By PAKO REPORTER

The South African National Freedom Month is every April, when we have an annual national holiday on the 27 April to celebrate National Freedom Day. This month is significant to all Black South Africans as it goes down with history that from 1652 to 1990 South African white minority has oppressed the South African Black Majority. In 1652 Dutch settlers arrived in South Africa as part of the European imperialism agenda to colonise Africa. History informs us that those were the same years that led to social and economic injustice we witness in today's daily life and the living.

Black South Africans were not included in the decision-making of their own lives and living, this means people were not allowed to think but made to appreciate minority ruler’s decisions imposed on those years’ generations. Black people's minds, emotions, feelings, movements, and expressions were captured and controlled by white rulers, all this created room for self-hatred, lack of self-respect and lack of self-confidence to the majority of Black people as were made to glorify anything from white and despise anything from their own. These traits still exist in some of us in this democratic dispensation.

There is a lot of self-hatred in our black society as a result we see an escalation of corruption that undermines the efforts and sacrifices made by our fallen heroes of the struggle. Corruption undermines good theories, ideologies and slogans such as Government by the People for the Peoples, RDP (Reconstruction and Development Programs) Batho Pele, Government Open Door policy, New Down and so on. Stealing from the public purse for political greed is a characteristic of self-hatred as you hate the same people who you’re supposed to serve and service. It is a strategic manipulation, abuse of power; lying under oath, disregarding your constitutional mandate to serve the public office, self-distraction activity and betraying efforts, principle and sacrifices of the struggle for freedom.     

In 2023 Freedom Month Kgotlaya Boo Ra Lesejane in Pella Village celebrated it differently; this was more like a family and clan reunion month, elder called for a meeting known as PitsoyaKgotla. It was mix general meeting where elders emphasised that young generations must fully participate in clan engagements so that they get used to clan activities including how can this clan participate effectively in community development structures in what is known as PusoMorafe Activities.

One needs to be warned not to mistake freedom celebration Month for National Heritage Month. This Freedom Month elder used it to educate young people so that they can liberate their mindset from inherited colonial apartheid laws, practices and activities.

One of the valuable things that were on the agenda is food security and agricultural production of the clan to reduce the high level of poverty in the community. Elders advise and encourage youth to come up with straightforward farming programs to benefit people in time of need, some young people are obsessed with a fashionable project of mining without doing relevant research and investigation including consulting elders about why we don’t approve of mining in our area.

Let's use our land effectively and spare it for the next generations as this is the only tangible thing we have now. Agriculture and farming are doable with our own hands after 2 to 3 months we rip what we sow and deal with immediate hunger, starvation and other health issues. Yes, we like mining but let’s do what we can afford and offer with our own hands for our immediate benefits to address these daily real issues we face now. 

By PAKO NEWS REPORTER

TIANG BO KOKO Service Club is making a difference in Tlokweng, Silverkrans in the North West province. The elderly club is not only making a difference to pensioners but to the whole community with their amazing work. The gogos are doing handcrafts, sewing, platting and exercising like playing football and aerobics. Their amazing handcraft skills include the creation of beads work, dress making, wedding dresses, graduation garments, shoes, and socks.

Tiang Bo Koko executive consists of the Chairperson Mme SessieTlholoe, the deputy chairperson Mme Abea Mogomotsi, Secretary is MmeNkeleMolapise, Treasure Mme Gertrude Mmutlane and MmeKaraboMotlhabane our organization administrator. 

According to MmeNkele Molapise, Tiang Bo Koko was started in 2014 by women who wanted to keep themselves busy with the skills such as handcrafts, sewing, and platting including sports that keep them healthy and fit like football and aerobics.

“Tiang Bo Koko is the voice of elderly women of Tlokweng, Silverkrans. The voice of the elderly can be heard through our active social and economic participation within our community. Our community should be encouraged to join this structure so we can share views, skills and other activities. Our organization provides an enabling environment for elderly women within our community; one is able to talk as you have people who are ready to listen to provide comfort where possible.  

“In this Freedom month, Tiang Bo Koko Service Club inspire the emancipation of rural women with their social economic skills that include the creations of beads to work, dressmaking, creating wedding dress, graduation garments, shoes, socks and most important activity of physical exercise every morning. This activity helps us to reduce the risk of health illness and also helps in the management of many chronic conditions. Physical exercise boosts our immune system, and helps the mind and memory memories’.  We are also creative peoples who depend on our creative skills to earn descend income like we do beads work, shoe soles and shoe pads with our hands,” Molapise.

She said in 2017 they got funded by the National Lottery and with this funding, they managed to build themselves a centre and also bought office equipment and drilled water.

“We got the amount that we cannot disclose due to the high crime rate and as elders, we choose not to disclose it for safety. We need more financial aid to sustain our activities as one of our objectives is to transfer our skills to our youth and fellow elderly women; we also want to create self-help job opportunities.

“It is said women are the best managers and administrators hence we are the sole managers in our different homes, this is our opportunity to start and lead a productive rural and practical social economy. We start producing these beads work, shoes, dresses and so on, out of these products we can be able to create our own economy that can produce job opportunities. Our children are going to school when they come back they are no employment yet we spend or invested so much in their education now it is said Mmangwana o tshwara thipa kafa bogaleng (meaning a mother will do anything to protect her child) so we led the economical way the rest shall follow,” added Molapise. 

Molapise said Tiang Bo Koko Service Club is in need of financial donations or sponsorship to pursue their rural community development activities such as gardening for food security. “There is a need to compensate our volunteers so that they can invest their time and efforts in helping the organization to archive its goals, otherwise many volunteers cannot stay with us for a long time because when it is sunset children are hungry and need food to eat,” concluded Mplapise. Anyone who is willing to donate to the organization can contact the administrator Mme Karabo Motlhabane at 64 9575926.

By PAKO NEWS REPORTER

GOOD FRIDAY! What a weekend! CHRISTIAN community globally commemorate Good Friday or Easter weekend in memory of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Church of Praised and Salvation popular known as Pako le Pholoso under the stewardship of Archbishop Stephan Mokgadi Molokwane and Bishop Letsholo Ramapatsi and head reverent David Lesejane hosted a successful commemoration of the death of Jesus Christ on the Easter service in Pella. Pako le Pholoso (Christ Apostolic Church) registered as the Church of Praised and Salvation was founded by the late Her Grace Queen Prophet Archbishop Bolele Molokwane who ordinated the Presiding Archbishop Stephen Mokgadi Molokwane 25 years ago.

The annual church conference and commemorate Jesus Christ (death and resurrection) was attended by thousands of worshippers including Pastor Wonder Tlhowe from Rustenburg (Tlhabane West) Lady Pastor Phindile Gama from Tlokweng and Lady Pastor Granny Segale from Lekgalong.

The church originates in Pella and slowly growing as its messages and services reach out to everyone across the world. Church spokesperson Head Reverent David Seabelo Lesejane said, “We are a community or family church, as you see we are both young and old not forgetting our peoples living with disabilities. We converged in this holy mount of Horeba as members of the church of Praised and Salvation (CAC) known as Pako le Pholoso in good standing for three important reasons.

Firstly we are here to commemorate the death of our great Lord Jesus Christ as Christians, secondly will be our church's annual conference, and also vote for new church leaders. Lastly, we pray and praise as a family, and receive different spiritual messages from our church leaders including our Presiding Archbishop Stephen Mokgadi Molokwane”.

Church members who were interviewed said they are happy to be in the spiritual mountain. “Pako le Pholoso is my spiritual home, as human beings, we all need spiritual homes to give us spiritual motivations, guidance and teaching,” said one member.

Jayne Chilwane who also attended said, “I am not a member of this church but a visitor and receive help from Archbishop Molokwane, I was referred by a friend and notice a big change in my life. It is my first-time experience coming to this mountain on this Good Friday but everything is perfect up so far”. 

“Bible tells us about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it tells us that Jesus Christ was killed for our sins that including oppression by fellow human beings. Some people enjoy bullying, controlling and oppressing fellow human beings hence Jesus Christ came to liberate or free the oppressed. People are born free but always in a chain to submit to the advantageous and powerful. True Godly Spiritual do empower knowledge and understanding,” said another church member.

By PAKO NEWS REPORTER

THE MOSES KOTANE Local Municipality in the North West province hosted a successful graduation ceremony at Modizen Guest House in Mogwase on Thursday the 30 March. The graduation ceremony was organized by Moses Kotane Municipality’s Department of Local Economic Development in collaboration with the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation to award 16 artists certificates after completing 6 months of training in creative art. The graduates were trained in creative arts through the EPWP (Extended Public works Program). They received training in film production, music, drama and others related to creative art.

According to acting director of Local Economic Development Abby Mogashoa, the purpose of the event was to bid farewell to the second group of performing artists who have enrolled for the second year. These 16 potential artists were presented with certificates by the Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation’s representative known as Mr Makinita and  Tebogo Modisane from JM Ntsime High School.

Acting Director of LED Abby Mogashoa said “Each time a movie is recorded or TV series, catering, transport, accommodation, wardrobe, makeup, props and sets set to benefit and this industry when looked after it can create the much-needed jobs in our communities and as a Municipality, we are working tirelessly with industry specialists to help unearth talent in our communities”

The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture applauded Moses Kotanes LED Department for being the first in the province to come up with such a program to empower the youth with skills in creative art. A nonprofit organization will be registered as an aftercare program together with three cooperatives. The department will oversee this development and ensure its success.

Mogashoa closed off the ceremony by quoting the Ghanaian writer Ayi Kweyi Armah's famous novel The beautiful one are not born He warned everyone against scammers in the trade and that they should always be vigilant with their lives and future. 

By PAKO NEWS REPORTER

EDUCATION IS THE key, and the Bill of rights requires the state to make educational facilities available to all children in South Africa. It is unfortunate that a large number of scholars have to walk more than 5km for a single trip to school.

Pako Community Newspaper news team was part of the Qhubeka Bicycles Donation event held at Morare High School in Pella recently. MmeTumi Mudutwane representative of Qhubeka NPO in an interview with Pako Community   Newspaper said, “Today we as Qhubeka NPO are in Morare High School to donate 115 bicycles to grade 10, normally we donate to grades 10, 11 and 12. This is a motivation to our grade 10 as we are also motivated by the fact that Morare High School have improve their matric last year.

“Qhubeka is a Nguni word for progress in Setswana it means tswelopele. Our NPO originates in USA and Italy, it comes to South Africa Pretoria where our head offices are based but production and manufacturing of bicycles are done in Skundrief and Grootmarico. We have adopted eight schools which are Morare High School(Madikwe), Sewagodimo Technical High School (Pella), Thutokematla High School(Groot Marico), Kgosi Bodiba and Motlhaputseng High schools (Tlokweng), Reiboseng Hgh School ( Vrede) and Thebe ya Tlhajwa High School in Koffikraal.

“We have been donating for the past five years, we encourage our bicycle riders to make sure that they move as a group to avoid being isolated and marked by criminals”, said Mudutwane. 

One of the senior educators at Morare High School Mam Saria Mmalekwakwe said they are fortunate to be considered under the leadership of the hard-working and dedicated Mr Mokwena.

“We are fortunate as Morare High School to be considered under the leadership of hard-working and dedicated Mr Mokwena, considering the fact that majority of scholar travel or walk from Letlhakane village sometimes some arrive late, with tiredness that influence lack of concentration in class, program it is helpful,” said Mmalekwakwe.

A parent Joyce Lesejane is happy for the bicycle will help her child arrive at school on time and at home before sunset. “This bicycle came at the right time for my child because he used to come home very tired after walking a long distance from and to school, I would to thank Qhubeka, the principal and the teachers for great work,”Lesejane.

One of the students that received the bicycle is Nkwe and she said responding to Pako Community News, “Iyo shocked and excited at some time. I like cycling as a sport because it keeps me healthy. I am happy about the bicycle as it will help me to travel to school with my friends, it will keep us healthy and avoid health diseases or conditions like obesity, chronic and diabetes”.  

The principal of Morare High School, Mokwena said emphasis that these bicycles are scholars’ source of transport to school. “Ensure that scholars are on time and at school at all times. This bicycle is a token of appreciation from Qhubeka and Morare high school as we appreciate this moment of being with you as our learner. It’s a tool to motivate you to invest your time and efforts in your studies,” he said addressing the learners.