By OBAKENG MAJE
15 November 2024- The North West Provincial Government (NWPG) said in its concerted effort to accelerate service delivery to its residents, it will continue to rollout Accelerated Service Delivery Programme, Thuntsha Lerole Reloaded across four districts of the province. On 15 November 2024, North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi joined by Members of Executive Council (MECs) and District and Local municipalities leadership, led the provincial programme at Maquassi Hills Local Municipality in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality.
Mokgosi said through this programme, key service delivery areas such as water and sanitation, roads maintenance, infrastructure projects, waste management, compliance monitoring and inspection and health and social services are prioritised. He further said amongst the activities that were conducted, was a site inspection of a water augmentation project, which was commissioned to improve water supply in the Wolmaranstad area and an oversight visit to a rehabilitation and reseal project of a 37km road from Wolmaranstad to Wesselsbron.
“Furthermore, four completed RDP houses and 10 title deeds were handed over to beneficiaries in Lebaleng and Tswelelang Townships respectively, while two local Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) providing care and protection services to the needy community, were presented with dummy cheques worth R3 million combined.
“The food security programme included planting of vegetable seedlings at the North West School for the Deaf at Leeudoringstad, handing over of bulls to female farmers at Louwpan Farm and Oersonskraal, distribution of fruit trees and vegetable packages to identified households and handing over of garden equipment to the existing four community gardens in Tswelelang,” said Mokgosi.
He added that to ensure alignment with the provincial Thuntsha Lerole Reloaded Programme, Ngaka Modiri Molema District will roll out its programme in Ga-Motlatla village in Ditsobotla Local Municipality, while in Bojanala Platinum District it will be at Ramaphosa Sports Ground in Moretele Local Municipality. Mokgosi said the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District programme will be at Geluksoord in Christiana, Lekwa Teemane Local Municipality.
“This week’s Thuntsha Lerole Reloaded Programme was also used to mobilise and assist communities to recode their electricity meters to Key Revision Number 2 (KRN 2), this as the deadline of 24 November is looming,” he said.
However, the Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Provincial Legislature (MPL) in North West Provincial Legislature (NWPL), Chris Steyl accused Mokgosi of abusing government resources to campaign on eve of Maquassi Hills Ward 5 by-election. Steyl said it appears that Mokgosi may be abusing provincial government resources under the guise of Thuntsha Lerole.
“Mokgosi’s so-called Accelerated Service Delivery programme is used to campaign in Maquassi Hills Ward 5, scheduled for a by-election on 4 December 2024, in which the ANC is contesting. He announced this week that he will bring all provincial government departments to Tswelelang, Extension 15, in Ward 5 Maquassi Hills, where his government will host a service delivery exhibition from 8am to 4pm and a community feedback session today.
“The Public Protector’s report, State and Party Colours released in 2016, found that the government has an obligation to ensure that there is no conflation between the party and the state. In this instance, it is obvious that the two are being conflated. The DA will request the Public Protector to investigate this event to confirm whether there has been an abuse of public resources.
“Any government resource abuse towards party-political gain indicates a desperate ANC trying to cling to electoral support. The ANC’s desperation to try and secure a win in this by-election follows the continued electoral losses suffered by an ANC that no longer enjoys popular support,” he said.
Steyl said Mokgosi must uphold his oath of office and govern in a manner that is beyond reproach. He said abusing government resources in this manner brings his government’s integrity into question.
“The residents of Tswelelang will not be so easily swayed. This community, much like all residents throughout Maquassi Hills, has been neglected by an uncaring ANC for decades. Residents continue to bear the burden of ANC corruption and failed governance which continues to leave them without access to basic services like reliable water and electricity supply, quality sanitation services, refuse removal, roads maintenance and poor economic and job prospects.
“In fact, year after year, the quality of life of Maquassi residents continues to erode while ANC comrades live largely on the taxpayers’ funded dime. The gravy train in Maquassi Hills must come to an end for ANC bigwigs,” said Steyl.
He said, instead, residents will rally behind the DA’s Ward 5 candidate, Councillor Don van Zyl, who diligently fights for improved governance and service delivery for all residents.
Picture: Democratic Alliance flag
The Guardian 