Picture: North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi, North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng and Head of Department, Dr Hans Kekana
By OBAKENG MAJE
6 February 2026- A power struggle has rear its ugly head within the North West Provincial Government (NWPG). This comes after the defiant North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessel Morweng has suspended his Head of Department (HOD), Dr Hans Kekana.
Morweng suspended Kekana after accusing him of failing to implement airports issues among other things. However, this caused a scrimmage between Morweng and the North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi. On 4 February 2026, Mokgosi allegedly overruled Morweng’s decision and wrote a letter to Kekana instructing him to go back to work.
He alleged that Morweng had no powers to suspend Kekana.
“I am in receipt of correspondence from the North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessel Morweng dated 3 February 2026, purportedly suspending you from work. Kindly take notice that the career incidents of all Head of Departments is vested exclusively in the Premier as stipulated in Section 12 of the Public Service Act, 1994 this power entails the appointment, suspension, discipline and transfers or secondment of HODs.
“Accordingly, the MEC has no power or duty to suspend you from work. Given the legislative power, you are directed to report for duty as the MEC is not empowered in law to suspend or put you through a disciplinary process in the absence of such power having been delegated to him,” he said in the letter.
However, The Guardian Newspaper understands that Morweng wrote another letter late at night on 5 February 2026, informing Mokgosi that his decision to suspend Kekana stands. Morweng said in exclusive interviews with The Guardian Newspaper that he has reported the matter to the ANC provincial leadership for intervention.
“Look, even the ANC Provincial Chairperson, Nono Maloyi, was very clear that as the organisation, we need to be forthright in implementation of what we promised our people. When there are some challenges, it is not the Head of the Department (HOD), who must account to the people. The politicians such as mayors, MECs and Premier are held accountable because those are public representatives.
“These are the individuals who the people cast their votes for to become their leaders. What we should ask ourselves is, what is that the politicians do in the institutions, if there is no service delivery. So, that is why I opted to take that decision to place Kekana on precautionary leave pending investigation. Kekana is suspended for failure to implement the airports, which is a thorny issue,” he said.
Morweng further said the people of Bokone Bophirima are complaining about the non-implementation of airports. He added that, since he was appointed as MEC from 2024 until now, they are unable to resolve the issue of the airports.
“There is interest everywhere and I am inundated with calls regarding the refurbishment of airports. The project can create millions of jobs in the province. However, you will tell me that we must just sit and become a business as usual?
“As government, we keep on promising people a better life. The root causes of our failure in the main, but not in all aspects, are administrators. Hence I have arrived at that decision to suspend Kekana. The technicalities of whether I have powers or not, I have expressed them in my communication with the Premier, including the organisation,” said Morweng.
He said the relevant prescriptions, including the MEC’s handbook will tell you about relevant policies. Morweng said the MEC’s handbook provides him with necessary powers to act in this regard.
“My decision was informed by lack of service delivery. Amongst other things, there is the issue of the airports, collapse of the scholar transport and projects that are on the brink of collapse,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mokgosi spokesperson, Sello Tatai said: “The Premier is still processing the matter and he’ll pronounce himself at the right time.”
The Guardian 