By OBAKENG MAJE
19 November 2025- The Northern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Bentley Vass said he is ready to welcome the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) permanent delegates to the Northern Cape. NCOP permanent delegates are conducting oversight over service delivery projects as part of the Provincial Week from 18 to 21 November 2025.
Vass said the 2025 Provincial Week, an annual flagship oversight and accountability programme of the NCOP, will take place under the theme: “Building Viable Municipalities for Enhanced Delivery of Basic Services to Communities.” He said through the programme, the permanent delegates return to their respective provinces to assess progress in the delivery of basic services and engage communities on challenges affecting their daily lives.
“This underscores the NCOP’s ongoing commitment to strengthening oversight and accountability as key priorities in improving the quality of life of all South Africans. The NCOP weeklong programme will focus on the ZF Mgcawu District and Namakwa District. The delegates will be receiving presentations on the measures taken to strengthen service delivery broadly, as well as the state of municipalities and measures taken to improve this sphere of government for effective service delivery.
“We welcome the NCOP delegation, which is mandated by Section 42(4) of the Constitution, to represent provincial interests at the national level. We are looking forward to the weeklong interaction that has the aim of identifying measures to enhance service delivery, promote accountability, and ensure that matters affecting our province are effectively brought to the attention of the National Government,’’ said Vass.
He further said the NCOP delegation started their programme in the ZF Mgcawu District on 18 November and will proceed to the Namakwa District, where they will also be engaging with communities and conducting in-loco inspection of some of the housing projects in the Namakwa District.
Meanwhile, the Northern Cape Premier, Dr Zamani Saul spokesperson, Naledi Gaosekwe said: “The NCOP received presentations from the Departments of COGHSTA and of Roads and Public Works, led respectively by Vass and Fufe Makatong, as well as the presentation of the state of municipalities in the Namakwa District, presented by the executive mayor, Mervin Cloete and inputs by SALGA and the Office of the Auditor-General.
“The presentations focused on issues relating to service delivery in municipalities, as well as the implementation of infrastructure projects across the province. The NCOP delegates will proceed to the Namakwa District to engage with the Karoo Hoogland and Hantam Municipalities, and visit key infrastructure projects, as well as host a public meeting in the Namakwa District as part of the weeklong programme that will end on 21 November 2025.”
The Guardian 