Our newspapers are read by more than 150 000 people weekly Health ‘swamped in corruption activities’ - p5 Be our next bridal Established 1889 competition winner 13 Martin Street; Galleria Arcade; Shop no 1 & 2 E-mail: mailbag@mafi kengmail.co.za GPS Co-ordinates: 25” 51’ 49,42 S • 25” 35’ 40,52 E Stand a chance to be our next lucky winner of the Wedding Photo compe� � on - like last year’s winners, Samantha and Edward Kane. Simply fi ll in the entry form in this edi� on. Par� cipants stand a chance of walking away with the prize money of R10 000. 5 JUNE 2020 Tel: 018 381 1330/ 381 2884 Fax: 018 381 0425 Transport company rescued? - p3 R4-00 VAT INCL PAGE 2 MAHIKENG MAIL 5 JUNE 2020 Servants of yester- KDT year to the rescue organization reliefs local schools A local non-profit organisation donated over 300 masks and sanitizers to the grade 7 learners from five villages, namely Tau, Taolelo, Mantsa, Seshupo and Lelokwane Primary Schools last week Thursday. According to the Principals present, there was no way they were prepared to have the classes starting on June 1 2020, without masks for the learners. KDT Projects really helped us and we are grateful for the donation”, said Mekoa, principal of Makgaba Primary. Rotarus staff protest against “Servants of yester-year” who include wives of former leaders, Tumi “racism”, non-payment Molefe-Plaatjie and Thandi Africa (pictured Rotarus Old Age Home here with Abinyana staff members embarked Moroka in the middle) on a protest action on have taken an initiative Monday complaining about of fighting hunger in non-payment of salaries, several villages in the mistreatment and racism North West by donating from their employer. The prepared meals and Department of Social food parcels to the less Development was called privileged. They started to intervene to address their project in Mathateng the concerns of workers. and Moletsamongwe Meanwhile the department Villages outside Mahikeng has assured the workers recently and where that their concerns would happily received by be resolved after they had the local Kgosi and met the old age home his community. They management to address will proceed with their the matter. Management mission in Setlagole and was seen taking over daily Madibogo Villages from duties by preparing meals June 13 and have asked as workers continued with for donations from other their action. sponsors. &DVK$GYDQFH :KLOHZDLWLQJIRU 9 3HQVLRQ3DFNDJH 9 3URYLGHQWIXQG 9 5RDG$FFLGHQW)XQG 9 3UR¿WIURP6DOHRI+RXVH 2IÀFHQR_&DUULQJWRQ 6WUHHW_0DÀNHQJ &HOO 5 JUNE 2020 MAHIKENG MAIL PAGE 3 Transport company rescued, MEC Sambatha meets mine but workers receive no salaries bosses on coronavirus MAHIKENG MAIL-MAHIKENG: Hundreds of North West Transport Investment (NTI) employees have missed out on their monthly payments due to lack of operations of buses MAHIKENG MAIL-MAHIKENG: North West Health MEC Madoda Sambatha since the beginning of the lockdown introduced to fight the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic which has promised to take action against mining companies that flout workplace prevented the company from generating revenue. compliance in line with lockdown regulations. Government has amended the The entity was recently rescued from representatives and staff continuously to ensure Disaster Management Regulations governing the COVID-19 lockdown on certain liquidators by the North West government trust is rebuilt. These engagements must be industries, including mining. who availed a total of R350 million after the prioritized but within the confines of Lockdown To this effect, the Regulations have over 40000 employees was handling Gauteng provincial administration failed to guidelines”. NTI management committed to been amended to include a number of COVID-19 cases.Mine hospital clinical pay the company its monthly subsidies which pay penalties for workers whose debit orders industries as essential trade. Through this manager Dr Irene Mampa gave the MEC negatively affected the lives of employees were returned unpaid by the banks. “Working amendment, certain sectors have returned a guided tour of the hospital and the who were hoping to be relieved during the together by both management and worker to operation under strictly controlled quarantine site. “Our general surrounding COVID-19 crisis. MEC for Community Safety representatives will enable NTI to go back conditions. MEC Sambatha visited mines visits in areas where they are doing the and Transport Management, Sello Lehari met to its former glory,” said MEC Lehari. The in the Province to monitor workplace work, to us they seem compliant,” he the NIT management to probe the non-payment delegation from the Office of the MEC will meet compliance. A number of mine workers said. Dr. Mampa told him that miners who of the May salaries when the company was NTI management and worker representatives have tested positive COVID-19 in the have tested for COVID are directed to the providing transportation service in the Gauteng on Friday (tomorrow) on other matters affecting Province with Rustenburg and the City hospital and they will be quarantined for province. “It’s regrettable that workers have the entity’s operation. One of the Shop stewards of Matlosana being the hardest hit. By about three days while they await their not been paid. But we want to assure that they who spoke in confidence of unanimity said the Tuesday Sibanye Stillwater in Rustenburg results. will be paid on the 10th of June 2020. There’s a concerning issue was failure by the management had confirmed 57 cases and 18 at possibility that it may be earlier as we are hoping and government to pick up the company had Harmony in Klerksdorp. for liquidity in the NTI coffers soon,” said MEC no salaries when on May 14 they announced The increase in confirmed COVID-19 Lehari. Administrator of NTI management, how they rescued the company from liquidators cases in mines is a concern to us, Mathabatha Mokonyama said he was optimistic and how they were going to strengthen internal Sambatha said “The mines have become about the NTI future in spite of current controls, inculcate prudent financial management hotspots for coronavirus in the Province challenges. “Despite the challenges the entity and establish a good governance structure. The and more effort is needed to curb the is facing, this is not the end of NTI but we are source further said Covid-19 “was an excuse disease from spreading to mining not out of the woods yet”. Lehari assured both as government knew about the existence of the communities. Miners should be screened management and staff that the Department’s pandemic hence they availed relief funds for before they could start work and those support for the entity remained unflinching. companies to apply in order to avoid situations who come from hotspot provinces like “Management henceforth must meet worker like this”. Western Cape, Gauteng and the Eastern Cape should be screened and tested before they could start work,” he said during one North West Health MEC Madoda UIF makes good progress in of his engagements with mine bosses. Sambatha. He added that processing lockdown payments miners and their MAFIKENG MAIL – MAHIKENG: As the Minister of Employment and Labour, contacts should Thulas Nxesi promised last week, the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) had made be isolated at good progress on its promise to earnestly start capturing and processing May COVID-19 a quarantined relief benefits applications. site approved By last Friday, a total of R1-billion had soon as possible. Payments this time around by Government. already been processed for payment for should be a lot quicker as the UIF already has Mines that 252 378 workers represented by 26 648 the details for most of the claimants. were lacking employers. At the same time, the Fund The new enhanced system which kicked behind in terms also processed and paid R 331 530 550.90 into gear last week will make it easy of compliance for 79 507 workers represented by 13 503 to resubmit because in cases where the and case employers which is part of the outstanding information has not changed, the claim will management payments for April. “As we indicated when be processed immediately on confirmation by were ordered we addressed the country last Friday, we the employer. But if information has changed, to work with are committed to ensuring that to the extent employers will still be required to capture district health possible, the department through the UIF employee’ details directly on the system or chief directors plays its role in shielding workers from the attach the CSV file. Various documents must to ensure worst effects of the pandemic. “We are doing accompany applications the May submission compliance. this by providing cash payments to workers to be successful. “I have been assured that However, who may have found themselves in the lurch we would realise significant improvements in MEC Sambatha as a result of lockdown. The payments have terms of payment turnaround time from claim was particularly been significant in saving at least 3-million submission. Already, with all the information impressed by workers from poverty”, said Minister Nxesi. supplied, the UIF was able to pay some claim how Impala The Minister also added that the UIF was in 24 hours at best or 48 at worst which is far Platinum mine also working around the clock to ensure that more from when we started around April 16 “, which has the outstanding payments are processed as said Minister Nxesi. PAGE 4 MAHIKENG MAIL 5 JUNE 2020 Dear Fellow South Africans Monday was the International Day for Parents want reassurance that the necessary return to school, we parents should continue to entrusted us with the welfare and safety of your Protection of Children, which is commemorated precautions should be in place to adequately protect play a more active role in the education of our children.