MAHIKENG – Premier of the North West, Kaobitsa Bushy Maape accompanied by MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Desbo Mohono will hold a stakeholder engagement with industry leaders in the Agricultural Sector.
Emerging farmers as well as farmers unions will be part of the engagement. The meeting will amongst others discuss the state of the agricultural economy in the province, promotion of new entrants to agriculture, as well as exploring strategies and ways in which the province can grow the economy and increase the number of jobs in the sector.
Agriculture is one of the key drivers of the provincial economy and these are ongoing efforts by the provincial government to resuscitate and grow the economy. Members of the media are invited to cover the event as follows:
Date: Monday, 7 February 2022Time: 11h00amVenue: Rustenburg Civic Centre
From left:- Tanya Rodgers from the Consulate General, MEC Madoda Sambatha, Consul General Vincent Spera, MEC Kenetswe Mosenogi and Director General of the NWPG Mosweu Paul Mogotlhe
Mahikeng – The North West Provincial leadership is confident that the visit by the United States Consul General Mr Vincent Spera and his delegation will ultimately facilitate improved collaboration and delivery of services to the people of the province. This emerged following the meetings held between the Consul General and the executive leadership of the provincial government, led by the MEC for Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism (DEDECT) Kenetswe Mosenogi on behalf of Premier Kaobitsa Bushy Maape, as well as the leadership of the Mahikeng Local Municipality.
Mr Spera who heads the U.S. Consulate General in Johannesburg, a branch of the U.S. Diplomatic Mission to South Africa, is responsible for exploring areas for collaboration and investment in the North West, Free State and Gauteng Provinces.
In his meetings with the leadership of the DEDECT and department of Health, Consul General stated that two of the top priorities of the Consulate Johannesburg, and the U.S. Mission more broadly, are sharing prosperity through economic development and improving health outcomes. “With the already existing partnership, particularly on issues of health which include government’s response to HIV, TB and COVID-19 amongst others, we need to determine whether we are sharing the same priorities, the extent to which the partnership is making the desired impact, and where there are challenges, how can we collectively resolve them for the benefit of the North West community”, remarked Consul General Mr Spera.
The delegation also had a discussion on trade and investment opportunities available in the province which include mining and mineral processing value chain, ICT Broadband, Agriculture and Agro-Processing and renewable energy, and agreed that the provincial government and the US Consul General, will as part of exploring areas for possible trade and investment, engage the affected stakeholders and arrange a visit to the Bojanala Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
“I have had the pleasure of meeting with local and provincial leaders as well as business and labor representatives, and we welcome the depth of the conversations we held during this visit including the desire of the leadership to continue working with us. These direct connections have helped our team better understand the issues and priorities in the province from a variety of perspectives. I look forward to future engagements to continue to build the relationship between the United States and South Africa”, remarked Mr Spera.
Speaking on behalf of Premier, MEC Mosenogi thanked the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg for their continued support and shared interest in contributing towards the province’s economic prosperity and strengthening its health system for the benefit of the people of the North West Province.
Consul General also met with the Executive Mayor of Mahikeng Local Municipality Cllr Tshepiso Mphehlo and his executive, as well as Kgosi Neo Mokgweetsi who represented Kgosi Jeff Montshioa, and discussed areas of possible collaboration with the local municipality, particularly the socio-economic issues. The delegation also embarked on a walk-about to Lonely-Park clinic and the North West University. On Thursday, 03 February 2022, the Consul General and his delegation will visit the USAID and PACT supported Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) in Koster, and will be joined by the MEC for Social Development, Boitumelo Moiloa.
Taung: North West’s Department of Social Development MEC Boitumelo Moiloa on Tuesday led a team of social workers to assist a traumatised family after their 18-old girl was kidnapped last week Saturday at Modutung village in Taung.
“Our hearts are with the Mothibi family. I have asked that a team of social workers should continue to visit the family to provide them with the necessary psycho-social support in the form of debriefing and trauma counselling. We are with the family during this difficult time,” Moiloa said.
It is alleged that the 18 year -old Oratile Mothibi and her siblings were in the veld when an unknown man abducted her. The siblings tried without success to salvage their sister but the perpetrator overpowered them and disappeared with her. The siblings ran home to inform the parents.
The police used sniffing dogs and a helicopter in search of the missing girl. Community members also took part in searching for the girl in the neighboring villages. Angry community members burnt down two huts belonging to traditional healers at Graspan near Modutung village.
While the search continues MEC Moiloa has called for community members and the traditional leadership to be calm and work with the police.
During her visit to the family Moiloa committed social workers to continue to assist the family in whatever means possible.
Moiloa provided the family with social relief of distress in the form of grocery hampers and vowed to intervene in the living condition of the family.
Kgosi Ponatshego Mothibi of Batlhaping Ba-ga Mothibi said they are so saddened by the disappearance of Oratile. We call on everyone to support the family. “We are eager to accept any assistance from the government,” Kgosi Mothibi said.
Issued by the North West Department of Social Development
Mahikeng: Just a year after receiving a bailout of almost R300-million, government is liquidating Sedibeng Water.
Water and Sanitation minister, Senzo Mchunu, made the announcement earlier this week, saying the utility is no longer commercially viable.
Mchunu said once dissolved the functions, assets and liabilities of Sedibeng Water will be taken over by Magalies Water and Bloem Water based in the Northern Cape and Free State respectively.
“North West assets and liabilities will be transferred to Magalies Water, while Free State and Northern Cape assets and liabilities will be taken over by Bloem Water,” Mchunu said.
Spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said affected stakeholders are being consulted.
“Stakeholders are still being consulted. So that process will then inform the kind of communication that goes forward. But yes, we are looking at disestablishment of Sedibeng Water,” Ratau said.
Sedibeng Water acting Chief Executive Officer, Toto Molobye, notified workers in a letter about the liquidation.
“This communication serves to notify you that the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Mr Senzo Mchunu, has approved the disestablishment of Sedibeng Water as an entity and have its constituent parts incorporated into Bloem Water and Magalies Water respectively.
“Briefing sessions where staff members will be afforded an opportunity to raise their concerns and ask clarity seeking questions will be arranged regionally in the next two to three weeks,” he said. | Source Newsnote
North West Premier Bushy Maape together with members of the provincial executive and traditional leadership of the Barolong Boo Ratshidi Tribal Authority led by Kgosi Jeff Montshioa laid wreaths at the grave of the first secretary of the African National Congress Montshiwane Dick Montshioa.
Premier Bushy Maape together with Kgosi Otlotleng Jeff Montshioa during the laying of the wreaths at Kgosi Dick Montshioa’s grave.
Mahikeng: North West Premier Bushy Maape together with members of the provincial executive and traditional leadership of the Barolong Boo Ratshidi Tribal Authority led by Kgosi Jeff Montshioa laid wreaths at the grave of the first secretary of the African National Congress Montshiwane Dick Montshioa.
The premier was accompanied by delegation of MEC’s from different provincial department including, Arts and Culture, Economic Develop, Agriculture and Transport.
Kgosi Montshioa took the delegation to all other historic sites around the Kgotlha of Barolong which include the lineage of the Royal family as well as the Anglo Boer war memorial.
Kgosi Jeff Montshioa explains the lineage of his predecessors and provides brief history of the tribe during the walk about.
Mahikeng: Councillor Molefe Khumalo was duly elected by the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality council as the Executive Mayor.
In his inaguaral address and acceptance speech Khumalo indicated that there is work to be done in the municipality and the new council must work together to address these issues.
He also invited opposition parties to be part of the work that must done.
“I invite all of us to come work together.
Let us join hands to stop confusing our children. If our children in Mahikeng were given home work and they are asked what is the colour of water. I think in Mahikeng the children will say it’s brown.”
“I want to illiminate the use of bottled water in our meetings. It will force us to provide quality water in our district.”
“The was a budget that was allocated to solve the issue of water what happened to that money?”
“We have an international airport and the license is elsewhere. We have Mmabatho stadium which used to attract alot of big teams”
“We had Letlamoreng dam, we also had a recording studio that was sold mysteriously. I want to engage the province using the district development model. “
“There is sufficient capacity here at home. We have Mmabana and we touched it and we want to apologies.”
“We must work towards the revival of tourism in Ngaka Modiri Molema District, people used to flock the district and what has changed that.”
“We must reignite the tourism of Ngaka Modiri Molema District; why have we let that to die? What will we say to our children; where were we, when our peers were taking all our things?”
“There is a drive to sell anything that moves in Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality. We need to preserve what we have, not for us but for our children”
The Maftownian Online 