A large number of police officers has been deployed in and around the North West’s capital Mahikeng to ensure safety and security of key points and personnel, during the 2026 State of the Province Address (SOPA) and official opening of the legislature on Thursday.
Speaking to Newsnote on the doorstep of the provincial legislature in Mahikeng, on the eve of SOPA, the police provincial spokesperson Colonel Adel Myburgh said that they are prepared for any eventualities including anything that could threaten peace during the event.
“It took us about a month or two, working with the relevant government departments and other stakeholders to prepare for this event and we are more than ready now. Obviously, we have noted all the threats, and we will not want to divulge much on that so that we don’t share much of our internal police strategies on how we are planning to resolve that,” said Myburgh.
The police have urged the public not to attempt to attend the event unless invited and accredited.
“This is obviously not open for everyone. So, if you are not accredited by the end of business today (Wednesday) we humbly request you not to come,” urged the spokesperson.
The community residing closer to the legislature’s precinct, including civil servants, were requested to cooperate with law enforcement officers who will be deployed in and around the area to ensure free-flowing traffic in the morning.
“Civil servants working in the nearby buildings will obviously be allowed access to their workplaces. But we will cordon off streets leading to the legislature including Sekame and Ngaka Modiri Molema roads, and the intersections between Sekame and Dr. James Moroka Drive and all roads connecting to the Stadium Road and University Drive passing through the provincial legislature prescient,” explained Myburgh.
Meanwhile, some of the young people that Newsnote spoke with say they’re eagerly awaiting the premier’s address, and have urged him to prioritize youth unemployment, adding that he must announce measures that will address the high unemployment in the province.
“We have noted the decline in unemployment in the province due to the 36 000 job opportunities created during the fourth quarter of last year, but that’s a drop in the ocean a lot of us are still unemployed.
We are struggling, that is why we are hanging around the street corners and by the roadside because we are not working.
We need the premier to tell us what his plans on tackling these challenges are,” said a 26-year-old from Mahikeng.
Meanwhile, another young woman from Montshioa township has urged the Premier to deal with corruption within government and municipalities.
“We need corruption free municipalities, government departments and state-owned entities, because that will help the government to create much needed jobs. But by failing to address this challenge our government will not succeed in anything it does. When you watch the Madlanga Commission you can see that corruption is so entrenched in our municipalities including the police, and that is scary,” pleaded the women.
