Caption: Pockets of marijuana that was found today at the Lowveld High School premises today after an unannounced raid was conducted on the school. The raid was conducted in conjunction with the department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Education and SAPS. Schools should be drug-free zones- Sibuyi By staff reporter In order for effective learning and teaching to take place in schools, parents must assist government to make schools drug-free zones; this is according to Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison Head of Department Thulani Sibuyi. Sibuyi was speaking after a raid that was conducted at Lowveld High School in Nelspruit 19 July 2013. The raid, which was part of the ongoing Mandela Month activities led to the discovery of pockets of marijuana in school premises. The raid was conducted in collaboration with the department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Education and SAPS. “It is disturbing to find such in school premises as it affects the quality of learning and teaching in schools. Parents and government spend a considerable amount of money towards ensuring that qualitative education is provided and it would be painful to such efforts are being compromised due to disruptive elements that bring drugs to schools.” Thulani Sibuyi said. He added that parents also need to take charge and play meaningful role in their children’s education and not leave schooling matters entirely to the government. According to Sibuyi schools do not exist in isolation but exist in communities and therefore availability of drugs and other social ills are a reflection of the society within which schools exist. Therefore, the HOD said, all role-players need to come on board and assist government to combat substance abuse in schools. He said the initiative that the department took today should be intensified in order to eradicate drugs in schools. He has also called on the learners to take their education seriously as part of celebrating Dr. Mandela’s legacy. He said Mandela had always wanted education to be highly prioritized and he would be sad to see some of the learners compromising it for the sake of drugs. Sibuyi said more schools will be visited in the current financial year as this is part of the overall school safety programme of the Mpumalanga Government.

Premier Mabuza urges Delmas community to respect their water

Premier Mabuza urges Delmas community to respect their water By BRIAN KAJENGO Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza has urged the Victor Khanye Local Municipality citizens to be grateful and respect their water. Premier Mabuza was speaking in Delmas yesterday [Tuesday, 16 July 2013] at an official unveiling of a multi-million Rand Blomendal Bulk Water System by Water Affairs and Environment Minister Edna Molewa. Mabuza said the citizens in that municipality were “blessed and lucky” that after a very long time of scarcity of clean drinking water, finally the Blomendal project by the national department was completed and communities benefited. Areas in and around Delmas, in 1993 and in 2005 experienced waterborne diseases because the water was contaminated. Communities mostly depended on water supplied by trucks and that which came from the boreholes. “You are blessed and lucky here. In some areas wherever I go, people still do not have water. You now have a responsibility to respect this water in order for the next generations to live on it. “This is the moment of joy for the people of our province, we are minus one problem, and indeed one municipality is out of the problem. Water problems and waterborne diseases is surely the thing of the past for the people in this municipality,” said Mabuza. He warned the citizens about the bad tendency of destroying public property whenever they were dissatisfied about government that it was delaying their own development. He encouraged them not to destroy public property whenever they were disgruntled but should solve problems by negotiating. He said destroying of property “delayed freedom” as development was at standstill. People attending the ceremony at a community hall in Botleng Township publicly declared to both the Premier and the Minister that they would no longer destroy property. This follows a recent attack on a local waste water treatment plant destroyed by angry citizens. He added that there was a need to educate citizens that water was a basic need and they needed to respect it by conserving it. He said no development could fully satisfy people if they did not have access to water. “I am satisfied with the partnership we have with the minister and municipalities. We have worked in a focused way in delivering water. What is left for us as the provincial government is to resettle the people in areas where we have provided water. “It is still disturbing though that we still have many shacks mushrooming in Delmas and that there is no sanitation. While government is attending to these problems, we have to pause for a moment and celebrate today’s achievement by the government of the people. “As citizens of Mpumalanga, we are not taking this achievement for granted, water did not just come on its own, it was a collective effort by various spheres of government to respond to the needs of its citizens. We recognition the good work by our government and today we are saying ‘bye-bye’ typhoid,” said Mabuza. Meanwhile Minister Molewa said the bulk water project was part of the government’s drive to bring services to the people. She said Delmas was particularly critical as it had in the past experienced serious water challenges some of which resulted in the break-out of water-borne diseases. “Water problems are the thing of the past for Delmas people. This water could last the people here up to the year 2030 if people conserve it well by dealing with the leaks, there could be no repeat of what happened in the past” Minister Molewa. The R171 million project supplies 25 megalitres a day and is believed to be sufficient to meet water demand in the service area up to the year 2026. At least 65 percent of the population within the municipality has access to potable water on their stands.

The number of rhino poached increases in Kruger National Park

The number of rhino poached increases in Kruger National Park Brian Kajengo At least 488 rhino poached since the beginning of this year and 142 alleged poachers arrested in South Africa. The Kruger National Park has borne the brunt of rhino poaching since the start of 2013. About 300 rhino poached in the Park since January 1. A total of 53 rhino poached in North West, 52 in Limpopo, 43 in KwaZulu-Natal, 35 in Mpumalanga, three in Gauteng and two in the Eastern Cape. Of the 142 alleged poachers arrested, 62 caught in the Kruger National Park and 30 in KwaZulu-Natal. A total of 27 suspected poachers arrested in Limpopo, 11 in North West province, nine in Mpumalanga and three in Gauteng. Five people charged with being couriers. South Africans are urged to report incidents of poaching and tip-offs to the anonymous tip-off lines 0800 205 005, 08600 10111 or Crime-Line on 32211.

Thubelihle residents decry poor service delivery

Thubelihle residents decry poor service delivery By BRIAN KAJENGO The community of Thubelihle Township, outside Kriel, in Mpumalanga, on Tuesday demanded that their town removed from the jurisdiction of Emalahleni Local Municipality, accusing municipal authorities of not taking them seriously. Kriel is a small town situated about 45 kilometers south of Emalahleni (Witbank), in the province’s Nkangala district. Emalahleni placed under administration nearly three months ago, with Mr Theo van Vuuren appointed administrator. Speaking during Public Protector Adv. Thuli Madonsela’s National Stakeholder Dialogue and Public Hearing on health and the eradication of poverty, several members of the community called for Kriel to stand on its own as a new municipality, independent of Emalahleni. They told Public Protector Adv. Thuli Madonsela that, under Emalahleni, the delivery of services to Kriel had deteriorated despite repeated complaints to and promises from the office of Executive Mayor, Salome Sithole. Other issues rose during the dialogue included sewerage problems, poor road infrastructure, insufficient street lighting, which created an opportunity for criminal activities and drug abuse and unacceptable delays in the provision of low cost housing. The community also complained about police services that are allegedly centralised in Emalahleni, the unavailability of a local South African Social Security Agency pay-point, inaccessibility of agricultural land for subsistence farming, provision of electricity for new households and mining companies that allegedly failed to development the community that surrounds the mines. One woman complained that a neighbouring family forced to flee its home after a sewage pipe-burst left the house flooded with excrement. She told the Public Protector that the municipality had failed to help the family despite several requests to intervene. On health matters, locals raised concerns about insufficient medical supplies, alleged discontinuation of a mobile clinic facility that used to service farming communities, short operating hours for some healthcare facilities and ambulance services that are allegedly centralised in Emalahleni. An elderly woman complained that she told to bring her own bedding ahead of an admission to Impungwe hospital. She further alleged that a patient had disappeared without trace at the same hospital. The Public Protector and her team arrived unannounced at the local Community Healthcare centre, where visiting patients told her they were happy with the service they received from the facility. However, they decried the fact that the centre, which billed as a 24-hour service point when it opened its doors five months ago, only operated for 12 hours a day. The centre was also understaffed and had no pharmacist, the Public Protector heard. Responding to the complaints, Mayor Sithole told the Public Protector that she was aware of the issues raised as most of them had already emerged during the municipal imbizo. “The issue of street lighting and potholes, for example, are in our IDP [Integrated Development Plan],” she said. Mr Van Vuuren conceded that most of the issues should attend to earlier. “However, we did not have vehicles, equipment and there was no communication.” He committed to have the potholes and streetlights fixed within the current financial year while the sewage problems are attend to “within a day of two”. The community would also be able to access land for subsistence farming.” The Public Protector said her office would work with the provincial government and the municipality to look into all other allegations rose during the session. “We were pleased with the commitment to fix some of the urgent grievances.” Adv. Thuli Madonsela said. The dialogue and public hearing focuses on strengthening government’s ability to deliver on Millennium Development Goals, particularly those on ending poverty and on health. It proceeds to Nelspruit on Wednesday, July 17, where the Public Protector will interact with organized stakeholder groupings.

MPUMALANGA JOINS THE WORLD TO PRAY FOR MADIBA By BRIAN KAJENGO Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza and his provincial government have joined the whole country and the world in praying for the former president Nelson Mandela. Mpumalanga Provincial government paused for half-an-hour on Friday 28 June 2013 during the special local government summit in the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit to pray for Mr. Mandela. Islam and Christian religious leaders who attended the summit did prayers. Mabuza appropriates for the citizens of Mpumalanga to be involved on prayer activities scheduled and planned throughout the municipalities. “We are quite aware that the former president is an old man, but we believe he can still live with us. We still need him. It is a very difficult imagination to think that we can live without him. “On behalf of the provincial government, we extend our prayers to his family. We believe that his families know very well that people of Mpumalanga lover the former president. “We are with them in our prayers during this difficult time in their life. We think they are doing well in holding the pressure, we wish both the former president and his family well,” David Mabuza said. There is a serious of praying events planned by the provincial government throughout the province where various citizens gather together to pray for the former president.

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Cops always say you can run but you cannot hide. Five suspect who has roaming around freely after he escaped arrest. The allegations labeled against the suspect is that on 22 April 2009, the suspect and other seven accomplices gained entry throw the window to a house belongs to Mr. Andrei Maree (53) of Piet Retief. Eight suspects entered the Sulphersprings Farm in Mahamba near Piet Retief while the victim with his wife and two children.
The family was tied up with ropes and hit hit with a hammer.
Captain Lenard Hlathi said, “The suspect ransacked the house demanding cash and firearms. The suspects managed to rob two firearms and a whole number of electrical appliances including jewelries, Kruger Rands and BMW belongs to the family.
“They then loaded all the stolen items into the BMW and fled the scene. The vehicle was found abandoned aon the vicinity of Ermelo. Intensive investigations led to the arrest of Casper Dilokwaneng Masemola (30), Nthoane Makoba ()32 , Masilela Godwin Thoke (33), Magale Collen Marapane ()33 , All these suspects were arrested on June 2010 and they have already appeared several times before the Piet Retief Magistrate court”
Captain Hlathi told Daily Sun that all the suspects will remain in custody since they have been denied bail. Thoke and Malapne have serious cases of house robberies around Aliwal North and Pretoria respectively.
“Two suspects were still at large hence, one suspect was bust on Tuesday 14 December at hiding place in Tembisa, Gauteng. The other two are still at large but one on the possible suspects was shot wounded in a house house robbery in Pretoria.” Captain Hlathi said. “We know that somebody knows about the remaining suspect because he is part of the society. We are pleading with the people to come forward with the information which can lead us to arrest the remaining suspect.”

Anyone with information can contact Warrant Officer Chris Mokolo at 0824619487 or Captain Lanerd Hlathi at 082462 0804
Hazyview on Monday morning.
The decease4d’s brother Moses Masinga (56) said, “These people are very cruel if to say they wanted money, they would have taken the money if to say has any and leave him alive. This is unforgivable. We are expecting justice to take its course.”
Warrant Officer Donald Mabaso told Daily Sun that it’s lucky because there are branches of the trees on the river bank.
Provincial Spokesperson Captain Lenard Hlathi said, “Two suspects has been arrested and they appeared before court on Friday and their case has been to 20 December but one suspect called Thabang Dibakwane is still at large. Now police are investigating a murder case.”
Police are asking members of the public who can see Thabang to call Detective Officer Chris Mashego at 0760638427 or Captain Lenard Hlathi 082620804

bvunzamutupo@blogger.com

Cops always say you can run but you cannot hide. Five suspect who has roaming around freely after he escaped arrest. The allegations labeled against the suspect is that on 22 April 2009, the suspect and other seven accomplices gained entry throw the window to a house belongs to Mr. Andrei Maree (53) of Piet Retief. Eight suspects entered the Sulphersprings Farm in Mahamba near Piet Retief while the victim with his wife and two children.
The family was tied up with ropes and hit hit with a hammer.
Captain Lenard Hlathi said, “The suspect ransacked the house demanding cash and firearms. The suspects managed to rob two firearms and a whole number of electrical appliances including jewelries, Kruger Rands and BMW belongs to the family.
“They then loaded all the stolen items into the BMW and fled the scene. The vehicle was found abandoned aon the vicinity of Ermelo. Intensive investigations led to the arrest of Casper Dilokwaneng Masemola (30), Nthoane Makoba ()32 , Masilela Godwin Thoke (33), Magale Collen Marapane ()33 , All these suspects were arrested on June 2010 and they have already appeared several times before the Piet Retief Magistrate court”
Captain Hlathi told Daily Sun that all the suspects will remain in custody since they have been denied bail. Thoke and Malapne have serious cases of house robberies around Aliwal North and Pretoria respectively.
“Two suspects were still at large hence, one suspect was bust on Tuesday 14 December at hiding place in Tembisa, Gauteng. The other two are still at large but one on the possible suspects was shot wounded in a house house robbery in Pretoria.” Captain Hlathi said. “We know that somebody knows about the remaining suspect because he is part of the society. We are pleading with the people to come forward with the information which can lead us to arrest the remaining suspect.”

Anyone with information can contact Warrant Officer Chris Mokolo at 0824619487 or Captain Lanerd Hlathi at 082462 0804