NorthNorth West W estOffice Provincial Provincial Government Government @NWPGOV North West Office of the Premier www.nwpg.gov.za Premier Mokgoro concerned about the rising Covid 19 infections in the North West Brian Setswambung, Tebogo Lekgethwane and Kebalepile Khula remier Tebogo Job Mokgoro has expressed concern about the rising PCovid 19 infections both in the North West and in the entire country. Mokgoro calls on citizens to take care of themselves and observe all the Covid 19 protocols. " People cannot afford to relax their adherence to Covid 19 protocols. We have to be vigilant at all times and make sure that we minimise movement and follow all the Covid 19 protocols" Remarked Mokgoro. With the North West Province having been declared to have crossed the threshold that determine whether we are in the 3rd Wave or not, it is alarming that the citizens of the Province still go on with business as usual. These were the words of the MEC for North West Health, Madoda Sambatha as he emphasised the message of Premier Mokgoro. Sambatha raised concerns over the increase in daily Covid-19 positive cases across the province. The North West province has been experiencing the spike in Covid-19 cases since the last week of May and the numbers have continued to rise leading to winter month of June. North West Premier - Prof Tebogo Job Mokgoro The daily cases were raging between 100 and 200 in the months of March and April and progressed an average of 300 hit by the recent resurgence of positive preventative measures to curb the spread normality. We see this in how shopping cases reported daily towards the end of cases. of infections, we therefore urge our complexes, taxi ranks, and domestic April leading to end of May. These recent developments do not communities to assist us to protect our activities like funerals get over crowded. In the first week of June, the province augur well for the provincial health system. fragile system and loved ones by adhering This is likely to add to more increase in the recorded on average around 400 cases "The Klerksdorp/Tshepong hospital to preventative measures", added number of new cases”, warned MEC daily. The past two weeks however saw sounded an alarm early on with an Sambatha. Sambatha. Over and above avoiding the average daily cases increase to increasing number of hospitalisation for Members of the public are also warned congregate setting, members of the public between 500 and 700. On the 23rd June, Coronavirus cases in the district. This of the third wave which accounts to the rise are urged to avoid unnecessary travel, to the number of daily new cases went above raises a grave concern for the provincial in new daily cases. “It would seem our always wear masks when in public, to the 1000 mark. The Bojanala and Dr health system as it points out to a potential people have let their guts down. People ensure social distancing and regularly Kenneth Kaunda districts have been hard- crisis if our communities do not take are beginning to live as if we are back to washing of hands or sanitising. LET’S GROW NORTH WEST TOGETHER PROVINCIAL BATHO PELE CALL CENTRE 0800 111 700 NORTH WEST PROVINCIAL NEWSPAPER JUNE 2021 EDITION 2 Tragedy stirkes as 20 bodies of illegal miners are discovered Premier arriving at Tshepong hospital to accompany Lesotho families to identify their Lesotho Consul General addressing the media briefing. deceased loved ones. Thebeetsiele Keameditse Prof Tebogo Job Mokgoro before both to work with the North West Provincial It's heartbreaking" remarked Majola. Pics by: Otukile Mosimanegape accompanying families of the deceased Government to tackle and defeat the Premier Mokgoro believes the illegal mine workers, to identify their illegal mining activities. c o m m i t m e n t f r o m t h e L e s o t h o bodies in Tshepong Hospital Mortuary in "The issue of illegal mining is quite Government will assist the current Klerksdorp. historical. It has been years since we have integrated approach in fighting the wenty dead bodies of the illegal Consul General Thabane has been trying to outroot this issue but we complex illegal gold mining operation. miners, who are also known as confirmed that indeed some of the bodies seem to be facing challenges. We spoke "The enormity of the task is such that it TZama Zamas, were discovered near discovered were successfully identified as to the Director General of Foreign Affairs needs a multi-layered approach. Lawrence Park's mine ventilation shaft those of the Lesotho nationals. and the Government of Lesotho. It is a matter that is very much alive on and near a public road in Orkney. "What happened here is quite We are willing to sit down and engage our agenda. We are dealing with a They were wrapped in sacks and also unfortunate. We have already identified with the South African Government. We massive international challenge but we had tags with either their names and some of the bodies and they are those of will get to the bottom of the problem and are committed to the challenge. contact details or their physical bona fide citizens of the Mountain find an amicable solution" said Thabane. As responsible leaders we must not be addresses. Most of the deceased were Kingdom. Through the assistance of the Msayinisi Majola is a cousin to one of too quick to blame, we should rather from Lesotho. police we received a list of 15 deceased the deceased mine workers who was intensify our effort to understand the The Lesotho government has persons but we managed to identify only identified. He had little to say about the problem at hand and be able to break its committed to working with the North West 10 as citizens of Lesotho'' said Thabane. incident. "The family is deeply saddened back. We are looking forward to our Provincial Government to tackle and The illegal mining operation in the gold by what happened. d i s c u s s i o n s w i t h t h e L e s o t h o finding an amicable solution to the illegal sector, which is connected to the It is my cousin who died and he was still Government" said Premier Mokgoro. mining activities in the Matlosana Local international syndicates, is said to be very young. It was his first time working as The Lesotho Government will Municipality. costing the South African economy about an illegal miner. He came here in South transport the bodies of the deceased to The commitment was made by the 14 billion rand annually. Africa on the 8th of May 2021 and he didn't Lesotho. No mass burial will be held and Lesotho Consul General, Selimo Thabane Consul General Thabane said the even know the place very well. No one in each family will independently bury their who met with North West Premier. Lesotho Government is more than willing the family knew that he went to the mines. own. NORTH WEST PROVINCIAL NEWSPAPER JUNE 2021 EDITION 3 Young people urged to register NPO and get funding Premier Mokgoro during the meeting with National Lotteries Commission. NLC - Commissioner Charlotte Mampane explaining the importance of their visit. Thebeetsile Keameditse in a drive to encourage young people and registrations" concluded Commissioner in the coming days we will engage the Pics by: Otukile Mosimanegape women to group themselves and register Mampane. embassy of America to ensure that we their organisations. P r e m i e r M o k g o r o s a i d t h e empower our young people. "The importance of this drive is to also engagement with NLC is very much Sectors that are funded by NLC oung people in the North West deal with the high unemployment rate. encouraging as the provincial government include Arts and Culture; Charities; Sports Province are urged to register the Young people can do vegetable gardens is hard at work doing everything to ensure and Recreation as well as miscellaneous. YNo Profit Organisations (NPO) or and sell veggies, breed sheep and sell that lots of young people, who constitute Non-profit entities working for the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) fresh meat, or do waste recycling project majority of citizens of the province, are public good are eligible for funding from and to come up with proposals for youth and ensure cleanliness of their towns. We empowered. the National Lotteries Commission. This projects and get funding from the National have a problem of drug addiction in our "We are going to encourage young covers a wide range of organisations Lotteries Commission. communities. Unemployed graduates with people to do proposals on Arts, Sports and including: Non-profit organisations T h i s p l e a w a s m a d e b y t h e social work and psychology qualifications Culture and other things that they can do (NPOs), Non-governmental organisations Commissioner of National Lotteries can apply to be funded for rehabilitation so that they can benefit from the National (NGOs), Section 21 companies, Public Commission (NLC) – Charlotte Mampane project. There are a lot of unoccupied Lotteries Fund and beat unemployment. benefit trusts, Sporting bodies and sports who engaged the Premier of the North buildings that can be used for this project. Unemployment has affected a lot of young c l u b s , E d u c a t i o n a l i n s t i t u t i o n s , West Province, Prof.