By AGISANANG SCUFF
11 August 2025- The North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs said it will hold an oversight meeting with the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs and North West Housing Corporation over the First Quarter 2025/26 Performance reports.
The meeting will take place at NWPL Committee Room 2 on Tuesday between 1pm and 4pm.
By BAKANG MOKOTO
19 February 2025- The North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs said it is pleased on the progress made by the department regarding unblocking housing project. This comes after the committee completed its oversight visit to assess the provision of houses and also progress of unblocking housing projects in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District.
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, Kgalalelo Makgokgowa, commended the North West Department of Human Settlements on the good job they have done. Makgokgowa said the housing projects that the department has unblocked are on the verge of completion and that showed commitment on the side of the department.
“The committee conducted oversight visits at Mankuroane Gardens housing project in Mokassa village, near Taung. The program is aimed at strengthening oversight and public participation and to promote accountability and transparency in government.
“During the program, Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs) interact with different provincial departments and their MECs, mayors, accounting officers and members of the Municipal Public Accounts Committees (MPAC),” she said.
Makgokgowa further said different Portfolio Committees conduct oversight visits to various projects in the district to check their status quo and challenges therein. She added that the Baga-Phuduhucwana unblocked housing project is situated in Mokassa 2, Tamasikwa and Lokgabeng villages.
“The project was blocked in February 2020, due to poor workmanship of the contractor and underlying challenges. It was unblocked in 15 June 2024, where Hakhensa Consulting was appointed to finish different milestones such as foundations, wall plates, roof levels and other steps at a value of R13.7million.
“I have minimal complaints on what we actually found on the housing projects that the department has unblocked. What I can say is that for the department to continue doing this hard work and to work together with the committee to make sure that our citizens get access to proper and decent houses,” said Makgokgowa.
The North West MEC Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Oageng Molapisi, also expressed his
Satisfaction. However, Molapisi calls on more collaboration between municipal and departmental officials in ensuring proper service delivery.
“There has to be proper coordination between both spheres of government. We all have same goal of delivering houses with basic services to our communities. We must do all this guided by the district development model as directed by the president,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Director for Human Settlements in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District, Mpho Jaards said: “Despite the challenges of budget cuts that has affected the performance of the department, they are working tirelessly to ensure that service delivery is not affected in the housing delivery.
“This is a continued effort by the department to afford our communities to benefit by building them appropriate houses so as to sustain their livelihoods.
He said the department has prioritised working together with the committee to speed up the completion of unblocking housing projects across the province.
By OBAKENG MAJE
9 January 2025- The North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs has urged the residents of Lichtenburg and local areas to remain calm as the North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi and the Ditsobotla Local Municipality, have promised to restore electricity which has been cut-off for over three consecutive weeks during the festive period.
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, chaired by Kgalalelo Makgokgowa said this follows commitments made by Mokgosi together with the North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Oageng Molapisi and the municipality who brought the two service providers on site to restore electricity by installing relevant electrical equipment within the municipal electricity grid.
Makgokgowa said communities should be patient with the provincial government and the municipality on resolving their electricity challenges.
“We request our people to wait for relevant processes to unfold as we believe that power will be restored soon as alluded by the provincial government.
“We received a report that electricity has been restored in certain parts of the municipality which shows a positive response to the challenges of the community at large. We also plead with the communities to respect and give the appointed service providers time and space to install the equipment so as to restore the electricity in all areas of Ditsobotla,” she said.
Makgokgowa further said they hope that there would not be any acts of violence including protests.
The Guardian 