Tag Archives: The North West Premier

The refurbishment of Pilanesberg Airport will boost tourism  

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Picture: The Pilanesberg International Airport

By BAKANG MOKOTO

8 April 2025- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi said they have invested R25 million in the refurbishment of the Pilanesberg Airport to support the booming tourist numbers in the Bojanala, Sun City and Pilanesberg nodal point. Mokgosi said in addition, the road between Majakaneng and Sun City will be given a facelift of R29 million.

He further said discussions are underway between the provincial government and SANRAL to revamp an additional 40km of this road in preparation of G20 activities. Mokgosi added that, the construction of the D424 road and Visser Street in Mahikeng has commenced.

“The major road works set at a budget of R68m will start from Lonely Park, passing through Embassy and Golf View all the way up to the R49 intersection.

“We have resolved in our last EXCO session to appoint the North West Department of Public Works and Roads to spearhead the establishment of the North West Road Agency,” he said.  

Mokgosi said the establishment of an agency dedicated to the road infrastructure will enable better management and maintenance of the provincial road network through innovative models and reforms. He said this will be achieved by building internal capacity of professionals and will strengthen the collaborative engagements with investors for the agency to mobilise finances to increase investment in road infrastructure.

“The North West Provincial Government has set aside a budget of R100m to kick start the Growth Fund, which will attract further collaboration with the private sector to work together to deliver on strategic projects and fund initiatives that create jobs and grow the economy of the province.

“The foundation is laid and the North West Provincial Government service delivery machinery is moving ahead at great speed to radically transform government performance and delivery for the tenure of the current administration,” said Mokgosi.  

He said this assertion is not only their boastful claims, but has been confirmed by the Auditor General in the PFMA audit outcomes and in several meetings they have had with the AG since taking office. Mokgosi said they are convinced that with the improvements in the audit outcomes at a provincial level, they can achieve clean audits for all provincial government departments by the end of the term of the 7th administration.

“We currently have two departments which are Provincial Treasury and Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation with clean audits. This achievement is a product of our dedicated and focused monitoring and support to departments in the implementation of post audit action plans across departments.

“The Office of the Premier and Social Development should boast our numbers of clean audits soon. We have concluded the 2024/25 financial year with no new material audit concerns, recording a satisfactory expenditure level of 99.2 %,” he said.

Mokgosi said the preliminary spending report which is still to be subjected to the audit indicates that of R54.3 billion adjusted budget, actual expenditure accounts for R53.8 billion. He said this improved performance will be sustained in the current fiscal year and it remains this government commitment that no funds would be returned to the national coffers as they have the responsibility to provide much needed services to the people through this utilization of limited resources.

“Moreover, the R421 million which was not utilized by the Departments will be rolled over to the new financial year and will be spent on projects already committed by the government.

“At the beginning of the 7th administration, we dedicated this term of office to job creation, in particular opportunities aimed at changing the lives of the youth,” said Mokgosi.

He said this commitment remains a driving inspiration behind government programmes and all development initiatives.

Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Member of Provincial Legislature (MPL), Justice Dabampe said: “We welcome the decision by the North West Provincial Government to support EFF policies on building state capacity and doing away with tenders and outsourcing.

“You will remember that, it has been our battle cry that we must build state capacity and we said through the establishment of the state road agency, such will be realised.”

Dabampe said they will ensure that the state road agency does not become yet another cash cow or a failed project of the ruling party as it is the case with the NTI and Mmabana Foundation. He said they will ensure that permanent people are employed after the establishment of the agency.

“We should not rely on outsourcing because the agency is progressive and will assist as we know our road conditions are bad. There are no roads that are trafficable, especially during the rainy season because tenderpreneurs are just doing it for money without the interests of the people of the province at heart.

“So, this road agency asserts our long call that we have to do away with tenders and build state capacity. This will ensure that everything is done inhouse without outsourcing. There is nothing about the people of the North West without them,” he said.     

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‘North West Provincial Government in a better shape’

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Picture: The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi

By OBAKENG MAJE

8 April 2025- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi said the month of April 2025 marks the beginning of the first full financial year of the 7th administration following the completion of the 2024/2025 financial year half of which fell under the 6th administration. Mokgosi who was briefing the media in Mahikeng last week regarding the EXCO outcome said, they are happy that they have ended the 2024/25 financial year on a high note.

He further said they have laid a firm administrative foundation to launch the Programme of Action of the 7th administration under the newly adopted Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) centered on three strategic focus areas, which is to drive inclusive growth and job creation, to reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living.

“This includes building a capable, ethical and developmental state. The implementation of the MTDP will be outlined during the tabling of departmental budgets in the upcoming months. The North West Provincial Government is in a better shape than ever before with all governance and service delivery structures in place and functioning at optimum levels.

“The Executive Council has not missed a single of its meetings since the inception of the 7th administration and all EXCO cluster meetings have been held as scheduled, supported by Technical Clusters of Heads of Departments under the leadership of the Director General,” said Mokgosi.

He added that all committees supporting and advising him to exercise his constitutional role as Head of Government are in place and meeting regularly. Mokgosi said this includes the Premier’s Economic and Investment Advisory Council, Infrastructure Coordinating Council, Premier’s Political Oversight Committee on municipalities and the Shareholders Political Committee on State Owned Entities.

“In the next two months, all Provincial Government Departments will have substantive Heads of Departments after conclusion of recruitment processes for the remaining vacant posts.

“We have improved coordination and cooperation with local governments through the North West Premier’s Coordinating Council with Executive Mayors and Mayors of municipalities. The work of this intergovernmental structure is yielding desired results as captured in the MFMA improved audit outcomes as reported by the Auditor General,” he said.

Mokgosi said all municipalities submitted their 2023/24 Annual Financial Statements (AFS) and were subjected to the audit, resulting in 3 unqualified audit opinions, 13 qualified audit, 3 adverse and 3 disclaimers. He said this indicates an improvement from the previous financial years with disclaimers being reduced from 9 to 3.

“As government, we are fully committed to assist all municipalities with good governance practices that would ensure that we do away with adverse and disclaimers audit outcomes and we convert from unqualified to clean audits.

“Furthermore, we have deployed experts in town planning, engineering, finance and ICT in various fields as part of the local government turn-around strategy and to assist municipalities with skills transfer,” said Mokgosi.

He said the Ditsobotla Local Municipality, continues to receive support in terms of Section 139 (5) (a) and (c) of the Constitution read together with Section 139 of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) albeit under difficult conditions. Mokgosi said the municipality is also being supported in terms of Section 154 of the Constitution.

“A multi-disciplinary team of officials from different government departments and other entities has been established to unblock service delivery challenges afflicting the municipality.

“We are moving Bokone Bophirima forward. Our province will host no less than 5 sector meetings of the G20 as part of the build up to South Africa’s hosting of the G20 Heads of State summit later in the year,” he said.

Mokgosi said this includes, the Women Empowerment Working Group, Energy Transition and Young Entrepreneurs Alliance Leadership Assembly among others. He said the opportunity to be awarded the right to host these meetings came at the right time to align with our already ongoing programme to build strategic infrastructure projects to support our tourism drive.

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Northern Cape Provincial Government to commemorate Human Rights Day

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Picture: The civilians fighting against apartheid system/Google

By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

18 March 2025- The North West Premier, Dr Zamani Saul will lead the commemoration of Human Rights Day in Okiep, in the Namakwa District on 21 March 2025. Saul spokesperson, Naledi Gaosekwe said Human Rights Day is commemorated under the theme: “Deepening a Culture of Social Justice and Human Rights,” which emphasises the continuous need for transformative action to ensure that human rights are not only recognised but fully realised for every individual, everywhere.

Gaosekwe further said Human Rights Month continues to remember and honour those who enabled them to achieve freedom and democracy. She added that this includes the courageous men and women who marched in Sharpeville and Langa on 21 March 1960, for the total abolition of

pass laws.

“The Sharpeville Massacre and Langa March exposed the brutality of apartheid for the whole world to see and united our people’s unyielding resolve for freedom. This year’s commemoration of Human Rights Month coincides with the 70th

anniversary of the adoption of the Freedom Charter. The Freedom Charter proclaims that, “South Africa belongs to all who live in it” and that “all shall be equal before the law”.

“It is the foundation on which our world acclaimed Constitution was drafted. As we commemorate Human Rights Month, it is important to note that Library Week is also celebrated annually from the 17 – 23 March in South Africa. An array of

programs to foster a culture of reading and encourage community members to sign up for membership at their local libraries has been planned for this week,” said Gaosekwe.

She said these programs will be held in all 5 Districts of the Northern Cape at the various community libraries and will be linked to the important role libraries play as an integral and often

underappreciated role in promoting social justice and safeguarding human rights. Gaosekwe said this year, as part of commemorating Human Rights Month, the Northern Cape Provincial Government will also honour Grace Seboto through the

unveiling of a tombstone on 20 March 2025, in Paballelo.

“Grace Seboto was one the first women of the Northern Cape, who went into exile, where she was subjected to vigorous training in order to be part of a detachment to fight for the freedom and liberation of South Africa. The very Freedom we are enjoying today,” she said.

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The country mourns the death of Rosemary Mangope

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Picture: The deceased, MmaKgosi Rosemary Mangope of Bahurutshe Boo-Manyaane at Motswedi village/Supplied  

By BAKANG MOKOTO

17 March 2025- The North West Premier, Lazarus Kagiso Mokgosi has on behalf of the North West Provincial Government (NWPG), expressed sadness at the passing of MmaKgosi Rosemary Mangope of Bahurutshe Boo-Manyaane at Motswedi village in Lehurutshe, Zeerust. Rosemary is the wife of Kgosi Kwena Mangope, who is also the leader of Action SA in the North West Provincial Legislature (NWPL).

The Action SA president, Herman Mashaba said in a statement that, it is with profound sadness that they announce the passing of the beloved Rosemary Nishebo Mangope, the Queen of Bahurutshe boo Manyane, who departed this life on Saturday following a battle with cancer. Masahaba said Nishebo, as she was affectionately known, was not only a loyal and trusted member of the political party, but also a beacon of hope and progress in community development across South Africa.

“Mmakgosi’s remarkable legacy spans decades of selfless dedication to service and upliftment communities. A highly educated leader, she held multiple degrees including a BA in Social Science, Honours in Sociology, and an MA Social Science from the then University of Bophuthatswana, now the North West University (NWU).

“Her passion for education saw her obtaining a Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Development from the Indira Gandhi Open University in New Delhi. Amongst some of her remarkable achievements was founding the Mmabana Arts Cultural Centres that have produced numerous prominent South African artists,” he said.

Mashaba further said throughout Nishebo’s career, she held several prestigious positions, including Chief Director at the Department of Sports Arts and Culture, Divisional Executive at the Development Bank of Southern Africa, and CEO of the Arts Council until her retirement in April 2022. He added that, up until her passing, Mmaarona Mmakgosi remained committed to community development projects through her signature initiatives including Ikanye & Moito Projects.

“Her campaigns embodied her philosophy of self-reliance and empowerment, captured in the saying “Mphe mphe o a lapisa, motho o kgonwa ke sa gagwe” (Believe in yourself, believe in your own strength). We have lost several very dear people in Action SA over the relatively short period of our existence as a party.

“All of them are a great loss to us and to South Africa, mindful of their contribution to our political journey. To my family – especially to Connie, my dear wife, Ntshebo was a lot more than a colleague, but a friend,” said Mashaba.

He said they are deeply saddened by her passing and they hold her husband and their dear friend, Kgosi Kwena Mangope, close to their hearts. Mashaba said Nishebo’s passing is another big loss to the country.

“Nishebo is survived by her two children, two grandchildren and her husband, Kgosi Kwena Mangope, the leader of the Bahurutshe Boo Manyana Traditional Community. Action SA calls upon all South Africans to keep Kgosi Kwena Mangope and the entire Mangope family in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

“Her warm personality, infectious energy, and dedication to community service will be sorely missed by all who knew her. Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course,” he said.

Mokgosi said an academic in her own right, MmaKgosi Mangope was an astute administrator who left an indelible mark in the country’s Arts and Culture fraternity as well as youth development.

“In relation to the latter, she was the founder of the Mmabana Arts Foundation centred on giving opportunities to young people in rural and periphery communities to excel in arts and sports.

“A life-long commitment which produced globally recognised stars in music, dramatic arts and gymnastics among others,” he said.

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North West Premier takes Thuntsa Lerole Reloaded campaign to Matloding

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Picture: North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi

By OBAKENG MAJE

6 March 2025- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi will on Friday, lead the rollout of Accelerated Service Delivery Thuntsha Lerole Reloaded Programme in Matloding village, near Mahikeng. The roll out of Thuntsha Lerole Reloaded activities in Matloding comes after the pronouncement by Mokgosi in his recent State of the Province Address (SOPA) that the Matloding Cultural Village is expected to be completed by the end of next month.

Mokgosi spokesperson, Sello Tatai said to give impetus to this announcement, Mokgosi will on Friday conduct an oversight visit to the cultural village, to monitor progress in this regard. Tatai said this visit underscores the commitment to completing the project on time, which aims to enhance cultural heritage and tourism in the region.

“In recognition of the challenges faced by young people in the area, Mokgosi will also lead the handing over of livestock and vegetables packages linked to the Presidential Employment Stimulus Phase 3, to nine local beneficiaries. The packages include animal feed and medication, fertilizers, water tanks and garden tools.

“Additionally, utensils for the National School Nutrition Programme will be delivered to Mothusi Marumoloa Secondary School, while fresh vegetables will be donated to the Matloding Community Nutrition Development Centre, benefiting the Masamane and Matloding areas. Integrated health services will be provided on-site, offering a range of essential health interventions aimed at improving residents’ overall well-being,” he said.

Tatai further said, assistive devices, including six wheelchairs and five walking frames, will be issued to identified beneficiaries during the feedback session. He added that road maintenance and improvement activities will also be carried out to enhance road safety and infrastructure.

“Planned activities include the blading of Road Z455 from D414 through Matloding to Logageng, as well as potholes patching on D414 from Seweding to Matloding. Maintenance work will also be done on roads D979 and D970 covering the stretch from Setlagole N18 through Mosita to P183/1 Matloding, benefiting various villages along the route. “Potholes patching and blading of the Logageng internal roads in Ward 4 will also be performed. As part of encouraging a cleaner environment and proper waste management in rural areas, a campaign will be held to address illegal dumping in Moshawane, Logageng and Matloding villages,” said Tatai.

He said these initiatives aim to improve the overall condition of the roads and maintain a cleaner, safer environment for all residents in the affected areas. Tatai said Mokgosi will be joined by Members of Executive Council (MECs), District and Local Municipality Executive Mayors and the local traditional leadership.

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North West Premier allocates R690m for NSNP

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Picture: Learners receiving food in school through NSNP/Generic

By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

1 March 2025- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi said his government has allocated over R690 million to the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) in the next financial year. Mokgosi will assist to feed more than 750 000 learners in 1300 schools across the province.

He further said the monthly stipend that they pay to food handlers will be increased to R2190. Mokgosi added that North West is the first province to introduce breakfast in 300 schools across the province to cushion learners in impoverished communities against high poverty levels in their communities through the NSNP.

“We can report to the people of the North West that breakfast will now be rolled out to cover all secondary schools, while the number of primary schools benefiting from this initiative will be increased from 272 to 350.

“This means that the government will serve two meals per day in these schools. This includes Bonwakgogo Primary School in Chaneng in Rustenburg, Gaetsho Secondary School in Boikhutso, Ditsobotla, Saruchera Primary School in Huhudi and Mmokeng Secondary

School in Kanana, Orkney,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) said NSNP is the government programme that provides one nutritious meal to all learners in poorer primary and secondary schools. The department said its objective is to provide nutritious meals to learners so as to improve their ability to learn. The DBE said according to its 2013/14 annual report, the programme has reached more than 9 million learners in quintile 1, 2 and 3 schools.

“The programme also teaches learners and parents how to lead a healthy lifestyle, and promotes development of school vegetable gardens.”

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Mokgosi outlines strategies to drive inclusive growth and creating jobs  

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Picture: North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi  

By OBAKENG MAJE 

27 February 2025- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi said the State of the Province Address (SOPA) sets the tone for the implementation of the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP-2025-2030) in the next five years. Mokgosi said the MTDP is anchored on three strategic priorities such as driving inclusive growth and creating jobs. 

He further said this includes, reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living as well as building a cable, ethical and developmental state. Mokgosi added that to achieve these objectives, a government that works for the people is needed.

“We need a state that is capable and competent, underpinned by a professional public service. South Africans want a state that treats all people with dignity, humility and respect. 

“A state with leaders who are prepared to serve our people with complete dedication, and public servants who are ethical, skilled and properly qualified. The 2025 SOPA is a culmination of a broader consultative process with various stakeholders to find consensus on matters of socio-economic concern confronting the province,” he said.

Mokgosi said they are concerned about the high levels of unemployment and poverty confronting the communities. He said they are a province endowed with natural resources such as minerals and weather conditions that permit a conducive environment for agriculture to thrive, as well as majestic tourist attraction sites that they must exploit to create economic opportunities for the people.

“The recent Quarterly Labour Force Survey, where our province shed 20 000 jobs, putting the expanded unemployment rate at 52%, must galvanize and unite all of us to tackle these issues, head on. 

“Therefore, aggressive measures are needed to find solutions to these challenges. The provincial treasury will be seized with the responsibility to develop a framework and regulations that speaks to localization through Supply Chain Management Policies related to the new Public Procurement Act without obstructing the country’s Constitutional imperatives,” said Mokgosi.

He said his government has so far garnered investments of R9 billion by Harmony Gold and China Africa Precious Metals in the City of Matlosana Local Municipality. Mokgosi said these investments have collectively created and preserved 10 000 jobs.

“The Mekgareng Smart City project, which is a collaborative development initiative between the North West and Gauteng, coordinated by the national Department of Human Settlements, will create 20 000 jobs for the people of Madibeng Local Municipality.

“The project is estimated to attract investments of between R10 billion and R25 billion rands. We have allocated R24 million to establish a Development Fund to accelerate development initiatives across the province,” he said.

Mokgosi said this will be done with a special focus to stimulate economic growth and create sustainable job opportunities. He said the work of the Economic and Investment Advisory Council is beginning to yield desired results.

“The Council is responsible for assisting the province to drive its industrialization programme, lure investments and see to the full implementation of the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy (PGDS).

“We envisage to establish a Regional Research, Innovation and Development Office, which will be in, and coordinated by, the Office of the Premier with a specific focus on Science, Technology and Engineering,” said Mokgosi.

He said they have also partnered with the South African Defense Force (SANDF) and Phila Jordan Academy (Pty) Ltd to provide training opportunities to 3000 beneficiaries in artisanal and tooling programmes, through the South African National Service Institute (SANSI) Pilot Programme, which is a SANDF-led National Youth Service (NYS) programme. Mokgosi said this initiative is aimed at providing training skills programmes, through refurbishment of government buildings by young people, as well as providing incubation, mentorship, and market access support to youth-led enterprises.

“Furthermore, more than 1200 young people are participating in a National Youth Service Programme at the Departments of Public Works and Roads, Human Settlements, Social Development, and Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation. 

“In addition to the aforementioned figure, a further 7000 young people were provided with skills to enter the job market and placed in various job opportunities. Moreover, more than 5000 youth owned enterprises were supported with financial and non-financial business development interventions by supporting their entrepreneurial skills through the NYDA Grant Programme,” he said.

Mokgosi said more than 3000 young people have been exposed to various employment opportunities as ambassadors of One Stop Centres, SMME development through the Empowerment Fund and as tourism monitors across the province. He said the province will collaborate with the Department of Small Business Development to accelerate government programs to revitalise village and township economies.

“As a province, we will drive this partnership through the North West Development Corporation (NWDC) and relevant national entities to realize this objective,”SAID Mokgosi. 

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North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi aims at empowering emerging commercial farmers

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Picture: North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi/Facebook

By OBAKENG MAJE

27 February 2025- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi said as part of the poverty alleviation programmes in rural communities, his government will be working hand-in-glove with the North West House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders under the stewardship of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development through Agri-hubs in collaboration with the North West University (NWU), Agriculture Research Council, and other stakeholders.

Mokgosi, who delivered the State of the Province (SOPA) today at the North West Provincial Legislature (NWPL) in Mahikeng, said the objective is primarily aimed at driving agricultural development to empower emerging commercial farmers, while contributing to sustainable economic growth to address high poverty levels at rural communities and in district municipalities such as Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati and Ngaka Modiri Molema.

He further said on Monday, he will be launching a flagship programme of this initiative at the University’s Molelwane Farm in Mahikeng. Mokgosi added that in the next financial year, they will launch the “Ntime o Mphele Ngwana Poverty Alleviation Programme”, which is centred on addressing hunger and starvation amongst children and youth in economically depressed communities.

“I want to urge various non-governmental organisations and the private sector to partner with us in executing this initiative. Through the ILIMA/Letsema Programme and the Presidential Employment Stimulus, we are supporting over 5000 subsistence farmers in ensuring that no households in the province go to bed hungry.

“More than R60m has been set aside for the successful implementation of these programmes. An additional R80m of conditional grants will support farming communities in increasing food production across the province,” he said.

Mokgosi said the resuscitation of the Taung Irrigation Scheme is in full swing following their ongoing discussions and consultations with Bogosi and other key stakeholders. He said plans are already afoot to also revitalise the Disaneng, Molatedi, Hartebees and Mooibank Irrigation Schemes.

“In giving impetus to these plans, we will host a two-day Irrigation Symposium on the 5 and 6 March 2025, to develop a framework, as well as an implementation plan to drive agricultural production in rural and periphery communities.

“Restoring the dignity of our people remains one of the apex priorities of this government. To date over 6000 hectares of land have been restored to communities and rightful owners,” said Mokgosi.

He said through this programme, R4.5 billion was spent on land acquisition with over R430 million paid as development grants. Mokgosi said this includes the Bo-Moshe Communal Property Association, where over 670 hectares of land valued at more than R380m was restored to the community, which produces berries for export to international markets.

“This restoration has culminated in the investment of more than R40m and has created close to 5000 seasonal jobs and 31 permanent jobs for locals,” he said.

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North West govt set aside R935m for water and sanitation projects

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Picture: North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi

By OBAKENG MAJE

11 February 2025- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi said as the country marks the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Freedom Charter, they need to remind themselves of the objectives they set for themselves in the National Development Plan (NDP).

Mokgosi said the objectives they set themselves include to build a more prosperous country that is progressively, eradicating poverty and inequality, to eliminate the effects of apartheid and colonial discrimination that has scarred the society, in order to lay the basis for greater social cohesion.

He further said this includes unity and opportunity. Mokgosi added that the North West is arguably the richest province in South Africa, yet has the highest unemployment rate in the country.

“Experts and academics call it the paradox of the plenty. Therefore, something drastic needs to be done to turn the tide against this socio-economic conundrum. We welcome the process for the review of the White Paper on Local Government.

“The North West Executive Council is the first to be consulted and will be submitting our proposals in due course. It is our wish that this process not be rushed, but allow for broad and extensive relook into our governance model and design,” he said.

Mokgosi said this will enable them to learn from the mistakes of local governance since its inception. He said the North West province supports the position adopted by SALGA that the funding model of local government be prioritised and run parallel with the white paper review process.

“We are also of the view that a broader conversation is needed to include overall public sector funding review, which includes equitable funding to provinces.

“A holistic funding review process should in our view include in-depth scrutiny of the Division of Revenue Model to determine whether its current form is assisting poor provinces to address the socio-economic needs of the people,” said Mokgosi.

He said North West is of the firm view that the current equitable share allocation model should be centred on addressing developmental challenges confronting provinces based on their needs and not the population. Mokgosi said this should be done without compromising the unitary nature of our fiscal framework.

“However, we are hard at work to improve the functionality and service delivery performance of our local municipalities through the Local Government Turnaround Strategy. We are collaborating with the National Treasury through mandatory interventions to assist municipalities with financial recovery plans, governance and skills audit.

“There is progress, but more still needs to be done to bring the state of local governance in the North West on par with the rest of the country. We have increased the tempo of the province’s Accelerated Service Delivery Programme (Thuntsha Lerole), now Reloaded to prioritise rural communities,” he said.  

Mokgosi said this has given them the chance to strengthen and solidify their relations with the traditional leaders, by prioritising water, sanitation and road infrastructure projects in these communities. He said close to R450 million has been set aside to implement water and sanitation projects in villages such as Bodibe, Ramosadi, Signal Hill, Dinokana and Lobatla among others.

“A further R485 million has been committed for the construction of a pipeline from the Bloemhof Dam to Mamusa Local Municipality. This project, which is due to be completed in June 2025, will alleviate water provision challenges in Schweizer Reneke and surrounding towns.

“In November 2024, we handed over a R96 million bulk sewer and reticulation plant at Rekgaratlhile, near Stella in Naledi Local Municipality. Several more projects of a similar kind are being implemented in various parts of the province,” said Mokgosi.

He said North West is a province on the move. Mokgosi said they have laid the foundation for most of the ambitious plans for the future of the province.

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‘A lack of tangible financial management systems in municipalities a concern’

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Picture: North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi

By OBAKENG MAJE

25 January 2025- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi said he wishes to express his profound gratitude and stand before this important gathering which is primarily aimed at assisting the municipalities to find solutions to a variety of challenges stifling their constitutional mandate and developmental needs.

Mokgosi said he wanted to out rightly state that the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and in particular Section 152 of the Constitution implores municipalities to provide democratic and accountable government through sustainable provision of goods and services. He further said moreover, the Constitution induces municipalities to commit to good governance practices such as accountability, transparency as well as responsiveness by being development orientated through working with citizens to find sustainable ways to meet their social, economic and material needs as well as improving their quality of life.

“All these serve as a Constitutional imperative for the efficient running of municipalities in that this sphere of government is strategically positioned to reverse the injustices of the past, which among others are as a consequence of separate development and Apartheid spatial planning.

“In the past 30 years we have made significant progress in turning the tide against the skewed allocation of resources in our communities by the Apartheid government. To this end we have increased provision of housing by 46 % and from 1996 to date over 85. 1 % of households in our province live in formal dwellings,” said Mokgosi.

He added that, in addition to this, more than 85.6% residents of North West have access to piped or tap water in their dwellings and the General Household Survey shows that access to improved sanitation is standing at 78.3 % since the advent of democracy. Mokgosi said despite these achievements municipalities are inundated with both political and administrative challenges which have fermented an unpleasant environment, which continues to impede on our efforts to render services to our people.

“Announcing audit outcomes of municipalities in the last financial year, Auditor General Tsakani Maluleke, maintained that municipalities in our province have shown little improvement in their audit outcomes, with none of them receiving a clean audit.

“Of concern is a lack of tangible financial management systems which have led to irregular expenditure, unfunded budget and delays in paying service providers among others,” he said.

Mokgosi said compounding these challenges is a lack of oversight and weak leadership. He said municipalities in Ngaka Modiri Molema Region mirror a similar trajectory. He said none of these municipalities received a clean audit outcome with Ditsobotla and Ratlou Local Municipalities, receiving disclaimers for two consecutive financial years.

“Ditsobotla, Ramotshere Moiloa and Tswaing currently under mandatory intervention in terms of Section 139 (5) of the Constitution read together with Section 139 of the Municipal Finance Management Act. However, there is a glimmer of hope in relation to Ngaka Modiri Molema, Mahikeng and Ramotshere Moiloa.

“I believe that given the systems that have been put in place through various interventions by North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Oageng Molapsi and North West MEC for Treasury, Kenetswe Mosenogi, will move from qualified to unqualified audit opinion,” he said.

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