North West Faces Continued Governance Woes Two Years Post-Section 100 Intervention

In a candid address to the North West province, Acting Premier Nono Maloyi has delivered a sobering assessment of the progress to rectify governance shortfalls following the end of the national government’s Section 100 intervention. Nearly two years since the central government withdrew its direct oversight in March 2022, the situation in various municipalities remains precarious.

Delivering the 2024 State of the Province Address (Sopa) at the Mahikeng legislative house, Maloyi, who also serves as the MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, acknowledged the mixed outcomes witnessed in the region. While the national intervention initially bore fruit - improving labour relations, general stability, and municipalities' audit outcomes - enduring challenges highlight the complexity of the recovery process.

The Auditor-General's report paints a concerning picture, with not a single municipality in North West securing a clean audit over the last five years. Instead, many are stuck in a rut of repeat disclaimer opinions. However, some progress is evident, with a slight enhancement from seven to eight unqualified opinions in the most recent financial assessment.

Maloyi zoomed in on the dire status of Ditsobotla Local Municipality, where factional battle lines within the ANC have caused administrative chaos, resulting in dual mayoral, speaker, and managerial appointments in 2022. Reports from as recently as May 2023 highlight a municipality unable to meet basic operational costs. Emphasizing that Ditsobotla is inching forward at a "snail’s pace," Maloyi assured ongoing provincial support, including deploying a team of experts to aid recovery efforts.

In a bid to fortify municipal foundations, the province has undertaken rigorous skills and qualification audits, and is vigorously supervising financial recovery plans. An early-warning system and the recently launched Thuntsha-Lerole mobile app are modern tools devised to monitor municipal functions and facilitate community engagement on service delivery issues.

These interventions come against the backdrop of Premier Bushy Maape’s ongoing health-related leave and mounting deductions for his removal. Sworn in only days prior to his address, Maloyi appealed for the preservation of his predecessor's dignity and privacy.

The Sopa also served as a platform for Maloyi to tout the administration's accomplishments and candidly address pressing concerns. Despite the region's rich mineral endowments, rampant poverty and unemployment cast long shadows over North West. To combat this, the province has mobilized EPWP work opportunities and is expecting job creation from pending investments and infrastructure projects.

Highlighting notable successes, Maloyi pointed to the North West Brics Investment Conference and engagements with investors which secured billions in pledges. Ambitious infrastructure projects include power station development partnerships with international consortia, road maintenance initiatives, Sanral collaboration for road construction, and a plethora of water projects slated for completion next fiscal year.

As the province grapples with its governance struggles, the commitment to a trajectory of incremental improvements and strategic interventions remains clear. Maloyi concluded his address by reinforcing the sixth administration’s dedication to “making your future work better,” for all residents of North West.