On 19 October 2019 around 07:30 in the morning in Embalenhle, police were summoned by member of the community in ext. 11 to attend an assault complain of an African man aged between 21 and 30. The man was found deceased.
A murder case was opened by the Embalenhle Police. If anyone has any information please contact Embalenhle police at 017 685 2363 or Captain SS Mlotshwa: 082 970 5774.
To access the station, the community should call Secunda radio control (017) 6242242/3 for all emergencies and complaints which will be attended accordingly.
The telephone line at Leslie Police Station will not be accessible for the duration of the closure however service delivery will not be hampered.
The building will be decontaminated and services will resume normally at the Leslie police station on Monday, 2020-07-20.
The SAPS management in Mpumalanga apologises for any inconvenience that maybe arise from this. The Station Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Percy Matlala can also be contacted at 0824620981.
All communities serviced by the Evander Police Station, are advised that this police station will be temporarily closed due to one member who tested positive for the Covid-19 virus.
The Community Service Centre will now be operated at Evander Lapa Hall at Solly Zwane Street nearby the park.
To access the station, the community should call 071 281 9135 or Secunda radio control 017 624 2242/3 for all emergencies and complaints which will be attended to accordingly.
The telephone lines at Evander Police Station Community Service Centre will not be accessible for the duration of the closure. However, service delivery will not be hampered.
The building will be decontaminated and services will resume normally at the Evander station on Monday, 20 July 2020.
The SAPS management in Mpumalanga apologises for any inconvenience that may arise from this. The Station Commander Jennie Alberts can also be contacted on this number 082 370 0916.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation Mpumalanga is seeking the assistance of the public about the whereabouts of Vusi Mthembu (39) who is sought for a cash in transit robbery which was committed at Thulamahashe Bushbuckridge area in September 2017.
A group of suspects allegedly accosted a Fidelity cash van and managed to steal an undisclosed amount of money was stolen after they bombed the security vehicle. Mthembu was allegedly linked to the armed robbery through robust forensic investigations. His accomplices have been arrested and they are still in custody.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the suspect is urged to contact the investigating officer Sergeant Vusi Mpunzi on 071 481 3250 or contact the police Crime Stop number 0860010111 or use MySAPS App.
MySAPS App
The DPCI wishes to caution the public not to approach the suspect as he is considered highly dangerous. Information received will be treated with the strictest confidence
Die Radikale Redenaar is die breinbaba van Chantelle de Wet, ’n gepubliseerde skrywer en ’n bekende naam in die kring van redenaars. As onderwyseres het sy al hoe meer die nood gesien vir die ontwikkeling van sprekersvaardighede onder leerders en alhoewel daar reeds redenaarskompetisies was, het slegs enkele kinders die geleentheid gekry om hierby betrokke te raak. Aangesien Chantelle geweet het hoeveel tyd en moeite in ’n toespraak ingaan, het sy besluit om ’n redenaarsfees op die been te bring, al was dit slegs om leerders die geleentheid te gee om te kan praat.
Die Radikale Redenaarsfees (RRF) is vir die eerste keer in 2007 aangebied in Pretoria. In 2008 het die RRF uitgebrei na 4 provinsies en in 2009 is dit vir die eerste keer op Nasionale vlak aangebied. Tans is daar deelname in al 9 provinsies. Nuwe kategorieë het ontstaan op aanvraag en die Radikale Leesfees het ook bygedra tot meer leerderdeelname. In 2016 het Chantelle die leisels oorgegee aan Linda Henning en so groei die RRF van krag tot krag
Make a difference, donate at various SANBS donor centres across GMM
One of the most valuable lessons we have learned from this COVID-19 pandemic is that the gift of good health can be fleeting and we need to cherish it. For some, the remedies for good health may be complex and for others, they are as simple as receiving a transfusion of blood, plasma or platelets.
Times for Secunda Mall
This Mandela Day, as we mark the day celebrated the world over on the 18th of July, the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) encourages South Africans to choose a path similar to that of our former president – of active citizenship, nation-building and service to others. This year, the SANBS challenges you to take action and inspire change by committing to blood donation and encouraging family and friends to do the same. To make a difference, it takes less than 67 minutes of your time.
David Porter, who suffers from haemophilia, relies on generous blood donations to stay healthy. He is one of the people who are benefitting from your selfless acts. “I urge everyone, please don’t let COVID-19 stop you from donating blood. There are still people who need blood, including myself and I need it to lead a normal life,” David said.
Times for Bethal Donor Centre
Times for Secunda Donor Centre
Times for Secunda Mall
Times for Sasol Donor Centre
Times for Emba Mall
Various centres that are participating
Millions of people get to live lives full of possibility, with hope and happiness because of selfless blood donors. Blood donation is one of the easiest ways to practice active citizenship and change the lives of others. Moreover, it is something you can continue to do every 56 days. Let us continue to work together to ensure that life-giving blood gets to those who need it.
Lindy Wilson, MP and Democratic Alliance Deputy Shadow Minister of Health said that a Human Crises is looming in Bethal with the collapsing of the Bethal Hospital.
Lindy wrote: “The Democratic Alliance (DA) has written to the Director-General of the Department of Health (DoH), Sandile Buthelezi asking for urgent intervention and assurance that the situation at Bethal Hospital in Mpumalanga will be rectified immediately.” In a statement released yesterday.
Just months into the opening of this new multimillion “state of the art” hospital in Bethal, it has collapsed and there is a human rights crisis looming. At present, the Mpumalanga town is lucky to receive 7 hours of electricity a day. We are advised that this is due to the non-payment of electricity accounts to Eskom. The hospital has also been impacted by power cuts.
Lindy Wilson MP, DA Deputy Shadow Minister of Health
The constant fluctuation of the electricity supply has rendered the autoclaves and anaesthetic equipment in the hospital’s new theatres useless. The generator, which provides back up when these forced power cuts occur, is not functional and the hospital is unable to operate for most of each day. The ventilators and oxygen machines cannot operate, and lives are put at immediate risk. Surgeons cannot operate for fear of electricity going off and the kitchens are unable to provide meals.
At a time when the Covid-19 pandemic is surging, patients are being turned away from the hospital and referred to other hospitals in the district, who are also turning them away due to lack of capacity.
After more than 100 days of the lockdown, it is evident that the Mpumalanga DoH has failed to prepare the Mpumalanga health system.
The DA has submitted parliamentary questions to the Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkize. He must explain why he is misleading the public about the preparedness of health systems to deal with the current crisis.
Any loss of life in this hospital due to the appalling mismanagement by the provincial health department will be a human rights violation and will have severe consequences.
The DA is concerned about the department’s inability to manage, sustain and improve health facilities. It is more concerning that Minister Mkhize gives assurances that health systems have been improved across the country and are better equipped to deal with the pandemic that is sweeping across South Africa. This is clearly not true.
Furthermore, the DA has requested an investigation into the sorry state of affairs at the Govan Mbeki Municipality with regards to its Eskom debt. Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has much to answer to.
“The DA will not sit back while lives are being lost due to the gross mismanagement and incompetence of this ANC government,” Lindy said at the end of her Statement.
On the 19th December 2016, Cynthia Maseko wrote in Health-E News the following article:
About R569 million has been budgeted for a brand new state-of-the art hospital for the Bethal community, which falls under the Govan Mbeki municipal district in Mpumalanga.
The new high-tech facility, to be named Bethal Hospital, will replace the old structure which was officially opened in 1943. Construction is expected to take 35 months, with an estimated 300 jobs created during this phase.
“I am happy that our community is getting a new hospital. We don’t need any delays and I hope the selection of contractors was done fairly because if the selection process was not done correctly we could see (other disgruntled) contractors causing violence could disturb construction,” said Andries Moloi, a resident of Bethal.
Ready in 2019
MEC of Health in Mpumalanga Gillion Mashego said: “The anticipated completion date of the construction is expected to be 10 September 2019. The scope is to demolish the existing building and replace it with a new structure. The work has to be done in three phases to make sure there is no distraction and the facility is fully functional during the construction.
Portions of the hospital first to be demolished include the pharmacy, medical ward, two hostel blocks, the mortuary, nurses training centre, doctors flats and a lecture room.
MEC Mashego promised the public the provision of healthcare services at the facility would remain ongoing, and not be disrupted by the construction process.
“In addition, new wards will be constructed including a kitchen, mortuary, gas bank, laboratory, a high care theatre, a casualty ward, x-ray and dental facilities, an outpatient department, waste collection and a new high tech administration office,” said MEC Mashego.
Sibusiso Tshabalala (41) and Ntombizodwa Tshabalala (32) have been released on R5000 bail each following their brief appearance in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for alleged fraud and money laundering.
Ntombizodwa Tshabalala
The pair was arrested on Tuesday prior to the court appearance by members of the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation in connection with four counts of fraud which includes forgery and uttering as well as money laundering.
The accused own Bundu Lodge in partnership with a 3rd party, allegedly created and submitted fraudulent invoices purported to be owed by the lodge in September 2018.
Sibusiso Tshabalala
The invoices amounting to over R 200 000 were for services that were never rendered and the money was allegedly paid into their personal accounts without the knowledge of the third partner.
The transactions were discovered during an inspection by the partner who engaged the Hawks’ for an investigation that linked the couple to the missing loot.
Mpumalanga municipalities in the spotlight for excessive spending on Wages, Consultants and contracted services.
The municipalities in Mpumalanga continue to draw attention to their inabilities to control excessive spending in certain areas.
The biggest loser for residents in these municipalities is the residents as service delivery continues to be pushed backwards on the priority list.
For the 2018/19 financial year, Mpumalanga municipalities spent R7.8 billion on the wage bill, consultants and contracted services while service delivery continues to be in distress. This is according to a statement by Bosman Grobler DA Member of the Provincial Legislator (MPL). He is also the DA Spokesperson on Finance and Economic Development in Mpumalanga.
Bosman Grobler
“Given the lack of service delivery from the municipalities in the province, it is concerning that the employee-related costs took up 30% of the total revenue of municipalities, costing R5.4 billion,” Bosman said, “The Auditor-General (AG) noted that at some municipalities, the amount that was spent on salaries exceeded what was billed to consumers for the sale of basic services.”
Chief Albert Luthuli spent R184 million which was R132% of its own revenue.
Bushbuckridge spent R48 million, which was R209% of its own revenue.
Nkomazi spent R440 million which was 195% of its own revenue, and
Thembisile Hani spent R156 million which was 144% of its own revenue.
Four Municipalities that spend more on wages than what they earn
“The fact that municipalities chose to pay more in salaries than the money they received, resulted in a situation where municipalities in the province had to use the equitable share to be able to service the whole wage bill, thus taking away from funding which was allocated for basic services,” Continued Bosman, “The Democratic Alliance (DA) condemns such practices, given that thousands in the mentioned municipalities do not have access to water and other services from government.”
Given the lack of service delivery from the municipalities in the province, it is concerning that the employee-related costs took up 30% of the total revenue of municipalities, costing R5.4 billion
The DA will write to the MEC of COGTA, Mr Mandla Msibi requesting for the department to ensure that municipalities do not use the equitable share to pay for salaries but to improve service delivery.
If our letter to the MEC does not bring favourable results we will have to revisit all our options,” said Bosman, “Service delivery should be paramount to municipalities and not employment of cadres.”
