Author: Malebogo Putu

Sempe Elizabeth Mokua has been appointed as the new Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for the Department of Public Works and Roads. Mokua, who hails from the dusty Kalpan village and grew up in Gelukspan in the North West, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this critical role. She is the second female MEC in 30 years to be appointed in this male-dominated department. As the former Provincial Chairperson of NEHAWU and a member of the COSATU, ANC, and South African Communist Party Provincial Executive Committees, Mokua is well-equipped to transform the male-dominated public works sector. She…

In an effort to boost matriculation results, MEC Viola Ntsetsao Motsumi, re-appointed for a second term as the Executive Council of the North West Department of Education, will meet with the principals of all underperforming schools in the province. MEC Motsumi has emphasized a zero-tolerance policy for schools performing below a 70% average this academic year. The primary objective of this meeting is to address the challenges faced by schools with a pass rate of less than 70% in the 2023 academic year. Motsumi will engage with school principals and the senior management team of the department to discuss and…

A 34-year-old African male was arrested during an intelligence-driven disruptive operation conducted by the Hawks based in Secunda Serious Organised Crime Investigation, along with Secunda Crime Intelligence and the Secunda Dog Unit (K9), on Thursday, 4 July 2024, in Embalenhle, Mpumalanga. The operation followed information about a suspect in possession of drugs. The team identified the suspect and found drugs and cell phones in his possession. Drugs valued at R110,000 were confiscated. The suspect was arrested, charged, and detained pending his first court appearance on Friday, 5 July 2024, at the Evander Magistrates Court. Provincial Head Major General Gerber praised…

Two foreign nationals, aged 34 and 42, were arrested separately for possession and dealing in drugs after police received positive information regarding their activities in the Mokopane policing area. The SAPS Provincial Organised Crime members acted on the leads. On Wednesday, 3 July 2024, a 34-year-old suspect was intercepted while driving a white VW Polo on Dudu Madisha Street in Mokopane. Police found him in possession of transparent plastic packages containing kat, crystal, and heroin, with an estimated street value of R25,000. In a similar incident, on Thursday, 4 July 2024, a 42-year-old suspect was arrested on Minkies Street. He…

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Deputy President, Floyd Shivambu, has emphasized that their focus is on building a consensus among progressive parties to constitute a stable government, rather than on who will occupy which positions. Speaking on SABC News, Shivambu acknowledged that the ANC has been engaging with various parties, including the Democratic Alliance (DA), but the EFF has presented a framework for co-government based on clear principles to address issues such as redress, free education, the land question, and economic transformation. According to Shivambu, the EFF is not desperate to be part of the government, and it will not…

The EFF has met with the ANC leadership, who proposed a Government of National Unity that includes all political parties that contested the elections. However, the EFF argued that this does not make sense, as there must be sound ideological principles and foundational values that define the government. According to The EFF Deputy President, Floyd Shivambu, there are some common features that could define the government, such as the emphasis on redressing historical imbalances caused by colonialism and apartheid, confronting white supremacy and domination over the economy, and protecting workers’ rights. The EFF has reservations about involving political parties that…

Free State Premier Mxolisi Dukwana says the province is hard at work to lessen the burden of unemployment. In his State of the Province Address on Friday, Dukwana said unemployment fell from 38.5% in the third quarter of 2023 to 37% in the fourth quarter. “Our Expanded Public Works Programme and the Presidential Employment Stimulus is a demonstration of our efforts to ignite economic growth,” he said. Dukwana said since 2019, the province has created 282 907 work opportunities against a five-year target of 260 000 work opportunities through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). “The Presidential Employment Stimulus enabled us to…

Limpopo Police in Vhembe District have through a joint operation arrested six male suspects for illegal mining activities and contravention of the Immigration Act. They were arrested on Sunday, 31 December 2023.According to the Police, the suspects were arrested by the Vhembe and Mopani Districts Anti-Illegal Mining Task Teams when they conducted Operation Vala Umgodi. The suspects aged between 18 and 44 years old were arrested while they were illegally digging and processing the precious metals at an illegal mining site.”The police have confiscated mining equipment which were used in the commission of the crime that included 3 spades, a…

Over 2900 People have been arrested as various disruptive operations were conducted simultaneously in all the five districts in Gauteng. According to the Police in Gauteng, the arrests were made during the New Year’s Eve Crime Prevention Operations meant to ensure that the public felt safe during and beyond the New Years celebrations. One of the Operations in Johannesburg District was led by the National Commissioner of SAPS, General Fannie Masemola and Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela accompanied by the MEC of Community Safety, Ms Faith Mazibuko. Of the 2900 arrested, 688 are wanted suspects who were arrested by…

NEW YORK, United States of America, October 2, 2023/APO Group On the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Invest Africa (www.InvestAfrica.com), a leading pan-African trade and investment platform, hosted a US-Africa Investment Forum at which Kenyan President William Ruto underscored the urgency of addressing climate change as well as Africa’s potential to lead the energy transition. This year, African leaders at UNGA united to emphasize the continent’s transformation from a passive participant in the global order to an assertive partner actively seeking collaboration, not marginalisation. From South African President Ramaphosa’s plea for Africa to “reclaim its role as…