Premier Kagiso Lazarus Mokgosi: North West Executive Council media briefing

North West Executive Council media briefing statement at the Provincial Disaster Management Centre, Mahikeng

Programme Director
Exco Members
Heads of Departments
Journalists present Here and those following us on various platforms
Residents of the North West Province

Bagaetsho Dumelang

Programme Director, we meet here today on our quarterly engagement with members of the media following the country’s successful hosting of the G-20 Summit where leaders of top twenty economies in the world committed to advance a fair and equitable future for all.

As a province we pride ourselves with having hosted three key important events which served as a precursor for the first G20 Summit to be held on the African Continent.

This includes the Second G20 Education Working Group Meeting which was centred on improving access to Early Childhood Care and Education through building strong educational foundations.

The G20 Stakeholder Consultation which focused on women, youth and persons with disabilities which was held at MM Sebitloane Special School in Taung.

It was followed by the Third G20 Sherpas Meeting in Sun City where our country put emphasis on advancing Global South priorities such as inclusive growth, sustainable development, and social justice as well as debt sustainability for low-income economies, critical minerals, and the Just Energy Transition. 
Our country has firmly placed these issues at the heart of the global developmental trajectory, and their full implementation will assist the developing world and in particular provinces such as ours to address the scourge of unemployment and poverty confronting our people. 
Bagaetsho, just a few days ago MEC Kenetswe Mosenogi presented the 2025 Provincial Adjustment Budget.

This Fiscal Framework where an additional R1.4 billion was announced by the MEC is informed by encouraging signs of economic recovery that have begun to emerge across the country.

The Department of Health, Education and Public Works and Roads received the lion’s share of the budget.

This is primarily aimed at keeping up with government’s commitment to support effective teaching and learning, universal access to healthcare to all, as well as efforts to improve our road network infrastructure.

Programme Director, this quarterly Media Briefing comes at a time where our province, is observing Sixteen Days of Activism of No Violence Against Women and Children.

We have also successfully hosted the Commemoration of World AIDS Day in Tlhabane in Rustenburg Local Municipality last week Friday.

As a province we strongly support and are fully behind the fight against the two pandemics.

The Global AIDS Strategy 2021–2026, impresses upon us to address health inequalities by ensuring that we strengthen our efforts in equitable access of HIV & TB treatment as well as integrated health services.

As such over ninety-five percent of people living with HIV in our province know their status and those who are on treatment are virally suppressed.  Our province is leading the pack in drug-resistant TB management in the country with a success rate of between 84 and 86 percent.

Our efforts in addressing health related backlogs in the province have been given a boost by an allocation of two hundred million rand of additional funding of employment of nurses and doctors. ⁠⁠

This includes the procurement of fifty-four ambulances that are expected to be delivered before end on the year.

We also take this opportunity to reaffirm our support for GBVF victims by strengthening our capacity in safeguarding the rights of women and children.

We equally support President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call in declaring this scourge a national crisis.

As a province we maintain that it is through inclusive growth centred on the empowerment of women and the creation of a fairer society that we can defeat this pandemic.

Programme Director, expediting provision of services and job creation remain the most two important apex priorities that the province identified as needing our immediate and ongoing intervention.

Through deliberate developmental programmes aimed at addressing these challenges the North West Executive Council has approved the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy in May this year.

This strategy which is coupled with an implementation plan that provides a clear road map on the provincial efforts to ramp up the economy of the province through infrastructure development initiatives will be launched next year in February ahead of the State of the Province Address.

Bagaetsho, the latest quarterly labour force survey which depicts the creation of forty-two thousand jobs marking a drop of two percent in unemployment figures is indicative of a province hard at work to turn the tide against the scourge of unemployment in the province.  

Through agriculture which is one of the main economic drivers as encapsulated in the Growth Strategy, the province has succeeded in increasing both the scale and efficiency of crop production among smallholder and emerging farmers.

So far, over one thousand subsistence producers have been supported, and a total of over eighty-million-rand has been allocated to this initiative to strengthen agricultural support, food security and rural livelihoods.

Moreover, the Dunlop Wheel and Alignment Projects which have been launched under the auspices of Thuntsha Lerole, are now taking shape and will serve as catalysts for the revitalisation of local economic activities through market hubs for SMME development initiatives.  

In giving impetus to this promising trajectory, we will host provincial summits on Investments, Jobs and Mining. These summits will assist the province grow the economy, lure investments and create avenues for diversification through mineral beneficiation.

Bagaetsho, road infrastructure initiatives are gaining traction by day, and government continues to register tangible progress on major road rehabilitation projects that support mobility, economic activity and access to social services.

Several road infrastructure projects in Mahikeng, Kgetleng, Kagisano Molopo and Ditsobotla in Dudfield towards the Sephaku Mines, have been fully completed, providing safer and more efficient movement for communities, workers, and freight vehicles.

A one hundred-million-rand investment on the yellow fleet has been delivered and districts have been tasked to embark on a joint road maintenance initiative to address some of the backlogs experienced across the province. 
Moreover, with the R201 million allocated to the province for the implementation of the Welisizwe Rural Bridge Programme, we plan to create over 580 job opportunities in fourteen of the identified projects. 
Furthermore, we have set aside R476 million of the Provincial Road Management Grant allocation for rehabilitation and upgrading of road infrastructure through the utilization of block paving.

By so doing, we will be ensuring that these projects are labour-intensive thus yielding the creation of more job opportunities.

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 earlier this year.

Bagaetsho, Operation Bulela Metsi which was launched in the province, in collaboration with the Department of Water and Sanitation, as an intervention programme to ensure that all households have access to water, continues to bear positive fruits.

A R106 million water supply intervention project is currently underway in Dinokana at the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality to augment water provision to residents.

At Ikageng Township in JB Marks Local Municipality, the construction of a twenty-five Mega Litre (25ML) reservoir in on track.

The reservoir and the bulk distribution pipeline will supply water to communities in Ikageng Extension 1,4,5,9, and 12; Potch Industria, Mohadin as well as North Portion of Ikageng Ext 7.

Other projects that are being implemented through Municipal Infrastructure Grant - MIG to resolve or augment water provision include the Augmentation of Bulk Water Infrastructure in Ipelegeng, Schweizer Reneke at a cost of 131 million rand which is 95% complete.  

The City of Matlosana is also refurbishing the Electrical and Mechanical Equipment in the Water Pump Stations in Jourbeton, Ellaton, Loraine, Kanana and Khuma to ensure consistent supply of water in the area.

The R39,5M project will be completed soon.

Water supply projects which are at different stages of construction in Mahikeng Local Municipality includes, Madibe A Tau, Lonely Park, Setlopo and Mahikeng Rural Sanitation project.

A total budget of 385 million rand has been committed for these projects.

The Tlhabane Bulk Internal Water Reticulation which has been allocated 58 million rand is ninety-six percent complete while the Lethabong Internal Sewer Reticulation, Toilet Structures and Upgrading of Waste Water Treatment Works is progressing very well.  

The project is being executed at a budget of over 140 million rand and is eighty-two percent complete.

These efforts are a culmination of good governance practices that have been put in place to ensure that we meet our Constitutional mandate.  

This assertion is further given credence by our provincial audit outcomes which continue to demonstrate an upward trajectory as compared to the previous years.

In the latest audit cycle which ended in April this year, eight out of twelve departments received unqualified audit outcomes, with the Department of Arts, Sports, Culture and Recreation and Provincial Treasury receiving clean audits.

Only the Department of Education and Health received qualified audit opinions.

We wish to indicate that the appointment of the Departmental Head of Social Development has been concluded and an announcement in this regard will be made in due course.

The process to fill the vacancies for the Superintendent-General of the Department of Health as well as Head of Department for Agriculture and Rural Development has begun in earnest as their term of office is coming to an end in a few months.

We have subsequently deployed Mr Obakeng Mongale to the Office of the Premier to coordinate the provincial segment of the National Dialogue while Mr Mothupi Mokhatla will hold the fort as acting SG of the Health Department until the aforementioned process is concluded.

Programme Director, in strengthening the local sphere of government the National Cabinet resolved to place Ditsobotla Local Municipality under intervention in terms of Section 139 (7) of the Constitution a few months ago.

Cabinet subsequently appointed a National Cabinet Representative and team of experts to run the affairs of the municipality.

The intervention has brought stability to the municipality and Ditsobotla is no longer hogging news headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Furthermore, the investigations in Madibeng and Matlosana Local Municipalities have been concluded in terms of Section 106 investigations of the Municipal Structures Act.

This follows allegations of maladministration and corruption reported to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. The recommendations will be implemented by the MEC for CoGTA.

Investigations in Tswaing will be concluded before the end of the year.

We also welcome the Supreme Court of Appeal ruling on the matter of the Naledi Local Municipality Municipal Manager.

We implore the Council to swiftly implement the judgement of the Supreme Court of Appeal, failing which will result in the provincial government intervening on the matter guided by legislation.

Bagaetsho, the implementation of the Mandatory Financial Recovery Plans (FRPs) across the seven municipalities under intervention continues to progress positively.

Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality has advanced to the Sustainability Phase which is the final stage of the FRP implementation framework and has exited financial distress.

This achievement is a direct result of the municipality embracing the FRP, including the adoption of a funded budget and qualifying for the second one-third Eskom debt write-off.

Similarly, Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality has adopted a funded budget for the 2025/26 MTREF and has commenced implementation of the Sustainability Phase.

Based on the progress recorded to date, we anticipate that this municipality will exit financial distress by the end of the next quarter.

The provincial government commits to ensure that municipalities within the North West Province uphold sound financial management practices and accountability, in line with the Constitution and all applicable legislation.

The provincial government through the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs will also in February 2026 host the Provincial Local government Kgotha-kgothe under the theme “Every Municipality Must Work”.

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.

Bagaetsho, bogosi kupe! As the province we have established investigative committees in terms of Section 59 (2) of the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act, 2019 to deal with traditional leadership and related disputes.

We can report to the affected traditional authorities that the investigations are at different stages as follows;

• Bahurutshe ba ga Moiloa – Committee has finalised its report and submitted to the Premier for the consideration and implementation.  
• Bahurutshe boo Manyana – The Committee has been reconstituted and will be introduced to the interested parties on 11 December 2025
• Bahurutshe Boo Mokgetlha in Koffiekraal – the report of the Committee is still outstanding.
• Bakwena ba Mogopa – Committee is gathering oral evidence from witnesses.
  Programme Director, the Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee (PICC) has officially launched the 2025 Summer Initiation Season and has approved four hundred and forty-six traditional schools across the province.

Re dira boikuelo go baagi ba profense gore go senne le BoRra kgotsa BoMma Mophato bape ba ba dirang dikolo tsedi seng kafa molaong ka seno se tsenya matshelo a bana ba rona mo kotsing.

The province has activated the Safer Festive operations on the 17th of October 2025. The operation which is a multi-disciplinary PROVJOINTS (Provincial Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure), is coordinated and led by the South African Police Services.

The operation which has started on 1 October this year will run for one hundred and twenty-three (123) days until the end of January next year. This will be an all-inclusive crime fighting operation.

Part of the activities that the law enforcement will be focusing on, is the "January 8" event which will be held in Moruleng for the 114th anniversary of the African National Congress. Preparations for the event are well underway and the PROVJOINTS, is hard at work to ensure the safety of everyone who will be attending.

The key details for this year’s Safer Festive operations will include high-visibility of patrols, intelligence-driven operations, and targeted actions against specific crimes.

This will include, Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), aggravated robberies including hijackings and business robberies, enhanced border security and protecting tourism and economic hubs among others.

We also welcome the roll-out of the Ngaka Modiri Molema Commuter Transport following a tedious and long court battle. As a result, many of our residents were left stranded and had to dig deep into their pockets to commute between various destination points.

We wish to report to the people of Dr. Kenneth Kaunda that plans are underway to bring similar services closer to them.

Programme Director, preparations ahead of the Mahika-Mahikeng Cultural Festival are in full swing. The three day which will be held from the 12th to the 14 of December is aimed at unearthing talent in our province while celebrating our cultural diversity in the form of music, heritage and arts.

The provincial capital has for years been known as a cultural melting point through genres such as performing arts, music, storytelling, poetry and film.

This event forms part and parcel of our ongoing efforts to build a strong events economy and reincarnate as well as reposition Mahikeng as a viable destination for arts, culture and heritage in the country.  

In conclusion we take this opportunity to congratulate the Department of Education for an incident free examination period where over forty thousand full time and part time candidates sat for their examinations.

The preparations that went to these examinations gives me confidence that we will do well as a province. As we welcome this festive season, I wish all of you a joyful, peaceful and safe holidays. A merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.

I thank you!

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