By OBAKENG MAJE
12 June 2025- There is a growing discontent and concern surrounding the recruitment processes of the traffic officers’ learnership programme from the North West Community Safety and Transport Management. Now, the North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management said it is probing the matter after it received a complaint letter from one of the disgruntled applicants.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Freddy Sonakile said they were told that the recruitment process was at the advanced stage. Sonakile said, however, they were shocked when they received a letter from one of the concerned applicants, who even underwent interviews.
“The applicant felt that the process was flouted. I then forwarded it to the Head of Department (HOD), Dr Hans Kekana, to provide us with a full report regarding all processes that ensued during recruitment.
“This will mean that he will have to provide us with a short-listing process, how many people have applied, how did they get to the one that they have recruited, including verification of the nepotism allegations,” he said.
Sonakile further said after receiving the report, they will table it to the committee for a way forward. He added normally, if they believe the recruitment process was flouted, they will rope in the Public Service Commission (PSC) to investigate deeper in terms of legislation of Human Resource.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Member of Provincial Legislature (MPL) in the North West Provincial Legislature, Fanon Moema said they have received a leaked list that is alleged to be signed off by the North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng. Moema they are told that those who were selected relate to those who were in the panel and occupying executive positions in the North West Provincial Government.
“There are allegations that an individual very close to the North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi, is also part of the list. There is an individual who shares the same surname with Morweng and is also part of the list.
“There is also a person who appears to be a girlfriend of one of the ANCYL members in North West and a councillor in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality area,” he said.
Moema said they are going to ensure that the ugly head of nepotism or cadre deployment does not exist, while young people are genuinely faced with unemployment, inequality and poverty.
Meanwhile, the North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management spokesperson, Oshebeng Koonyaditse said: “The positions for the Traffic Learnership Programme were advertised and the process to select candidates was embarked upon.
“This was done in line with the DPSA guidelines and the Public Service Regulations on employment processes and procedures. Since then, there had been numerous allegations of wrongdoing and none of the complainants came forward with any iota of evidence.”
Picture: The traffic officers during parade in North West
The Guardian 