Sechaba Times

COGTA INSPECTS RUSTENBURG TRADING HUB AND KOSTER WATER PROJECTS TO BOOST LOCAL DEVELOPMENT.

The North West Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), together with the North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, has conducted an oversight visit to two major infrastructure projects aimed at driving local economic growth and improving essential services.

The delegation first visited the Boitekong Trading Hub in Rustenburg, a facility completed in 2025 to empower local entrepreneurs. The hub consists of 27 permanent trading stalls and an open space for pop-up traders, creating opportunities for Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) operating in sectors such as food, information and communication technology (ICT), repairs and other businesses.

To strengthen the sustainability of these enterprises, the SMMEs have also benefited from business development training through a partnership between Rustenburg Local Municipality and the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA).

The oversight team then travelled to Kgetlengrivier Local Municipality to inspect the Koster Bulk Water Pipeline Project. The project involved the construction of a 15-kilometre pipeline linking the Koster Dam to the Witrand Pump Station, a critical investment expected to improve the reliability of water supply to communities served by the municipality.

The visits form part of ongoing efforts by CoGTA and the Provincial Legislature to monitor the implementation of public infrastructure projects, ensure accountability for public spending, and assess whether government investments are delivering tangible benefits to communities across the North West Province.

A 37-year-old man has been sentenced to direct imprisonment after admitting to defrauding a Boitekong based primary school’s School Governing Body (SGB) of more than R1 million.

Ofentse Solomon Molemane was convicted on 170 counts of fraud in the Rustenburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Monday, 3 August 2026, after pleading guilty to all the charges against him.

The court heard that Molemane committed the offences while carrying out financial and administrative duties for the SGB at a local primary school in Boitekong. He misrepresented financial transactions and falsified financial records to deceive the school’s management and conceal his fraudulent activities.

His scheme was eventually uncovered when financial reports presented during school meetings exposed a series of unauthorised transactions. Investigations revealed that Molemane had unlawfully benefited by more than R1 million between January 2019 and March 2020.

The matter was reported to the police, prompting an investigation that led to Molemane’s arrest on 28 October 2024.

Following his guilty plea, the court sentenced him to 12 years’ direct imprisonment. He will serve eight years behind bars, while the remaining four years have been suspended for eight years on condition that he is not convicted of fraud during the suspension period.

While this conviction marks a significant victory against corruption, many communities believe similar allegations of financial mismanagement continue to surface at schools across the North West Province. Critics argue that stronger oversight and quicker intervention are needed to protect school funds, particularly in rural communities where parents often have limited means to hold those responsible accountable. If these concerns are accurate, this successful prosecution could be just the tip of the iceberg rather than an isolated case.

CLEANER’S DEATH PROMPTS DMR TO HALT PART OF IMPALA OPERATIONS.

The death of a 45-year-old cleaner at Impala Platinum’s Rustenburg Operations has forced the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) to halt operations in parts of the mine after identifying serious shortcomings in its sulphur dioxide (SO₂) safety management.

The employee collapsed yesterday morning, 5 August 2026, after elevated SO₂ levels were recorded following the failure of a valve at the mine’s sulphuric acid plant. He was rushed to the on-site clinic, where emergency medical personnel attempted to save his life, but he was later declared dead.

While the official cause of death remains under investigation, the Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate has issued a Section 54 instruction after finding significant deficiencies in the mine’s management of SO₂ risks.

According to the Inspectorate, Impala’s SO₂ Health and Safety Risk Management Standard was inadequate and failed to classify the acid plant as a high-risk SO₂ area. Inspectors also found there was no adequate SO₂ early warning system, no SO₂ monitors installed at the acid plant, and employees were not issued with personal SO₂ gas detectors.

The Department further revealed that an SO₂ sensor at the concentrator plant had been alarming from 9.10pm on Tuesday, 4 August 2026, and continued registering elevated readings throughout the night. According to the Inspectorate, no action was taken before the fatal incident occurred the following morning.

The Inspectorate concluded that the identified shortcomings could expose employees to serious injury or death from SO₂ and ordered the immediate withdrawal of workers from the Converter Section and Acid Plant until the safety concerns have been addressed.

The Department has instructed Impala Platinum to overhaul its SO₂ risk management measures, install comprehensive gas monitoring systems, conduct a full risk assessment, retrain employees on SO₂ emergency procedures, and explain why previous SO₂-related concerns raised by mine inspectors earlier this year had not been resolved.

The Section 54 instruction will remain in force until the mine demonstrates that all safety deficiencies have been corrected and the affected areas are safe for employees to return. Meanwhile, the Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate’s investigation into the cleaner’s death continues.

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TRT CRACKS DOWN ON EXPLOSIVES RACKET, SEIZES DETONATORS IN RUSTENBURG.

A planned police operation has resulted in the arrest of four suspects and the seizure of explosives believed to have been destined for illegal use following an intelligence-driven investigation in Rustenburg and Thabazimbi.

On Tuesday afternoon, 4 August 2026, members of the Tactical Response Team (TRT) in Rustenburg acted on information about the alleged illegal sale of explosives. Officers moved swiftly to the Rustenburg Mall parking area, where they intercepted three suspects.

Police recovered five non-electric detonators, two explosive cartridges and three cellular phones believed to be linked to the investigation. The phones have been seized for further forensic investigation.

The investigation later led officers to Thabazimbi, where TRT members, working alongside Crime Intelligence, arrested a fourth suspect. Police allegedly found the suspect in possession of 29 non-electric detonators.

All four suspects have been charged with unlawful possession of explosives in contravention of Section 28 of the Explosives Act, 1956 (Act 26 of 1956).

The suspects are expected to appear in their respective Magistrates’ Courts soon, while police continue with investigations to determine the source and intended use of the explosives.

ILLEGAL MINING CRACKDOWN LEADS TO R5 MILLION EQUIPMENT SEIZURE IN RUSTENBURG.

A major operation targeting illegal mining activities has resulted in the seizure of heavy machinery worth an estimated R5 million at Hencor Mine in Rustenburg.

The operation was carried out on Tuesday, 4 August 2026, by the Rustenburg-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit in collaboration with the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources and the Illicit Mining and Infrastructure Task Team.

According to police, the operation followed information regarding alleged illegal mining activities at Hencor Mine. Acting on the intelligence, the multidisciplinary team conducted a disruptive operation at the site.

Upon arrival, officers allegedly discovered four abandoned excavators and a dump truck believed to have been used in the suspected illegal mining operation. No suspects were found at the scene.

The four excavators and the dump truck, with an estimated combined value of R5 million, were seized and will form part of an ongoing investigation.