By OBAKENG MAJE
19 May 2025- The consultative engagement between the North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management regarding the GD Montshioa International Airport saga has opened a ‘can of worms’.
Last week, the North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng made a startling discovery that there are individuals who are ‘illegally’ utilising the aviation facility at the airport. The Guardian newspaper understands that 11 individuals who allegedly occupied the airport were verified.
The department allegedly found one British national, one Ghanaian national, eight Nigerian nationals and three South Africans at the airport.
Now, the Chairperson of North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee, Freddy Sonakile, who had an engagement with the department said, there are more questions than answers. Sonakile said they have resolved to have a follow-up meeting with the department on 3 June 2025.
“We will summon the implicated aviation companies, including the South African Police Services (SAPS) because I also believe they have a case to answer in terms of intelligence.
“The department’s report indicates that the verification process took place only after the MEC went there. So, most definitely, we have to call SAPS,” he said.
Sonakile further said, he is more confused than ever.
“Most definitely, the consequence management will take place because we cannot have a situation like this and behave like it is normal. So, heads must roll. Someone must account and if there were payments, they were paid to whom?
“The department must bring a comprehensive report that is crystal clear. We have also told the department to go and implement consequence management on its part,” he said.
Sonakile added that they will determine what will happen next after they have received a detailed report.
The EFF Member of Provincial Legislature (MPL) in North West Provincial Legislature (NWPL), Fanon Moema said they have prodded into many issues that are taking place at the airport and they are not happy with the department’s response. Moema said there is an aviation activity taking place there, but the department was unable to collect revenue because the company that had a contract with them is allegedly collecting rental money on behalf of the department, even though their lease with the department has long been terminated.
“So, a lot of revenue that was supposed to be utilised for other services was lost in between. We strongly feel that the department has failed, yet the province is faced with a backlash in terms of revenue collection, high rate of unemployment and poor service delivery.
“The department could also not give back in terms of corporate social investment in what it has done directly, except saying it will give us answers in writing,” he said.
Moema said if these individuals are not identified, that means they can utilise the national key points such as airports to process drugs and other criminal activities.
Umkhonto Wesizwe Party Member of Provincial Legislature (MPL), Lerato Tsholo shared the same sentiments. Tsholo said she is totally disappointed regarding the response they received from the department.
“The department’s response lacks accountability and responsibility in its entirety. You cannot have issues that have taken place since 2014, and no one is there to account.
“There is something sinister happening at the airport and who knows that there were drugs being peddled at this airport in the name of an aviation school?,” she asked.
Meanwhile, the North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng said: “The African Union Aviation Academy does not have students at the moment. Another aviation school operating at the former air force base is called Paramount Aviation and is owned by Kaela Seoe-Okafor, who is a South African and her husband who is a Nigerian national.
“Similarly they had a contract with the management company that had an agreement with the department. The department’s contract with the management company has ended and after their departure the two schools continued to operate without any agreement with the Department.”
The Guardian 