NEWS IN BRIEF
KIMBERLEY Classes at the Sol Plaatje University are expected to resume today after an agreement was reached with students who had earlier this week raised several issues regarding student affairs.
Police were on standby at the campus for most of the week after isolated incidents of violence among students forced classes to be suspended.
During this time, students, student representatives and the SPU management were in negotiations regarding several issues raised by students, including problems with funding, accommodation and transport.
According to SPU Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Yunus Ballim, an agreement was reached with students yesterday afternoon and operations at the university are expected to continue as normal today.
“It took lots of compromise from both sides but an amicable agreement was reached between students and SPU management. No further disruptions of classes are expected,” Ballim said.
KIMBERLEY Police have requested the community to assist them in tracking down the family of an adult woman who died in a hit-and-run incident on the R31 road in April last year.
“The woman was hit by a car on April 29 2016, at around 10pm, at the T-junction of Homelite and the R31 road to Barkly West,” said police spokesperson, Colonel Dimakatso Mooi.
“The woman had a bag with clothes inside and it is suspected that she was heading in the direction of Platfontein. The woman has not been identified.”
Mooi urged anyone who may have any information or know the deceased’s family to contact Warrant Officer Patrick Dibebe of the Kimberley detectives on 082 752 2577 or 053 838 4200 or the Crime Stop Line 08600 10111.
She added that all information received would be treated as confidential.
KIMBERLEY Kimberley police are appealing to members of the public to assist with information regarding a 36-year-old Ugandan man, Khassim Ssemakula, who went missing on January 26.
Police spokesperson, Colonel Dimakatso Mooi, said the man went missing after he went to sell a vehicle.
“Ssemakula left home to sell his Tiguan vehicle to a possible buyer who contacted him in Kimberley. He has not been seen since, while the vehicle also went missing.”
Mooi requested anyone with information regarding the incident or Ssemakula’s whereabouts to contact Warrant Officer Patrick Dibebe of the Kimberley detectives on 082 752 2577 and 053 838 4200 or the Crime Stop Line 08600 10111.
PROVINCE Dozens of medical students from the Northern Cape will be returning to Cuba this week to continue with their medical studies.
The Northern Cape Department of Health said yesterday that the Province currently has 125 students in Cuba studying medicine.
“About 59 of these students came home for holidays in July, for about a month, as the school term starts in September in Cuba. Thirty of these students have completed their first year studies. Thirteen of the students have completed their fourth year studies and are currently busy with medical electives at health facilities in the Province,” department spokesperson, Lulu Mxekezo, said yesterday.
Mxekezo added that the students were getting practical exposure to medical conditions in different disciplines such as obstetrics and gynaecology, family medicine, internal medicine, paediatrics, general surgery, psychiatry and primary health care.
“They will return to Cuba towards the end of the month to complete their fifth year, which is the last year in Cuba, thereafter they will enrol in South African universities for their sixth year of study.
“Ten students have already started with their final year of medical studies at different medical schools in the country, for the next eighteen months. We are expecting 21 students to return to South Africa next year to complete the last phase of their medical training.”
The MEC for Health, Lebogang Motlhaping, and the HOD, Steven Jonkers, yesterday also expressed their gratitude to the families who were providing support to the department and the medical students.
PROVINCE Northern Cape Premier Sylvia Lucas has expressed shock and sadness following the horrific car accident near Keimoes which claimed the lives of eight people.
Two cars collided head-on about 15 kilometres from Keimoes on Saturday night, killing seven men and a five-year-old boy.