Picture: North West Premier, Bushy Maape/Facebook

By REGINALD KANYANE

The North West Premier, Bushy Maape has marked the 2023 financial year, as the year of service delivery. The embattled Maape delivered his State of the Province Address (SOPA) at the North West Provincial Legislature (NWPL) in Mahikeng, North West on 24 February 2023.

“We are abandoning the comforts of planning and sitting in conferences. We are moving into our neighbourhoods, streets, and roads, which are critical points of contact for service delivery as our permanent homes for the next twelve months.

“We are on our feet, restless and listening attentively to the cries of our people. They are delivering messages of impatience and requesting us to do the one simple thing, which is to resolve challenges facing them in order to make a better life for all,” he said.

Recently, the province has experienced various protests due to poor service delivery such as water scarcity, poor road infrastructure, and load-shedding.    

Maape further said, these shocking numbers clearly demonstrate that more effort in job creation is needed. He added that, however, they see the signs of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic throughout sectors of the economy.

“This is a testament to the resilience of many of our corporations and entrepreneurs, who have kept the wheels of our economy turning despite challenges.

“The North West Chamber of Commerce & Industry has partnered with us in turning around the situation in Ditsobotla. We also have many contributions by their affiliate members like NWK and others,” said Maape.

He said the Sedibelo Pilanesberg Platinum Mine has also invested R9.4 billion with 3000 job opportunities created in the Moses Kotane Local Municipality, while Harmony Gold in the City of Matlosana invested R7 billion, which will

sustain 6000 jobs.

“The African Rainbow Energy has invested about R2 billion in a solar plant in Ditsobotla. The Supreme Chicken in Tigane has invested R180 million ramping up economic activity, sustaining over 2000 locals and many others.

“The Presidency has set aside R13 billion rand for the maintenance and upgrading of 39 roads projects in the province. These projects will be implemented during the 2023/24 financial year. This is in addition to the R1.3 billion for road upgrading and maintenance in the current financial year,” said Maape.

He said the bulk of the R13 billion will be earmarked specifically for rural road projects, most of which will be labor-intensive paved roads in order to create jobs.

However, the Democratic Alliance (DA) caucus leader in the North West Provincial Legislature, Freddy Sonakile said, this was the most painful SOPA to listen to.

“It was actually someone who was crying for help. You could actually tell that the Premier is saying he is leaving the province because he does not have anything to offer anymore.

“His speech was empty and he sounded like someone who is new. I mean for a government that is reaching its exit in the 2024 National Elections, he should have told us about his achievements and implementation,” Sonakile said.

He said, instead, Maape quoted President Cyril Ramaphosa on every page, where he said they need solutions.

Meanwhile, the Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs) of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) were ejected from the House by the speaker, Sussana Dantjie alleging disruptions. 

Now the EFF Provincial Secretary, Papiki Babuile said: “We tried to request Maape to apologise to the people of the province for lying during the State of the Nation (SONA) debate in the National Parliament two weeks ago.

“Maape said people of the province do not have any problem with water and potholes even though our people continue to live in a dire situation. We have experienced protests across the province since Maape said, there are no service delivery challenges in the province.”

Babuile said, they will submit a motion of no confidence against Maape, if ANC does not remove him as the Premier of North West.

The ANC Chief Whip in the North West Provincial Legislature (NWPL), Paul Sebegoe said, they were impressed by Maape’s speech.

“We are very happy with the manner in which, the speech has been articulated. Given the ANC National Lekgotlha Resolutions on what ANC wants to achieve in this financial year, we believe that all systems are in place.

“The Premier has outlined how many projects are lined-up and they are at the level of implementation. We believe in this current financial year, sufficient jobs will be created out of all these projects. So, we believe that the social challenges will be changed as alluded to by the Premier.

taungdailynews@gmail.com

Picture: EFF Leader, Julius Malema embarking on Andries Tatane Cleaning Campaign in Blydeville Township, near Lichtenburg in North West

By REGINALD KANYANE

The residents in Blydeville Township, near Lichtenburg in North West, said service delivery has completely collapsed and the Ditsobotla Local Municipality is careless about that. Gomolemo Melamu (31) there is a lack of water and sanitation in their area.

“The roads are also inaccessible because of potholes. We believe that a campaign like Andries Tatane Cleaning Campaign launched by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) will bear fruits.

“We also urge the municipality to ensure that we receive services as poor service delivery has a negative impact in our lives. So, we are happy to see the EFF leader, Julius Malema here assisting us with cleaning our township,” Melamu said.  

EFF leader Julius Malema visited the area on 25 February 2023 as part of service delivery. Malema said, it is sad to see people living in squalor like this, while there is the government in charge.

“It was embarrassing to see the North West Premier, Bushy Maape implying that the province has no service delivery challenges during the State of the Nation (SONA) debate in parliament last week, which sparked public outrage.

“Maape has turned the challenges of the residents of the North West into a mockery. I saw a lot of potholes on my way here. There is no way that any person who is alive to the realities of the North West, would have uttered what Maape did,” he said.

Malema further said he just wondered if Maape had taken his medication before he spoke at the SONA debate. He added that was an embarrassment and he should have not been allowed to enter the Office of the Premier after his utterances.  

Malema said there is no single person, even a factionalist of note, who should be defending the Premier of North West after what he did. Malema said leaders should first have to accept that there is a problem in order to come up with solutions for dealing with that problem.

“If we are going to be in denial that there is no problem in the North West, we will never look for solutions. I was shocked to see the Premier of the North West sitting throughout the SONA debate, while other Premiers come in the morning when it is their turn to debate because they will be seized with the problems of their provinces.

“But, because the problems of this province do not bother him, he saw this as a touring opportunity. Maape spoke like a person who just came from the sea and aloof from the reality of the North West,” said Malema.

Meanwhile, Maape who delivered his State of the Province Address (SOPA) on 24 February 2023 said, his government has marked the 2023 financial year, as the ‘year of service delivery.’

taungdailynews@gmail.com