Sunflower worth R80. Mosiatana’s family and other community…
The Ditsobotla local municipality in the North West said rumour mongers were responsible for sparking the rampage yesterday where former contract workers destroyed municipal documents and threw them on the streets of Lichtenburg. The Ditsobotla’s local municipality spokesperson, Pius Batsile, said the destruction of the municipal documents was sparked by rumours that some of the contractors whose services were terminated in November 2022, received payments, while others didn’t. “On the 30th of November 2022, the municipality terminated the contracts of all the temporary workers. Now, there are some people that are busy spreading wrong information that there are contractors who…
The community of Coligny in North West claim that the death of Serame ‘Tololo’ Mosiatana has racial undertones because his body was found at Rietvlei Farm, allegedly owned by the employer of the two white men who were charged and then acquitted for the 2017 ‘Sunflower murder of Matlhomola Mosweu. One of the residents, Tlhopho Maretlwa, alleged that Mosianata was killed for wood just like Mosweu was killed for sunflowers. “These are the same people that killed a young boy for sunflowers. Now they have killed another person for wood. “Our lives are really in danger. Our children are not…
High traffic volumes in all directions are expected over the New Year weekend and the North West Department of Traffic Management has issued a stern warning to motorists not to break road rules or there will be dire consequences. The Department of Community Safety and Transport Management spokesperson, Alpheus Koonyaditse, said they are expecting heavy traffic from the province’s ports of entry. “We are expecting the traffic volume to go up at all the two main ports of entry in the North West, namely the Ramatlabama and the Skilards Herk ports of entry. “As we can see, it’s raining in…