Picture: North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi
By OBAKENG MAJE
17 February 2026- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi said they are hard at work to turn the tide against a litany of socio-economic challenges afflicting their developmental path. Mokgosi said the upward trajectory in audit outcomes speaks to the systems they have put in place to ensure that they put emphasis on ethical leadership.
Mokgosi, who was delivering his speech during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate in Cape Town on Tuesday, said eight out of ten departments in the province received clean and unqualified outcomes in the last audit cycle. He said this stability has trickled down to the Departments such as Health as it continues to lead the pack in drug-resistant TB management in the country with a success rate of between 84% and 86%.
“These efforts have also been bolstered by an allocation of additional R200 million rand for the employment of nurses, doctors as well as procurement of new ambulances.
Furthermore, the NSC results of 2025, which currently sits at 88.94%, the fourth highest in the country after affluent provinces, is consistent with our efforts of infrastructure development in our distressed communities.
“There are equally improvements in the overall outcome of these results in rural and farm schools. As a consequence, we managed to reduce the learner performance gap between disadvantaged schools with resourced ones, and as a matter of fact 54% of Bachelor passes in our province were recorded in no-fee schools,” he said.
Mokgosi further said they are fixing the local government and working hand in glove with the national government. He added that they have brought stability in Ditsobotla Local Municipality following the introduction of the National Cabinet Representative.
“We are monitoring developments in Matlosana Local Municipality with a view of strengthening existing intervention measures to improve the situation. On a positive note the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality will this Friday sign a Memorandum of Cooperation with Infrastructure South Africa under the auspices of Adopt A Municipality Initiative.
“This will see the municipality benefiting from various infrastructure projects that are aimed at expediting provision of services for residents. This municipality has ticked all the right boxes in the form of improved audit outcomes as well as honouring payments with third parties,” said Mokgosi.
He said they have recently held the Local Government Kgotha-Kgothe under the theme: “Every Municipality Must Work”. Mokgosi said this is part of the ongoing commitment by the provincial government to ensure that all municipalities are functional, responsive, and accountable to the people they serve.
“There are encouraging signs of recovery after the province recorded 42 000 new jobs in the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. Our efforts of creating an additional 12 000 jobs are gaining traction as we seek to implement the Bojanala Special Economic Zone, which will be anchored on investment commitments amounting to R12 billion.
“We envision the SEZ to be licensed in the next financial year.
In giving impetus to these bold pronouncements we will also be signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure this Friday, to resuscitate the Pilanesberg Airport,” he said.
Mokgosi said once fully operational the airport will serve as a strategic access point to Sun City, Pilanesberg National Park, as well as the Special Economic Zone, thus creating various economic opportunities for locals. He said this economic drive is further amplified by the implementation of four critical road projects at Madibeng, Moses Kotane and Taung Local Municipalities and they will serve as strategic corridor routes between the provinces of Gauteng and Northern Cape.
“A total budget of R980 million has been set aside for this initiative. The Department of Public Works and Roads has been allocated an additional R256 million, which includes R150 million in the form of a disaster relief fund to address repairs of roads and bridges that were damaged by floods last year.
“Moreover, the construction of 2900 housing units across the four districts of our province is well underway. We have resolved to allocate 80% of the budget to complete all blocked housing projects,” said Mokgosi.
He said to date 70% of these projects have been completed. Mokgosi said just last year, they handed over 300 housing units to residents of Tshing Extension 19, near Ventersdorp.
“Through Operation Bulela Metsi, several water infrastructure projects in Dinokana, Tlhabane, Ipelegeng, Ikageng, Lonely Park, Jourbeton, Ellaton, Loraine, Kanana and Khuma are at different stages of completion to ensure consistent supply of water in these areas.
“Plans are already in motion for the commercialisation of rural and communal farms, at Springbokpan in Ditsobotla Local Municipality. Over 100 farmers across 23 villages will benefit from these R40 million initiatives in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality,” he said.
Mokgosi said the provincial disaster management centre has been activated to assist farmers and help arrest the spread of foot and mouth disease. He said they have also put measures in place for farmers to adhere to the dictates of the protocols for the movement of cattle as a means to avert and curb new infections.
“We have never claimed to be perfect, but we will be true to the course of reversing all the injustices meted on our people by over 300 years of Colonial-Apartheid Rule,” said Mokgosi.
The Guardian 