4 July 2014
Blaauwboschkuil Primary School teacher attacks student The child who was allegedly attacked by a teacher. Photo supplied
Mogalakwena Residents Association Chairman murdered
The late chairperson and spokesperson of the Mogalakwena Residents Association (MRA) Madimetja Piet Pale was allegedly assassinated. Photo supplied Lizzy Bapela
TK Mashaba Blaauwboshckuil Primary School in Masakhane is back in the news after an educator attacked a student with a pair of scissors. Dolly Kale, a teacher at the school, allegedly cut one of her students on the left ear with scissors, and is due to appear before the court on 25 July. According to information received from the child’s father, his son is suffering severe pain from the injury. “My son came home crying and bleeding. When I asked him what was wrong, he told me that his teacher punished him for making noise in class,” he said. The boy allegedly said that his friend was making noise, but was not attacked.
“There isn’t supposed to be corporeal punishment in the school,” he added. “That is abuse.” “We expect teachers to teach our children, not to abuse them, and we believe that justice must be served.” The teacher is also alleged to have threatened to harm members of the School Governing Body during protests earlier in the year. The school is currently without a governing body, after the previous governing body having been disbanded. The Bela Bela Police confirmed that they have opened a case of assault against Kale, who briefly appeared before the Bela Bela Magistrate’s Court on 27 June. The district manager was not available for comment.
The news of the brutal murder of the Mogalakwena Residents Association (MRA) Chairman and spokesperson Cde Madimetja Piet Pale left residents of the town shocked. MRA Communication Officer Thintha Mokhonoana informed the community that Pale left his home in Mahwaraleng Zone 2 after receiving a call at around 23:00 on Saturday, 28 June. Mokhonoana said that Pale was shot several times in the head and body while fleeing in his car. His vehicle overturned and collided with the gate at Hospital View about 400 meters from where he was attacked. EMS personnel certified him dead at the scene. “The association lowered our flags and we were shocked and horrified about the incident,” said Mokhonoana. “His death came at a time when we were rooting out corruption in the Mogalakwena Local Municipality and trying to ensure that the
municipality has the capacity to deliver services to residents.” Pale led a number of organizations which eventually led to the formation of the MRA. He led successful marches as a leader of the Mahwelereng Community Forum which raised issues of service delivery and the role of some members of the council with regards to the mining community. Pale played a key role in the establishing of the MRA which eventually secured a court interdict against the then-MEC for CoGHSTA, Ishmael Kgetjepe, on the implementation of Section 139.1(b) to place the municipality under administration. He also played a leading role in ensuring that the municipality adopted and implements the KPMG report which revealed maladministration within the municipality. Pale also played an important role as leader of the MRA, ensuring that the former mayor Tlhalefi Mashamaite and his cartel were released from their positions. “We condemn all attempts at treating this as ordinary criminal activity,” said Mokhonoana. “We are shocked at how the provincial government wishes to treat this matter as an ordinary incident. We remain convinced that this was a wellplanned and organized activity, particularly when the municipality has taken a decision to recommend to the MEC that the memberships of councillors who are not attending council meetings be terminated. We call on the SAPS to treat this matter as a political assassination and establish a task team to ensure that justice is served.” The community and the association are looking for the full support of all law enforcement agencies to ensure that such incidents do not recur.