Author: Thabang Morutloa
Eskom is threatening court action against 10 North West’s municipalities not paying their debt to the power utility estimated at R5.4 billion . The Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality owes more than R100 million and is the latest municipality that Eskom is going after. Eskom’s North West Customer Relations Manager, Ezekiel Baruti, said he can confirm that the Ramotshere Moiloa local municipality owes it R98 million in respect of the old debt. “When we add this month’s bill, which is about R5 million, the whole amount comes to R103 million. We have currently received a payment arrangement proposal from the municipality…
The African National Congress (ANC) in the North West has called on its members to desist from taking the party’s internal matters to court before exhausting all internal protocols within the organisation, to have their grievances resolved. This after the North West High Court in Mahikeng dismissed the application by disgruntled ANC members, to have the party’s 9th Provincial Elective Conference held last year in Rustenburg declared unlawful, invalid and of no force and effect. Following a ruling of the same court on 12 August 2022 that the interim structure’s term had lapsed, the applicants Lebogang Medupe, Lesego Serapelwane, Puso…
The North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi says more than R1 billion will be used to address infrastructure challenges at schools by renovating or building new structures. Motsumi tabled her department’s R20.5 billion budget vote for the 2023/24 financial year at the provincial legislature in Mahikeng on Tuesday. However, opposition parties at the North West Legislature, have rejected the Department’s budget vote. The EFF’s Primrose Bogatsu accused the department of failing to implement its budget. “How do we expect to table new plans moving ahead, if history has left so many blank pages related to the materialisation of programmes,…
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has confirmed two cases of diphtheria in two different provinces. According to the NICD, the first case was of an adult in Kwa-Zulu Natal and the second was of an infant in the Western Cape, both cases were detected in April. NICD’s Professor Anne von Gottberg, said the symptoms of the disease include a sore throat. “Two laboratory-confirmed cases of diphtheria disease were detected in April 2023. The first case was an adult in KwaZulu-Natal and the second case was in the Western Cape in a child. Diphtheria is an uncommon, but vaccine-preventable…
The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has expressed concerns about the continuous shortage of medical doctors, while more than 800 doctors are unemployed. SAMA’s Chairperson, Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa said the public healthcare system is failing to create internships for doctors who studied locally and those who studied outside the country. “There were 827 medical doctors that were unemployed at the time of conducting the survey in February 2023. Lack of available vacancies in the public health system, for example, doctors struggle with obtaining internship positions. “Once the internship is completed, there may be a lack of community service positions. Once…
The Nehawu branch in Mahikeng, North West has instructed its members to return home, after a scuffle ensued when a suspended senior official from the Department of Social Development, Job Mguni, allegedly came with armed bodyguards and tried to forcefully enter the department’s offices. Mguni and three other officials were suspended on Thursday by MEC Boitumelo Moiloa for afllegations of awarding an irregular tender worth R133 million. Nehwau’s regional deputy chairperson in Mahikeng, Godfrey Manduba, said their members are not safe at work. “Given what has transpired this morning the director of the supply chain comes to work with 10…
Some residents of Kraaipan in the North West are pleading for help after their homes were destroyed by a hail storm on Wednesday. This comes on the back of a South African Weather Services warning of heavy rainfall and cold conditions for the next few days. The area experienced overnight heavy downpours with hail storms causing damage to many homes. Pako Kehitlhile said what they experienced was unusual and that they were still traumatized from the ordeal. “We were watching TV as a family when we suddenly heard something like rocks hitting the roof. When I looked outside through the…
Following the announcement by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of an outbreak of mumps in South Africa, the North West Department of Health has confirmed 342 cases of the virus and warned that more cases could be recorded. The NICD described mumps as an acute viral infection that causes painful swelling of the parotid and salivary glands. According to the institute, the symptoms include fever and a non-painful rash, although anyone can catch the disease, mumps is most commonly found in children in the five to nine age group. North West Health MEC Madoda Sambatha, said the Dr…
The Mahikeng Local Municipality in the North West has launched disability forums to address the challenges faced by people with disabilities across the municipality’s 35 wards. This emerged on Tuesday when the municipality in partnership with the provincial department of health handed 70 wheelchairs to those in need. Mayor Tshepiso Mphehlo said the program will not only donate wheelchairs but will also provide all that is needed by those living with a disability. “Recently we just launched at every single ward of Mahikeng a Disability Forum. So it means that we have to go to our communities to find out…
Police have been deployed to safeguard the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality offices in Mahikeng after they were closed by the North West Amalgamated Business Forum, which is demanding the resignation of Mayor Khumalo Molefe. The forum members have been camping outside the municipality offices for a week now, accusing the mayor of corruption and of interfering in the awarding of tenders. The forum’s chairperson, Gaopalelwe Lobelo, said capable local businesses within the district are not benefiting from opportunities at the district municipality. “The businessmen and women across the district municipality don’t benefit from the business opportunities in their district,…