Author: Thabang Morutloa

Mahikeng’s Tete Dijana, the 2023 Comrades Marathon Champion calls on the youth of his hometown in the North West to pursue their talent and never give up on their dreams. The North West Provincial government held an official ceremony on Wednesday, to welcome the province’s two heroes Dijana and Edward Mothibi, the 2021 winner, a 2nd runner-up in 2022 and the man who managed 3rd position on Sunday in Durban. Dijana, a security official from humble beginnings, won the Comrades Marathon for the second consecutive year, with a record-breaking time of 5 hours, 13 minutes and 58 seconds. The 35-year-old said…

The North West Treasury says it will take at least five years to resolve financial challenges at some of the troubled municipalities across the province. The North West Government in April, placed eight municipalities under mandatory intervention in line with section 139 (5) (a) and (c) of the Constitution and section 139 of the Municipal Finance Management Act, with the hope that it will succeed where other plans have failed. The municipalities in question are Mahikeng, Naledi, Madibeng, Kgetlengrivier, Ramotshere Moiloa, Tswaing, Ditsobotla local municipalities, and the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality. But it seems the intervention plan is…

The North West Department of Finance is yet to receive a response from the National Treasury about the application to have the unspent R1.8 billion conditional grant from the previous financial year rolled over to the 2023/4 budget. The Provincial Head of the Department, Ndlela Kunene, said they expect to get a response from the National Treasury by the end of the month. “We have done a submission as a province like all other provinces. The National Treasury is currently evaluating the submissions and has not made a final decision in terms of whether they are going to approve or…

The Speaker of the Ditsobotla Local Municipality in the North West, Fikile Jakeni has passed away after a short illness. His passing was confirmed by the Lichtenburg-based municipality on Friday. Ditsobotla local municipality Mayor, Itumeleng Lethoko, described Jakeni as a friend, and a mentor to all those who had the privilege of working alongside him, and that he will be remembered for his dedication to the municipality. “The devastating news was confirmed by his beloved family on Thursday evening, 01 June 2023. Jakeni was more than a Speaker for our municipality; he was a beacon of wisdom and strength. He…

Five managers at the Mahikeng Provincial Hospital will be transferred to other health facilities, pending investigations after newborn babies at the hospital were placed inside card boxes instead of crib beds. This was revealed by MEC for Health Madoda Sambatha when issuing a preliminary report into the incident on Wednesday. Sambatha said the report found that the managers failed to report the shortage of beds at the facility and that the suspension of the two nurses last week Friday was now lifted. “The five managers must give the department formal accountability. The reason that we are saying formal is because…

The South African Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu) is calling on the North West Department of Health to ensure that healthcare facilities are properly equipped to meet the needs of the patients and healthcare workers. Samatu raised its concerns regarding reports of newborn babies at the Mahikeng Provincial Hospital being placed inside boxes due to a shortage of incubators. “We simply don’t have the basics and now tomorrow when something happens, the department and the management is going to act shocked and surprised and blame the people that were on the floor on that particular day which is not fair,”…

Workers from the North West Transport Investment (NTI) are calling for the government’s intervention after the entity’s (Business Rescue Practitioner) BRP allegedly failed to pay their salaries for three months. The workers held a protest outside the Provincial legislature, demanding their outstanding salaries, and vowed to camp at the national key point’s precinct until their salaries are paid. One of the workers who requested to be anonymous out of fear of being victimized said it was unfair that they were stuck between the department and the BRP squabbles. “We came here again today and we were here two weeks back,…

North West Premier, Bushy Maape has immediately placed the North West MEC for Social Development, Boitumelo Moiloa, and the Head of the Department (HOD), Relebohile Mofokane on special leave for a month. Moiloa and Mofokane are reported to have been at loggerheads over a security tender that was allegedly awarded irregularly, resulting in Moiloa’s decision to suspend three officials including a senior manager. The suspended MEC said the department has established prima-facie information, which alleged Mofokane signed off a R133 million security tender, and ignored the Provincial Internal Audit’s warning about some discrepancies in bid documents. Maape said the suspension…

The ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has identified the 2024 National General Elections as the most difficult one the ruling party will ever have to contest since it took power in 1994. Ramaphosa was speaking in Mahikeng in the North West where he led the ANC’s National Working Committee (NWC) and called on members to put aside internal differences to focus on securing victory. He said despite its many failures, the ANC remains popular with many who still believe it is the right party to govern the country. “Many of our people still love the ANC, even here in this province.…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the North West government over its failure to utilise Municipal Infrastructure Grants (MIGs) while being unable to render essential services to communities. Ramaphosa was speaking in Mahikeng during the ANC’s NWC meeting, where he slammed municipalities in the province for forfeiting R460 million to the treasury in the 2021/22 financial year. The President described the failure to spend funds by the government spheres as a crime against citizens. “This thing of having unspent budgets that the national government gives the municipalities money, and that money goes unspent. I regard it as a crime against our…