Picture: North West MEC for COGHSTA, Oageng Molapisi
By BAKANG MOKOTO
12 November 2026 – The North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Oageng Molapisi is reminding communities of the availability and mandate of its existing four-member Rapid Response Team (RRT), which is tasked with responding to community grievances and coordinating interventions on service delivery-related matters across the province. Molapisi said this forms part of the department’s continued effort to strengthen municipal governance, address service delivery challenges and rebuild public confidence in government.
He further said the team will be responsible for engaging directly with communities experiencing dissatisfaction with the delivery of government services. Molapisi added that it will provide a platform for residents to raise their concerns, ensure that grievances are properly documented and facilitate engagements with relevant government departments, municipalities and other institutions to secure appropriate interventions.
“The Rapid Response Team forms part of the department’s proactive approach to strengthening government responsiveness and ensuring that community concerns are addressed before they escalate into disruptive protests. The Rapid Response Team provides an important link between communities and government.
“We want residents to know that there are officials specifically mandated to engage with them, listen to their concerns and facilitate engagements with the relevant institutions responsible for addressing service delivery challenges. The government cannot afford to wait until communities resort to protests before taking action,” he said.
Molapisi said they must be proactive, engage communities, understand their frustrations and ensure that their concerns are directed to the appropriate institutions for attention and resolution. He said the team will also intervene in service delivery-related matters requiring urgent attention by working closely with relevant stakeholders and institutions to ensure that community concerns receive the necessary consideration and follow-through.
“Through this initiative, we seek to identify unresolved service delivery challenges, facilitate appropriate interventions and prevent the escalation of community dissatisfaction into protests, which sometimes result in violence and the destruction of public infrastructure.
“The appointment of the four officials extends the department’s rapid response capacity across all four districts of the North West province, with each official designated to coordinate engagements and facilitate interventions within their respective areas. The department is encouraging communities to make use of the Rapid Response Team as an accessible channel for raising service delivery-related grievances and seeking assistance,” said Molapisi.
He emphasised that the initiative comes at a critical time as municipalities prepare for a new term of local government, highlighting the importance of strengthening relations between government and communities through effective communication, meaningful public participation and responsive governance. Molapisi said as they approach a new term of local government, they must ensure that communities remain at the centre of our service delivery efforts.
“Effective communication, meaningful public participation and timely responses to community grievances are critical to maintaining stability, unlocking service delivery bottlenecks and restoring public confidence in government.
“The department further wishes to inform communities that the current contractual period of the four Rapid Response Team members is scheduled to conclude on 31 March 2027,” he said.
Contact Details of Rapid Response Team
Bojanala District: Mr Walter Sehurutshe – 082 741 0650
Ngaka Modiri Molema District: Mr Justice Makolomakwe – 083 447 0608
Dr Kenneth Kaunda District: Mr Papi Matsepe – 082 286 4389
Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District: Ms Motlalepule Matshwe – 071 776 7249
