26 November 2025- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi will in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Provincial Council on Aids (PCA), will lead the commemoration of World Aids Day in Tlhabane Township, near Rustenburg on 28 November 2025. Mokgosi will be accompanied by the North West MEC for Health, Sello Lehari, the executive mayor of Bojanala Platinum District Municipality, the Rustenburg Local Municipality mayor and leaders from civil society and provincial council on Aids.
Mokgosi spokesperson, Sello Tatai said the 2025 World Aids Day is commemorated under the theme: “Renewed Efforts and Sustainable Commitments to End Aids”, which is a rallying call highlighting the importance and full potential of community leadership to enable the end of Aids. Tatai said the provincial World Aids Day commemoration event will be combined with the roll out of the Accelerated Service Delivery Thuntsha Lerole Programme and Operation Dignity in Tlhabane.
“This as part of the provincial government’s ongoing efforts to intensify HIV/AIDS awareness, strengthens community engagement, and accelerates the delivery of essential government services. This integrated service delivery programme will bring together government departments, state-owned entities (SOEs), civil society, developmental partners, and community structures to mobilise residents towards HIV prevention, testing, treatment adherence, and the provision of social support.
“The provincial integrated World Aids Day commemoration and Thuntsha Lerole programme will include the rendering of on-site services to be held at Tlhabane Stadium, Rustenburg at 8am.
19 November 2025- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi who will on Friday be joined by the MECs, the executive mayor of Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District, Motseokae Maje and Kagisano Molopo Local Municipality mayor in rolling out Phase 5 of Thuntsha Lerole Reloaded in Kagisano Molopo Local Municipality, will officially hand over the Rural Water Supply Project at Matlabatlaba village. Mokgosi said this in response to the community’s need for reliable and clean water services.
“We will also conduct oversight visits to water infrastructure projects, which include the Bona Bona Bulk Water Supply Project, Tlapeng Bulk Water Supply and Mabone Rural Water Supply, which upon completion, will ensure sustainable, uninterrupted water provision to households, businesses and public facilities in the municipality.
“This intervention is in line with the provincial government’s ongoing efforts to stabilise water supply systems across the province, and to accelerate service delivery,” he said.
Mokgosi further said driven by its commitment to continue providing decent housing for the poor, the leadership will hand over five of the completed RDP houses out of the 73 which were part of a blocked housing project in Tlapeng village. He further said with a focused intention to enhance safety across the local municipality’s rural areas, three Solar High Mast Lights out of the 50 that are erected at villages, including, Ganyesa, Austrey, Moswana, Setabeng, Makabole, Bona Bona, and Morekweng, will be handed over at Tseoge.
“Oversight visits will also be conducted at public schools and health facilities to assess service delivery progress and community needs. School furniture distribution will be carried out at Bray Intermediate School, this as part of the provincial government’s continued efforts to create a comfortable and productive learning and teaching environment.
“A range of social support services which will include the distribution of food parcels to identified older persons’ households through Operation Dignity, and distribution of agricultural support packages to ten identified households, will also be carried out,” said Mokgosi.
He said in an attempt to ease accessibility to public facilities such as clinics and schools, patching of potholes and blading of internal access roads will be amplified. Mokgosi said the Centralised Supplier Database (CSD) team will also be onsite to assist local SMMEs with registration, updating and amendment of their registered companies.
“The Thuntsha Lerole Reloaded programme will be rolled out in three other districts such as in Ngaka Modiri Molema District. The programme will be rolled out in Mahikeng Local Municipality at New Stars Sports Ground, in Rooigrond, while in Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, public services will be rendered at Boskuil Community Hall in Maquassi Hills Local Municipality.
“In Bojanala Platinum District, the programme will be rooled out at Mositwane Community Hall at Lerome village in Moses Kotane Local Municipality. As a constant and critical feature of this service delivery programme, a platform will be created for MECs, executive mayors and I, to engage with the community on progress registered in implementing various service delivery projects and programmes in their municipality,” he said.
Picture: The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi and North West MEC for COGHSTA, Oageng Molapisi /Supplied
By BAKANG MOKOTO
12 November 2025- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi has hailed the multi-million rand housing project at Tshing Township in Ventersdorp as a significant step towards bringing back the people’s dignity. Mokgosi said this bold move by the North West Department of Human Settlements will see 1500 beneficiaries moving into their new houses before the end of the 2026/2027 financial year.
Mokgosi who was accompanied by the North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Oageng Molapisi, executive mayor of JB Marks Local Municipality, Gaba Thithiba ka Qhele and Head of Department (HOD, Kgomotso Mahlobo, visited the area on Friday last week as part of Thuntsha Lerole Accelerated Service Delivery Programme to assess progress on the construction of the houses as well as hand over of five completed houses to beneficiaries.
“It is important to deliver houses to communities as this act is not only about ensuring beneficiaries have a roof over their heads, but realising their right to live in safety and dignity in a decent home. We also urge beneficiaries to refrain from selling their houses or renting them out to foreigners who later turn them into spaza shops or unlicensed liquor stores.
“We have noted that there are beneficiaries who have been in the waiting list from as early as the dawn of democracy. As a government, we are pleased that soon those beneficiaries will be moving into their houses, but our challenge is that the very same beneficiaries, after receiving the houses, sell or rent them out and go back to living in the informal settlements,’’ he said.
One of the beneficiaries, Betty Gama (85) lived in a two room shack for seven years with her son, Botha Gama (28). The family has been surviving on old age grants.
According to Gama, their shack burnt down with everything inside forcing them to find solace from neighbours. She is one of the beneficiaries who were prioritised to receive a house as she did not have a proper place to stay.
“I have nothing but praise for the department. The assistance and support I received from the government is impressive. I was carried by my shoulders through a difficult time of my life and my dignity was restored through provision of a wonderful new home,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Petros Shuping (70), who lives with his family of four, spent many years living in a dilapidated shack which made their stay very unpleasant during the rainy season and the cold weather. The Shuping family depends on government grants for survival as they also experience scarcity of jobs or employment in the area.
Meanwhile, Molapisi said: “The Tshing housing project is one of the fastest moving projects in the province and this is all made possible by the dedication and commitment shown by contractors. We would like to applaud the contractors on ensuring the houses are built in excellent standards and handed over to rightful beneficiaries.
“As department, we are ensuring we work hand in hand with our contractors to improve housing delivery. We would like to thank all the contractors working on this project to ensure that our communities are provided with decent houses.”
12 November 2025- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi said he has noted and welcomed the recent figures of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey, where unemployment in the province dropped by 2%. Mokgosi said the third quarter report on the unemployment rate in the North West by Statistics South Africa indicates that the province managed to create 42 000 jobs between July and September 2025.
He further said early this year, the province adopted the Growth and Development Strategy to drive economic recovery plans centered on infrastructure development, service delivery, investments and job creation. Mokgosi added that while the province is not out of the woods yet, the figures are encouraging.
“These figures are indicative of an administration hard at work to address the scourge of unemployment and poverty confronting the province. I have been crisscrossing the province speaking to various enterprises to see how best we can turn the tide on high unemployment figures in the province, and I believe that our efforts are yielding desired results.
“Efforts to create jobs in the province will be given impetus by the Provincial Mining Indaba and Investment Conference planned for early next year. We recently met with the Cabinet where we tabled our efforts to lure investments and drive our economic recovery initiatives and President Cyril Ramaphosa gave us thumbs up on these ambitious efforts while offering some counselling on how we can circumvent these challenges,” he said.
Mokgosi said the province has also made some significant strides in deterring job losses in ferrochrome mines. He said all these efforts and many others will find expression through a jobs summit that is aimed at devising strategies on preserving the available jobs while creating new ones in various industries as envisioned in the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy.
Picture: North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi and North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Oageng Molapisi North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Oageng Molapisi/Supplied
By AGISANANG SCUFF
11 November 2025- The North West Provincial Government through the Department of Human Settlements has granted the JB Marks Local Municipality accreditation to perform Level 1 subsidy functions. This means that the municipality will be responsible for managing and administering housing subsidies in the area.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, the North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi said the agreement will facilitate a collaborative framework in which the provincial government and the local municipality operate as partners towards a shared commitment to service delivery and excellence.
“Housing is not merely about brick and mortar; it is the cornerstone of dignity, security and opportunity. Through this implementation protocol, we are entrusting the JB Marks Local Municipality with greater autonomy and resources to address the housing needs of our residents.
“This decentralization of power is a bold move that underscores our belief in local governance and its proximity to the people, for they better understand the needs of a community than those who pass-by its streets every day,’’ he said.
Mokgosi further said that the signing of the agreement will go a long way in addressing the housing backlog the Department of Human Settlements is currently faced with. He added that with this development, the municipality will be able to implement housing projects faster and the department will retain its role of oversight.
Sharing Mokgosi’s sentiments, the North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Oageng Molapisi said that the municipality will be responsible for the management and administering of housing projects and programmes as per the level one accreditation functions, this includes budget planning, identification of housing projects and programmes, beneficiary management and housing subsidy registration among many other programmes.
Molapisi said his department has already appointed a service provider as part of its post accreditation support plan to assist the municipality with the implementation protocol.
“The department will provide the municipality with all the necessary assistance for them to be able to carry out these tasks and ensure that communities receive efficient housing services,” he said.
11 November 2025- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi has effected changes in the provincial administration with the redeployment of Superintendent General of the North West Department of Health, Obakeng Eden Mongale to the Office of the Premier to coordinate the provincial segment of the National Dialogue. The Head of Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mothupi Mokhatla, will now take over the reins at the North West Department of Health, whilst Kenalemang Bodigelo-Nyezi will hold the fort in an acting capacity.
Mokgosi maintains these changes are aimed to bolster administrative stability, efficiency and provision of services in the province.
Picture: North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi handing over a house/Facebook
By REGINALD KANYANE
6 November 2025- North West Provincial Government (NWPG) said it will continue to prioritise vulnerable groups across all the districts. As part of government’s intervention to address housing challenge to the elderlies, the North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi, accompanied by the North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Oageng Molapisi have recently handed over houses to two elderly persons in Mmamokete village in Zeerust.
During the handover, North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi commended the department for the work it has done in a short period.
“Today is about restoring dignity, pride and hope to our community. When we hand over a house we give a foundation on which future generations can build. We remain committed to providing quality housing because every family deserves a safe place to call home,” he said.
Sharing Mokgosi’s sentiments, Molapisi pointed out that the government has a vision of ensuring that communities live in decent houses. He further stated that the three spheres of government require strengthening coordination to ensure provision of services to the most deserving citizens.
“The primary responsibility of the department is to build houses, but one of our challenges is the issue of blocked projects. We have concluded that we prioritize unblocking incomplete projects. We have allocated 80% of our budget to unblocking blocked projects and 20% to new projects. We cannot build new houses whereas we have incomplete projects.
“There are 36 outstanding houses that need to be completed in Mmamokete and the project is included in the current plan of the department. The department is working timeously to improve the quality of life for households in the province and will always prioritize older persons, women and child -headed families in delivering houses across all province,” added Molapisi.
One of the beneficiaries is Eleanor Mothandi (104), who is survived by four children from the 24 she gave birth to. Mothandi is currently living with her children, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
One of her daughters, Mmita Mothandi (50), who is also her caregiver, expressed her gratitude to the department. She said her family has a decent home and their lives will change for the better.
“As the family, we survive on the mother and grandchildren’s monthly social grants. I sometimes do odd jobs to survive as the social grant money is not enough to cater for the whole family,” said Mmita.
The other beneficiary was Christopher Mokwena (72). He lives with his wife, three children and one grandchild. The family has been living in a shack for a long time.
“We also survive on the monthly old age pension, and the child support grant they receive. It’s a great joy to the family to have received such a gift, it’s been long and we are grateful,” he said.
Picture: The VIP Protection Unit vehicle/Screengrab
By REGINALD KANYANE
4 November 2025- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi said a VIP Protection Unit vehicle with registration KTR 824 NW circulating on various social media pages, does not belong to any Member of the Executive Council (MEC) as purported in the video. Mokgosi said they can confirm that the said vehicle belongs to the North West Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and has been allocated to the Provincial House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders to strengthen its work.
He further said he has since issued an instruction to the department to investigate circumstances around the use of this vehicle on matters not related to government work. Mokgosi added that the investigation will also include what appears to be fitment of blue lights on the vehicle and whether due processes were followed within the relevant prescripts of the law.
Meanwhile, the said vehicle was seen parked at one of the filling stations in Mahikeng with an unknown woman seen coming out of driver’ seat suggesting that she might have been driving the vehicle.
20 October 2025- Three educators from the North West are part of the Department of Basic Education contingent jetting off to the People’s Republic of China on a DBE-Chinese Embassy Partnership from 20 October to 13 November 2025. The partnership, among others, involves Mathematics and Information and Communication Technology E-learning educators who shall have emerged through the processes of the National Teaching Awards will take part in the learning exchange programme.
The North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi said one of the three educators is Dimakatso Sefora from Moremogolo Primary School in the Bojanala District. Motsumi said Sefora won the 2023 competition and obtained position 3 in the Technology-enhanced Teaching and Learning Category.
“She is also a SchoolNet winner due to her integration of ICT-centred teaching. Her passion for digital learning had in the past earned her the award of Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) Super Teacher of the Year and the EduWeek Africa ICT Implementer of the Year (2018).
“Another educator is Itumeleng Komane, is a young and vibrant North West University alumni who has just been promoted to be the Departmental Head at Boitekong II Secondary School in the Bojanala District. He is the 2024 national winner of the ICT-enhanced teaching category,” she said.
Motsumi further said another educator, Mxolisi Tyobeka, is the E-learning specialist in the North West Department of Education and has played a role both as a Provincial Adjudicator and coach of the Technology-enhanced teaching and learning category. She added that Tyobeka is an ardent proponent of digital learning and integration of ICT in teaching and learning.
“We wish them a wonderful journey and a productive learning experience in their three-week stay in the People’s Republic of China. On behalf of the department, I wish our educators a very safe journey to the Republic of China.
“They should ensure that they learn everything they come across during their tour, so they can share their experiences with peers in our schools. Let’s grow the North West and South Africa together,” said Motsumi.
2 October 2025- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi will on Friday lead the roll-out of the Thuntsha Lerole programme in Tswaing Local Municipality, which falls under Ngaka Modiri Molema District. Identified as one of the ten local municipalities prioritised for implementation of phase 5 of the provincial government’s Accelerated Service Delivery Programme – Thuntsha Lerole, Tswaing Local Municipality is experiencing several service delivery challenges, including inconsistent water supply and poor state of roads infrastructure.
Mokgosi spokesperson, Sello Tatai said through a coordinated effort to enhance access to quality services, Mokgosi who will be joined by Members of Executive Council (MECs), will officially hand over an internal road in Matshelapad. Tatai said as an ongoing endeavour to improve the state of local road infrastructure, potholes patching will be undertaken from Delareyville to Ottosdal, while blading will be conducted in identified internal roads across the local municipality.
“As part of the Title Deeds Friday campaign, a nationwide title deeds restoration programme, Mokgosi will symbolically issue 10 out of the available 1 282 title deeds to the rightful owners, while three completed RDP houses will be handed over to the identified beneficiaries.
“The provincial leadership will also undertake an oversight visit to the new Delareyville Bulk Pharmacy construction site, which once completed, will not only strengthen medicine supply across the local municipality and neighbouring health facilities, but will also improve availability and equitable healthcare delivery,” he said.
Tatai further said as part of the day’s programme, fresh produce will be handed over to indigent families in Matshelapad, Jachtkraal, and Skierlik, while 105 food parcels will be distributed to households in Thawane village. He added that in support of youth development, sports equipment will be issued to nine identified schools, while traditional attire will be presented to Agisanang Traditional Group.
“To enhance access to economic opportunities, the Centralised Supplier Database (CSD) team will be available on-site to assist with the registration, updating, and amendment of company profiles.
“In addition, integrated primary health care services will be offered to ensure that community members receive vital health screenings and support,” said Tatai.
He said in support of the clean cities initiative, the clearing of illegal dumping sites will also be undertaken across the local municipality. Tatai said the Accelerated Service Delivery Programme – Thuntsha Lerole Reloaded programme will also be rolled out in two other districts.
“In Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District, the programme will be rolled out at Greater Taung Local Municipality – Pitsong Community Hall in Taung, while in Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, public services will be rendered at Tswelelang Township, in Wolmaranstad, Maquassi Hills Local Municipality,” he said.
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