The Beat 13 September 2013

A bad week on the roads13 September 2013

R1-20/FR

EE

The two cars that collided near Klein Kariba on 4 September 2013. Photo: TK Mashaba. Story on page 4...

Pg 4Department of

Education reorganizesschools

Pg 8Siwelele FC promotedto SAB League

Spring celebrationfloods park Pg 7

[email protected], Website: thebeat.linmedia.co.za BEAT 13 September, 2013

Justin Steyn

Police in Mookgophong have noticed agrowing trend involving armed robbery ontheir roads.Warrant officer George Ledwaba, of the

Mookgophong police told The BEAT thatthey had received a large amount ofcomplaints where drivers who weretravelling on the N1, on route toMookgopong, were forced to stop on theside of the road as big rocks wereblocking the vehicle’s path.“The police are investigating a lot of

complaints coming from the public where

Drivers robbed in Mookgophongdue to rocks on the road

they have become victims of common orarmed robbery as they travel towardsMookgophong. The victims told us thatbig rocks were blocking the path of theirvehicles forcing them to climb out andmove the rocks where they then getrobbed” he said.It is suspected that the criminals who

commit the crimes remain hidden in thelong grass close to where the rocks areplaced and as soon as the driver of thevehicle exits to investigate the matter arobbery is taking place.Ledwaba said that no arrests have been

made as yet but the matter is under

intense investigation due to the growingnature of the problem. He also urgespassengers to remain in their vehiclesand to find an alternative route if anystrange items such as tyres and rocksare found on the road.“When you are travelling on the road andlarge items are blocking your path avoidthat road and find an alternative route asquickly as possible. It is vital that thepolice be notified of roads that have beenblocked off so that we can conduct animmediate investigation” said Ledwaba.

Department ofLabour and mininghope to curbunemployment Lizzy Bapela

Residents of Mokopane canexpect to benefit from a hugeemployment opportunity comingto their area in 2014.Plantreef Resources plans toopen a new mine in the area.The company will becollaborating with the LimpopoDepartment of Labour in theirquest to help fight the issue ofunemployment in the area. Jobseekers in the area are waitingin anticipation for this hugeemployment opportunity comingtheir way.The department indicated that

there is growing confidence onthe use of the EmploymentServices of South Africa (ESSA)system from both potentialemployers and job seekers ascompared to previously. ESSA isthe departmental system wherejob seekers register theirCurriculum Vitaes (CVs) to bematched with employmentopportunities registered byvarious employers.The company gave the

department hope when theyrequested help from them in theirmass recruitment drive.Deputy Director for Public

Employment Services in thedepartment Joyce Mathume saidthat the department’s officialshave literally been living in theirsuitcases as they move betweenover 17 villages in and aroundMokopane area since thebeginning of August.These villages include amongst

others Moshate, Madiba,Marken, Masodi andMahwelereng.Mathume said that this was

done in the department’s questto register as many job-seekersas possible and also urge themto leverage on this opportunity.Job seekers were interviewed

during the registration processand many praised the initiative,saying that it will be an answerto their dreams should it cometo pass, as they have beenlooking for jobs for quite sometime.One job-seeker said that this

has come just at the right timeparticularly as he has justcompleted his studies in MiningEngineering and he will look nofurther in his job hunt.Earlier this year Statistics

South Africa revealed that theunemployment rate in thecountry is sitting at 25%, mostof which are young people withnecessary qualifications and injob training. Limpopo provincialhead of the Labour DepartmentAlbert Tshidavhu said that thefigure is quite high indeed. Headded that the situation is moredire if one zooms in the provincebut the project will make seriousstrides in the fight againstunemployment.Mathume indicated that this

goes to show that indeed thedepartment’s ESSA systemworks properly. “We hope thatother potential employers wouldsee this as motivation and startto make use of it,” she said.

BEAT Page [email protected]@gmail.com, Website: thebeat.linmedia.co.za 13 September, 2013


CONSULTING HOURS:Monday - Friday: 08h30 - 17h00

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Tel/Fax: 014 736 3801 /5126

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17B Pretoria Road, between KFCand the Magistrates Office

Justin Steyn

The Limpopo Education Departmentplans to merge 301 schools and closedown 176 others.This will affect an estimated 53 000pupils and nearly 2 000 teachers.Limpopo Education MEC Dikeledi

Magadzi told the media on Wednesday,4 September, that the decision is due tolow enrolment at most of the affectedschools. She said that the merges wereproposed by communities in someinstances. Kaalleegte Primary inMokopane, situated in the WaterbergDistrict, has five pupils and two teachers.Two other nearby schools, Mokii Primaryand Schaaphok Primary, each have fewerthan 20 pupils and a total of fiveteachers. The three schools will bemerged with Sterkrivier CombinedSchool, which has 79 pupils. Last year itwas reported that only three of the ninematriculants had passed at the combinedschool. This was an improvement fromthe zero pass rate in 2011, when ninepupils wrote matric.Malimuwa Primary, which has eight

pupils and one teacher, will merge withSoutpansberg Primary School in theVhembe district.Magadzi said that some of the schools

with low enrolment were separated only

Department of Education plans toshut down over 100schools

IEC registrationunderway thisweekend TK Mashaba

The Independent ElectoralCommission (IEC) is embarkingon a campaign of targetedcommunication and registrationover the weekend of the 13th tothe 15th of September 2013 inpreparation for the 2014 Nationaland Provincial elections.The aim of the project is to

target newly created votingstations and wards that have lowregistration figures.Fieldworkers have been

appointed to conduct door-to-door registration in various areas.The targeted wards and voting

stations are Ward 1, Ward 4,Extension 5, Extension 6,Extension 8, Ward 7 and Ward9.Mafa Netshivhambe pleaded

with citizens to cooperate withfield workers during theregistration process.

Lizzy Bapela

The Department of Labour’sOccupational Health and Safety (OHS)inspectors have recently received top-notch refresher training. The rigorousthree-day training took place at the BelaBela Forever Resorts from Tuesday, 20August to Thursday, 22 August.Limpopo’s Departmental Spokesperson

Johannes Mokou said that the training

Department of Education MEC DikelediMagadzi announced the merging ofschools in Limpopo. Photo Supplied

by a fence. She added that theinadequate number of teachers, multi-grade teaching and many streams weremajor challenges that hampered thequality of teaching and learning. Magadziis confident the merger will reduce theworkload on teachers and improve thequality of teaching.The department has committed itself to

providing transport for pupils forced to

travel long distances as a result of themerger. Magadzi explained that the SASchools Act allowed affected parties tomake presentations about the proposedmergers.“The act provides an opportunity to the

school governing bodies of the identifiedschools and any other interestedpersons, who must be given not lessthan 90 days to make representationsfrom the date of receipt of the notice,”she said.Department of Education spokesperson,

Phuti Seloba, said none of the affectedteachers would lose their jobs. However,some of the principals would be strippedof their positions.“That is why we are saying even those

principals, definitely they will not losetheir benefits, except the titles, which areinsignificant,” said Seloba.It is not clear what will happen to the

buildings at the schools to be closed.Magadzi said Public Works was the

custodian of government buildings.Spokesperson for the Public Works

Department, Pat Kgomo, said that adecision regarding the empty schoolbuildings would be taken only after a fullbriefing from the Education Department.Pupils were expected to vacate schoolsearmarked for closure in January nextyear.

Labour inspectors receive top-notch refresher trainingwill enable the inspectors to be equal tothe task during inspections and be at acomparable footing with the world classstandards. He said that the trainingexposed inspectors to the incidentreporting procedures and investigationtraining. Several applications ofCompensation for Occupational Injuriesand Diseases Act (COIDA) are amongthe things that the inspectors were alsoexposed to.During his address to the OHS

students, the Limpopo Provincial Headof the Department Albert Tshidavhucompared the training with an eagle thatregularly sharpens its nails in order tocontinue surviving in the jungle.“Occupational injuries and diseases

are our enemies because the lives of thepeople are at stake. Make sure that youacquire as much information as possibleduring this training that will enable youto stop these anomalies at all costs.The training should also arm you asinspectors with the skills and abilities toprosecute the non-complying employerswho want to hide behind a stick, whileemployees’ lives are threatened,”Tshidavhu said.He said that the surest recipe of

causing chaos in the country is bypostponing the prosecution of anemployer who is not prepared to complywith OHSA and COIDA.

Jacob Mpulwane from Compensationfor Occupational Injuries and Diseasesunit in the department said that theyhave decided to add COIDA training aspart of the program. He said that the twogo hand in hand and one cannot haveOHS without COIDA.Part of the training also touched on

issues such as inspection report writing,incident investigations, setting-up ofhealth and safety representatives atworkstations, applications ofoccupational hygiene and prosecutionprocedures.Health and Safety Inspector in the

department Peter Mangale said he hopedthat the inspectors are taking thistraining to heart.“I hope you realise that the health and

safety of the workers in Limpopo are inyour hands because when they see youthey see a messiah. If we fail to properlyinvestigate an incident, we fail not onlythe department, but the workers,especially the most vulnerable,” he said.He further said that the department

wants to avoid in totality a repeat of thefour terrible fatal incidents that took placebetween June and July, during whichworkers’ lives were lost. He added thatthe best mode to do this is through theinspectors.

were immediately taken to Bela BelaHospital.According to Constable Glenda

Manamela the cause of the accident isnot known yet and investigations arecontinuing.A case of reckless driving has been

opened.In a separate incident, a girl between

the ages of 16 and 17 was found deadnext to the R101 with her bags.

According to Manamela, it issuspected that the girl was thrownfrom a car. The body was found bytravelers who had stopped to relievethemselves.The girl was taken to a mortuary. She

was found wearing a white shirt, bluejeans and white sneakers. At themoment her next of kin are stillunknown.

Nine injured in crash near Bela Bela TK Mashaba

On the evening of the 4th of Septemberaround 17H00, two cars collidedbetween Klein Kariba and EmmarentiaGeldenhuys. A mini Toyota truck fromClear Waters collided with a redNissan bakkie and went off the road.The bakkie was apparently filled with

workers returning from their jobs. Ninepeople suffered serious injury and

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COPYRIGHTThe reproduction or broadcast without writtenpermission of any material published in The Beatand its supplements is forbidden and expressly re-served to Upfront Events Two CC, under section12(7) of the Copyright Act, 1978 and any amend-ment thereof. The Beat is typographically prepared,published and distributed by Upfront Events Two CC.The Beat: 7 Minnaar Street, Tel: (014) 736-2723,Fax: (014) 736-3428, PO Box 16, Bela-Bela. E-mail: [email protected] Beat is typographically prepared, published anddistributed by Upfront Events Two CC and is printedby Paarl Coldset, 83 Heidelberg Rd, City DeepProduction Park, City Deep.

Photo of the week

The BEAT wants to hearfrom our readers. If you

have a great story orsomething that you wantus to bring to light, please

[email protected] orsend an SMS to one of

our reporters:Lizzy: 072 264 7740, TK:076 756 9740 or Justin:072 388 8568 We wouldalso LOVE to see some ofyour weird and wonderfulphotos for our editorialpage. Do not delay, just

contact us today!

America’s first black president,Barack Obama, once said, “Changewill not come if we wait for someother person or some other time.We are the ones we’ve been waitingfor. We are the change that weseek.”He’s a man who knows a little bit

about change, is Barack Obama.When he was born, man had notyet walked on the moon. Thatwouldn’t happen for another eightyears. When he was born, MartinLuther King had not yet deliveredhis famous speech from the stepsof the Lincoln Memorial — that wasstill two years in the future.Think about that for a moment.When Barack Obama was born,

the United States of America wasas segregated as apartheid SouthAfrica.When Barack Obama was born, the

Internet had not been invented. Forthat matter, the computer I am writingthis on would have looked likesomething out of science fiction tothe men (not women, because whenBarack Obama was born, womenwere not allowed in the armed forces)who sent Armstrong to the moon.When Barack Obama was born, the

world was a different place. It’s oftensaid that the past is another country,and it is. It’s a strange country and,for the most part, not a very nice one.But this man came out of that past

and now, he is the President of theUnited States of America. The mostpowerful man in the world at thismoment is a black man. A man who,several decades ago, would not havebeen allowed to sit on the same parkbench as a white man.He never let anyone tell him that he

couldn’t do it. His election motto, infact, was “Yes, we can!” It echoesthe words of another great man, whosaid “Be the change you want to seein the world.” (Ghandi).With election season coming up

next year it is time to think carefullyabout what we want for our future. Dowe want to have the same things wehave now? Do we want to go on aswe are?Or is it time to say that we are

the ones we’ve been waiting on,man up and make the change? Isit time to be a little bit brave andstretch out our hands for thebetter future that could be ours ifwe only had the courage to reachfor it?You decide.

Be the change

Granny kicking a soccer ball during Golden Oldies games at Sunfa stadium. Photo:TK Mashaba.

A Positive life ina negative world Bishop Silas Tlou

If you don’t determine your priori-ties, other people or circumstanceswill choose them for you.One way to record goals and

evaluate your path is to make a lifewheel. Draw a circle on a largepiece of paper. At its centre, draw asmaller ring and write “God” withinit. Then divide the outside circle intofour even sections. Label these“Family,” “Social/Recreational,”“Business,” and “Spiritual.” Next,identify goals for each area of yourlife. Find photos of your family andfriends, or cut out magazine pic-tures, that represent your goals. Forinstance, someone who wants tospend more time with his wife andchildren would include pictures ofhis family spending time together.Draw a picture if you can’t find animage that fits your goal After youcomplete your wheel, put it in aplace where you can refer to itoften, such as inside a closet door.B. Why make a life wheel? It can

help in five ways:1. Visualization: The wheel is

based on the goodness of God.Remind yourself always that “theearth is full of the goodness of theLord” (Ps. 33:5). Ask the Lord torule over your imagination and toprovide a glimpse of His plan for youas well as the blessings He desiresto give you.List at least one instance in which

the Lord’s will for your life wasbetter than what you would havechosen for yourself.2. Expectation: The life wheel is

based on the promises of ourheavenly Father. As you visualizeand identify your goals, you are in abetter position to ask God specifi-cally for what you truly desire andthen to look for His answer orprovision.3. Motivation: Aim to see your life

as the Father sees it, and then acton what He guides you to do.Many people believe that God isn’t

personally interested in their lives.But He is.Look at the wheel you made. How

many of your goals were promptedby the Lord’s guidance? How manysprang primarily from your desires?4. Meditation: The wheel centres

on submission to the Father. As youmeditate on His Word, you learnmore about the goodness of Godand His plan for your life.5. Realization: The Lord will

faithfully guide you into all truth.What things in your life do you

think the Father will use for yourultimate good, even if you can’t seeHis final purpose right now?Take a few moments to pray. Ask

the Lord to reveal how He wants youto cooperate with Him in bringingabout His good purposes in yourlife.

[email protected]@gmail.com, Website: thebeat.linmedia.co.za BEAT 13 September, 2013

SMALLS

Former Bank Manager, Gerrit de Jong, which was the BankManager in 1998 and 1999 at Absa in Bela-Bela, returned toBela-Bela to work as financial adviser at Absa. With 32 yearsof experience in the banking industry, he is just the rightperson to assist clients with their needs. He specialises ininvestments, life insurance, estate planning, retirementplanning, and business insurance. For more information,contact him at tel. (014) 736-1674 or tel. 082 497 6201 orsent an e-mail to [email protected] or visit them atAbsa Bela-Bela where his offices are. Also on the photo is hiswife and assistant, Anel de Jong.

Promotion

Former Absa Bank Manager returns

LEGALS

SHEEP for sale, for slaughter(meat) or pregnant. Weights 35-55kg from R1100 - Bela Bela.081 598 3576 or 082 785 4776

NOTICE OF SALE INEXECUTION (IMMOV-

ABLE PROPERTY)IN THE NORTH GAUTENGHIGH COURT, PRETORIA(REPUBLIC OF SOUTHAFRICA) CASE NO:67810/2012In the matter between: ABSABANK LIMITED Plaintiffand GERT LOUISCOETZEE N.O. andMARITA PETRONELLACOETZEE N.O. IN THEIRCAPACITY AS TRUSTEESOF COETZEE FAMILIETRUST REG NUMBER:IT8153/2003 DefendantIn execution of a judgementof the North Gauteng HighCourt Pretoria (Republic ofSouth Africa) in the above ac-tion, a sale as a unit wthout areserve price will be held bythe Sheriff 25 September2013, at 11H00 of the under-mentioned property of theDefendants on the Condi-tions to be read by the Auc-tioneer at the time of the sale,which Conditions will lie forinspection prior to the saleat the offices of the SheriffBela Bela at 52 RobinsonAvenue, Bela Bela.BEING:Erf 1421 Warmbaths Exten-sion 21 township, registra-tion division K.R., LimpopoProvinceMeasuring 1090 (one thou-sand and ninety) square me-tresHeld by deed of Transfer No.T158499/2004 specially ex-ecutable;Subject to the terms and con-ditions therein contained andespecially to the conditionsof the Fish Eagle Bay HomeOwners AssociationPhysical Address: Erf 1421Fish Eagle Bay Estate, BelaBelaThe following information isfurnished regarding the im-provements, though in thisrespect nothing is guaran-teed:A dwelling consisting of(not guaranteed) VacantStandIn terms of Regulation 32 ofthe Consumer Protection Act68 of 2008 potential biddersmust register in the bidder’s

record with the Sheriff, priorto the sale, which registra-tion must meet the require-ments of the regulations interms of the Financial Intel-ligence Centre Act, 38 of2001.Dated at Pretoria this 26thday of August 2013.DELPORT VAN DENBERG INC.Attorneys For PlaintiffGlen Manor Office Park138 Frikkie De Beer StreetBuilding 5, MenlynPretoriaTel: (012) 361 5001Fax: (012) 361 6311REF:EDDIE DU TOIT/DDK /AHL0441

NOTICE OF SALE INEXECUTION

IN THE HIGH COURT OFSOUTH AFRICA (NORTHGAUTENG HIGH COURT,PRETORIA) Case No:20349/2013In the matter between: ABSABANK LIMITED Plaintiffand MARIA GERTRUIDAWILHEMINA VANHEERDEN ID No. (5206090055 086) 1st DefendantPersuant to a judgementgranted by this HonourableCourt on 29 July 2013 and aWarrant of Execution, the un-dermentioned property willbe sold in execution by theSheriff of the High Court,Waterberg on Thursday the26th day of September 2013,at 11H00 in front of the Mag-istrate’s Office, van EmmenisStreet, Modimolle, LimpopoProvince, to the highest bid-der without a reserve price:Portion 171 (Portion of Por-tion 148) of the farmBuffelspoort No. 421, Regis-tration Division K.R.,Limpopo ProvinceStreet Address: Portion 171(Portion of Portion 148) ofthe farm Buffelspoort 421,Limpopo ProvinceMeasuring: 1,0879 (Onecomma zero eight seven nine)hectares and held by Defend-ant in terms of Deed of Trans-fer No. T33493/2011Improvements are:Vacant LandNo warranties regarding de-scription, extent or improve-ments are given.The conditions of sale to beread out by the Sheriff of theHigh Court at the time of thesale and will be available forinspection at the offices of theSheriff, Waterberg, 50 AlfredNzo Street, Modimolle,Limpopo Province.Dated at Pretoria on this the23rd day of August 2013.VAN ZYL LE ROUX INC

Plaintiff’s AttorneysMonument Office Park71 Steenbok AvenueFirst Floor, Block 3Monument Park, PretoriaP O Box 974, Pretoria, 0001Docex 97, PretoriaTel: (012) 435 9444Fax: (012) 435 9555REF: MAT30728/ENIMAND/MN

NOTICETwo applications for miningpermits, for aggregate, interms of section 27 of theMineral and Petroleum Re-sources Development Act,2002 (Act 28 of 2002) werelodged at the office of theRegional Manager, MineralRegulation, Limpopo Re-gion, Private Bag x 9467,Polokwane, 0700 in respectof the farm Leeuwpoort 554KQ, District of Thabazimbi.PARTICULARS OF APPLI-CANT:Applicant:BRAVOSPACE 33 CCAddress: P O Box 1Leeuwpoort0486Tel No: 083 303 8080File Ref No’s: LP30/5/1/3/2/10364MP, and 10365MPAny comments with regardto the relevant applicationsshould be forwarded to theabove address within 14days from publishing of thisnotice.

NOTICEThree applications for min-ing permits, for aggregate, interms of section 27 of theMineral and Petroleum Re-sources Development Act,2002 (Act 28 of 2002) werelodged at the office of theRegional Manager, MineralRegulation, Limpopo Re-gion, Private Bag x9467,Polokwane, 0700 in respectof the farm Leeuwpoort 554KQ, District of Thabazimbi.Particulars of applicant.Applicant:L E E U W P O O R TVERVOER CCAddress: P O Box 1Leeuwpoort0486Tel No: 083 303 8080File Ref No’s: LP30/5/1/3/2/10360MP, 10367MP and10368MPAny comments with regardto the relevant applicationsshould be forwarded to theabove address within 14days from publishing of thisnotice.

MODIMOLLE LANDUSE SCHEME, 2004

Notice is hereby given to all

whom it may concern that interms of clause 23 of theModimolle Land UseScheme, 2004, I, (full name)SELEKA MAMOIMEDIJOSEPHINA intend apply-ing to the Modimolle LocalMunicipality for specialconsent to: Tuckshop onproperty 8477 Ext 9Phomolong and suburb alsoknown as (street name andnumber) located in a Resi-dential zone.Example : Residential 1,Business 2 etc).Any objection, with thegrounds therefor, shall belodged with or made in writ-ing to: The Divisional Man-ager: Town Planning,Ground Floor, ModimolleMunicipal Building, or Pri-vate Bag x1008, Modimolle,0510, within 28 days of thepublication of the advertise-ment in the Local newspa-per, viz: 13 September & 20September 2013.Full particulars and plans (ifany) may be inspected dur-ing normal office hours(08:00 - 13:00 and 13:45 -15:00) at theabovementioned office, for aperiod of 28 days after thepublication of the advertise-ment in the Local newspa-per. Closing date for any ob-jections: 23 October 2013.APPLICANTStreet address and Postaladdress8477 Ext 9, PhomolongModimolle0510Telephone: 072 127 0004.(13&20/09)

NOTICE OF THE PUBLICPARTICIPATION PROC-ESS & INVITATION TOREGISTER AS AN IN-TERESTED AND AF-FECTED PARTYNotice is hereby given in ac-cordance with Regulations54(2) (c) (i) of GovernmentNotice R.543 of 2010 prom-ulgated in terms of the Na-tional Environmental Man-agement Act (Act 107 of1998) as amended that PhakiPhakanani EnvironmentalConsultant have applied forDowngrading from fullScoping and EIA process toBasic Assessment Process.The proposed project willnow undergo Basic Assess-ment process instant of theFull EIA process.The proposed project is forthe demarcation of 500 sitesat Mookgophong. The devel-opment will take place onportion 60 and 61 of the farmGrootvalley 530 KR withinthe Mookgophong LocalMunicipality, WaterbergDistrict of the LimpopoProvince. The proposed de-velopment will entails thefollowing demarcation ofsites:Residential - 492 sitesEducational - 2 sitesChurches - 2 sitesMunicipal – 1 siteP.O.S – 1 siteBusiness-2 sitesThe draft Basic Assessmentreport and will be made avail-able for review and commentupon written request. Acopy of the draft report willalso be placed at theMookgophong Local Mu-nicipality offices for publicreview.Interested and affected par-ties (I&APs) are hereby in-vited to register, providewritten comments togetherwith their name, contact de-tails and an indication of anydirect business, financial,personal or other interestwhich they have in the ap-plication to the contact per-son indicated below within40 days of the publishing ofthis notice.For further information per-taining to the project ,kindly contact PhakiPhakanani EnvironmentalConsultant.Contact Person:PHAKI PHAKANANI EN-VIRONMENTAL CON-SULTANTMr. Kabedi MashiloP.O Box 1198Fauna Park

Lizzy Bapela

Lephalale Mayor Moloko Jack Maekodenies allegations that he is a ruthlessleader and an opportunist who will bendthe rules to suit himself, as he is ac-cused. He approved the description thathe is a fearless leader who works withand for the community.The mayor said this during an interview

with The BEAT, following accusationsmade in the media recently. Abusinessman from Lephalale, JusticeLedwaba, recently took on the mayor inthe media, alleging that he and themunicipal manager Bob Naidoo arecorrupt leaders taking advantage ofcommunity members in order to enrichthemselves. The two were interviewed ona current affairs show on Thobela FM onthe morning of Tuesday, 27 August.Ledwaba reportedly said

that Maeko is on his wayout, as the ANC inLimpopo has decided toreplace him. The rumoursof a mayor about to beousted also flew inMogalakwena about thecurrent mayor TlhalefiMashamaite recently,rumours which thechairperson of the ANCProvincial Task TeamSello Lediga denied,saying that no suchdecision has been made.Ledwaba added that themayor was occupyingsomeone else’s chair,persevering even when it is hot becausehe knows that the actual owner cancome back at any time.Maeko replaced the former mayor

Johanna Mojela, who was ousted in2012. He denied the allegations ofmisconduct in the awarding of municipaltenders and mobilising young people toprotest against those who fight with himin return of employment in themunicipality. The mayor was alsoaccused of also mobilising workers ofthe Medupi Power Station to embark inunprotected strikes.In his response to The BEAT’s

questions, mayor Maeko said that hedoes not have a problem with Ledwaba.“Anyone who has accusation about

me, the municipal manager or anyleader or member of the municipalitymust follow the correct procedures andproduce concrete evidence. I do notknow of any corrupt activities within themunicipality and urge Ledwaba to bringproof of that to the fore,” he said.Ledwaba told the radio station that the

mayor solicits donations from Medupicontractors and when they refuse, the

Lephalale Mayor deniesallegations of conflict

The accused leaders of Lephalale, Mayor Jack Maeko and municipal manager BobNaidoo denied allegations of corruption. Photo supplied

mayor convinces the companies’employees to engage in protestsagainst their employers.The mayor said that Ledwaba pretends

to be clean, whereas he has manyskeletons in his closet. He said that theaccuser left the ANC and contested theparty for councillor positionindependently in Mogalakwena, wherehe originates from. Also that he was aregional NAFCOC (National FederatedChamber of Commerce) chairperson inthe Waterberg District and he neversubmitted any financial statements tothe board members ever since but ranaway with their checkbook and moved toLephalale.Maeko further said that Ledwaba

formed a black business forum after hehad relocated to Lephalale, which heserves as chairperson. Ledwaba

allegedly mobilized thecommunity at large tohelp the forum get a R4.8million tender at Medupi,whereby he promisedthem shares according totheir structural belongingand the shares areregistered in his name.He is allegedly pocketingthe dividends. Apparently,he is also pocketing R70000 a month from theLephalale Site Service(LSS) company with hisself-appointedchairpersonship and R90000 for serving aspresident at the Moon

Clouds company, totalling at R160 000 amonth. The LSS was apparentlyestablished in January this year and gota R1 million performance bonus, and heallegedly received 30% of the money.He also established a shareholding

company called Diatla FinancialServices, and allegedly claims to sellshares and appointed himself as anexecutive Chairperson.Maeko told the media that Ledwaba

appointed a security company and getsfour bodyguards on duty daily to protecthim as his life is allegedly under threat.Maeko said that he has nothing to gain

from disrupting companies’ operationsand conducting any corrupt activities asalleged. He added that there were manyother benefits that Ledwaba was gettingunfairly and that the public would knowabout very soon.The BEAT’s attempts to get comment

from Ledwaba failed, but readers arepromised a follow up soon.

“I do not know

of any corruptactivities within

themunicipality

and urgeLedwaba to

bring proof ofthat to the

fore,...

BEAT Page [email protected], Website: thebeat.linmedia.co.za 13 September, 2013

TK Mashaba

Bela Bela was pumping this weekend, asan influx of tourists came to celebratespring on the 6 and 7 September. In ForeverResorts, people came from as far as CapeTown and Durban, and the other lodgesalso reported excellent numbers.Lehlabile Park, however, was the site of

an enormous impromptu celebration, withhundreds of people flooding the park. Carswere reported in the restricted parkingareas as well.Bela Bela Municipality is aware that this

is the time where visitors like to come tothe town to enjoy a relaxing time withfriends, but are concerned about safety.“We are aware of the multitudes of visitors

coming to our town, especially in springand summer and this latest influx has beenmore to the point where we have to take

Park in Bela Belaflooded by celebrators

The number of people who came to Bela Bela’s Lehlabile Park. More arrivedafter sunset. Photo: TK Mashaba

measures,” said Mabes Mothapo of theBela Bela Parks and Recreational Board.“We will be engaging with business

sectors and other stakeholder that webelieve they can make a difference inchanneling a good parking lot for all thecars who are coming to the park,” he said.Matome Sebelebele, municipal spokesper-

son, also added that they are aware andcautioned about the influx of people visitingthe town with cars and parking inside thepark.“We are planning to enclose the park, it

must have a gate of access and control,”said Sebelebele.He added that the renovation “will benefit a

lot of people as we are looking to employsecurity personnel at the parking lot espe-cially on weekends when we knew we areexpecting an influx of this magnitude.”

Local poet taking it to the next level

Mapitso Nkomo behind the microphoneduring her session at BlagFaith studios.Photo: TK Mashaba

TK Mashaba

Local poet Mapitso Nkomo is readyto take her work to the next level.She is working on an as-yet-unannounced project with LesegoMaponya, AKA Heurex Deep.The BEAT met up with Nkomo at

a local studio where she wasworking on her next project with

two of Bela Bela’s local producers.“It all started when I was about 12.

They asked me to do a poem on averse and I fell in love with poetry,” shesaid. “It has now grown in me and I lovethe fact that it gives me the freedom toplay with words.”Nkomo added that she has always

loved music and that her currentproject involves music and singing. “It’sa dream come true for me,” she said.“It comes from anything I can think of,

anything I can see that will makesense,” she said when asked whereshe got her inspiration from.“Her voice is soulful and one of the

rare voices,” said Heurex Deep, one ofher current colleagues.

It is time to vaccinate your pets against rabies free of charge Justin Steyn

The community of Bela Bela will soon begiven the opportunity to vaccinate their petsagainst rabies. This will be done onWednesday 18 September at the Bela-Belamunicipality between 06:00 am and 18:00pm and is free of charge.Statistics show that Rabies causes about

55,000 human deaths annually worldwide.95% of human deaths due to rabies occur inAsia and Africa and roughly 97% of human

rabies cases result from dog bites.The following methods can help reduce the

risk of contracting rabies:Vaccinating dogs, cats, rabbits, and ferrets

against rabiesKeeping pets under supervisionNot handling wild animals or straysContacting an animal control officer upon

observing a wild animal or a stray, especiallyif the animal is acting strangely.Symptoms of rabies include severe

headaches and aggressive behaviour.

Two incidents of rabies were reported in theWaterberg and Capricorn districts last year.The provincial department of health

spokesperson, Joe Maila, said that therewas no need for panic as the disease wasnot confirmed to be widely spread and itwas suspected that the virus was mostlikely passed on by infected cattle in theGillemburg area outside Mokopane.“There are only two confirmed cases, so

it’s not widespread and the infected peopleare in hospital. They are responding well to

treatment.” he said.Following the confirmation of the cases, an

intensive investigation by officials from theDepartment of Agriculture and the Depart-ment of Health and Social Developmentstarted, and susceptible livestock in thearea were vaccinated by officials and ownersCases in dogs were also noted in Lepelle-

Nkumpi and Aganang and vaccinations wereadministered.

BBUWA and Light of Africa unite‘Pregnant girls as young as fourteen years old have been seen

in my community and we would really appeal to both young boysand girls to rather spend their free time at our centre, wherethey will be introduced to healthy and uplifting activities, in-

stead of visiting local taverns’...

Rebecca Magobosha (right) with two students of Hoërskool Warmbad at arecent outreach. Photo: Supplied

support from the community especiallystudents from Hoërskool Warmbadwho help them on a regular basis withtheir projects.Magobosha shared her experiences

some of her experiences in BBUWAregarding teen age girls who resort tosubstance and alcohol abuse in theirfree time. She added that she wasalarmed to note the increasing amountof teen pregnancies in her community.“Pregnant girls as young as fourteen

years old have been seen in mycommunity and we would really appealto both young boys and girls to ratherspend their free time at our centre,where they will be introduced tohealthy and uplifting activities, insteadof visiting local taverns” she saidRamalekana said that although Light

of Africa and BBUWA has merged theirorganization’s names will remain thesame. He added that local supermar-ket, Spar, has played a large role inassisting them with their endeavours.“We have received tremendous

donations from Spar who is currentlyhelping provide food to the old agehomes that we assist and they haveeven opened up a storage facility for uswhere anyone can place donations” hesaid.Both organizations are eager to

partner with local businesses andthose who would like to contribute maycontact Magobosha on 083 532 7554.

Justin Steyn

The Bela-Bela United Women’sAssociation has recently teamed upwith Light of Africa.Project manager for Light of Africa,

Josias Ramalekana, told The BEATthat the decision in partnering withBBUWA was to strengthen communityoutreach in Bela-Bela.Ramalekana told The BEAT that the

alliance between the non-profit organi-zations has made it possible to reachout to more than just those who theyinitially aimed to reach out to.“BBUWA and Light of Africa have

come together in a way to help othersin different situations and we are nolonger only reaching out to one genderor situation” he said.Co-founder of BBUWA, Rebecca

Magobosha, said that they will beworking from the same facility, locatedin Extension 1 of the Bela-Bela Town-ship, which is currently being reno-vated but should be completed by earlyOctober.“We are currently busy renovating the

facility where we will be working from inearly October where we can conductour operations in a more versatile way”she said.Ramalekana explained that their

current primary focus is in assistingthe elderly in providing them with foodand shelter as well as providing theyouth with facilities in which they caninteract with one another withoutresorting to criminal activities.He said that they have also received


TK Mashaba

Mookgophong team Siwelele FC, winnersof the Local Football Association champion-ship in the 2012/2013 season, werepromoted to the SAB League at the end ofthe season.The boys won 10 of the 14 games they

played that season, drawing three and onlylosing one and ending with 33 points whilethe number two team, Tigers, stood at 30.The BEAT visited the team during their off

season training session and had a briefchat with the team coach, Samuel Tlou.“We are glad to have made the SAB

League,” Tlou said. “We know it is notgoing to be easy but we are ready foranything.”Tlou said that his team has added five new

players ahead of the season — twodefenders, two mid-fielders and a striker —in the hope that they will reinforce the team

Siwelele FC ready forthe big time

Siwelele FC of Mookgophong have been promoted to the SAB League. Photo: TKMashaba

in the tougher arena of the SAB League. Headded that most of his team is still underthe age of 21 and that that is how he isplanning to groom the squad — SABLeague teams are limited to five playersover 21.Tlou put his teams’ success down to self-

discipline, which allowed them to passthrough all the trials and tribulations of theseason with flying colours.“I taught my players that every time they

play soccer they must concentrate on thegame and forget about the referee’s deci-sions,” he said.Team member Tebogo Koka said that he

was happy that his team has been pro-moted to the SAB League because it was adream come true for all of them.Siwelele will be the third Mookgophong

team to play in the SAB League, the othersbeing Mookgophong All Stars and RealMadrid.

District School Games cancelled at thelast minute

Circuit Committee member MikeLetlalo. Photo: TK Mashaba

so last-minute, in fact, that severalschools apparently arrived in BelaBela prepared to play.Mike Letlalo of the Circuit Committee

expressed his disappointment in theorganization of the event. He said thatwhen he arrived at the community hallwhere the games’ official openingceremony was to be held, he foundthat none of the organizers had yetarrived.The Waterberg District’s Pat Malete

said that the event was organized bythe Department of Sports, Arts andCulture. According to the informationhe had received from the district’ssports official, the event was can-celled on Thursday because theDepartment apparently did not receivepresentations from all the participatingschools.Malete said that he did not know

when the games would be resuming.

TK Mashaba

The Waterberg District school gameswhich had been scheduled for the30th of August were cancelled at thevery last minute. The cancellation was

Waterberg delivers subpar performanceat provincial Golden Games

Some of the ladies playing pass the ball. Photo: TK Mashaba

The two-day games saw the fivemunicipalities nearly filling up BelaBela’s Elephant Springs Hotel andPendleberry, as well as Modimolle’sSan Rock accommodation.“These games are a way of promot-

ing a healthy lifestyle among olderpeople, and in a way it also buildsfriendship between district municipali-ties,” said Simon Musundwa duringthe opening ceremonies on Wednes-day.“We are glad that we can still help

make a difference in these people’slives, the games played a big role intheir lives,” he said.The games are held annually at

rotating locations. The district that willplay host next year has not beenannounced.

TK Mashaba

The much-anticipated annual Provin-cial Golden Games were hosted bythe Waterberg district at Bela Bela’sSunfa Stadium on Wednesday 4 andThursday 5 September. The hostingdistrict turned in a distinctly lacklus-tre performance, however, coming inlast place.Vhembe came in first place with 240

points and Capricorn was second with226, while Mopani and Sekhukhune,with 206 and 197 respectively, helddown third and fourth. Waterberg tookthe fifth and final place with only 156points.Among the sports played on the day

were jukskei, ring the stick, soccerand rugby throw ball.

Sports fans lost a hero

TK Mashaba

Bela Bela residents are still in shockafter the unexpected passing of ElliotBanda, local athlete on Saturday, 7September. The sad news broke afterBanda, who had spent the day withfriends at a local park, lost conscious-ness and started vomiting during thenight. He was pronounced dead when

Elliot Banda, who passed away on Satur-day 7 September. Photo: Supplied.

the ambulance arrived. According tosources, Bela Bela police haveopened an inquest.“We’ve lost a jack of all trades,” said

Thabo Molokomme, who had knownBanda since their school days. “Heplayed soccer, volleyball, softball andalso volunteered in the Bela BelaSports council Mandela hub from 2007until his death,” he added, describingBanda’s death as a loss to the entirecommunity of Bela Bela.“We are very sad that he is gone but

his memory will always stay with us,”said Pat Seema, SAFA Seconddivision manager. He added that it wasa sad loss for sports in the Waterbergbecause Elliot was always hands-on.Mary Senosha, who was also part of

the Bela Bela sports Council, de-scribed Banda as being like a brotherto her.“My children have lost an uncle,” she

said.Levy Thantsha of the Kamplits

volleyball team described him as astalwart friend who could always berelied upon.“I lost my dear friend and brother and

also a great motivator,” he said.

“We’ve lost a jack of all trades,”

The Beat 13 September 2013

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Transcript of The Beat 13 September 2013