Author: Thabang Morutloa

The North West High Court has postponed to 18 November an urgent application by the pressure group Sakeliga Business Club to force the national government not to take control of the Ditsobotla local municipality. The group believes the dissolution of the Lichtenburg-based municipality is evidence that the provincial government has failed, and therefore should not be allowed to take charge while by-elections are being organised. The IEC is currently busy preparing for by-elections to be held on the 14th of December, following the dissolution of the municipality by the North West Provincial government in response to infighting in the ANC…

Political parties in the North West have vowed to take control of the disbanded Ditsobotla Local Municipality from the ANC. Campaigning for the December 14th by-elections is currently underway at the Lichtenburg-based municipality. The DA’s chief whip in the North West, Freddy Sonakile, said that given a chance his party will improve the economy of Ditsobotla. “One of the things that we will be doing differently, first is to clean the administration of the municipality. By clean out we mean conducting qualifications verifications and skills audits, to see and ensure that the people who are currently in the system are…

Following the debacle around the cancellation of the much-anticipated and popular Mahika Mahikeng Cultural Festival, an ad hoc committee will be established to probe allegations of misconduct in the process of organising the annual event. This was revealed at the legislature by the North West Department of Arts and Culture , when it was asked to account to the portfolio committee. The Head of the Department, Itumeleng Mogorosi, said the committee will be tasked with investigating four aspects related to the cultural festival. “To investigate whether or not there was misconduct from the leaking of the information. Or whether the…

A reshuffle is looming in the North West following the swearing-in of the ANC’s provincial chairperson, Nono Maloyi as a member of the legislature. His swearing in has created uncertainty in the province given what transpired in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal following their respective elective conferences. David Makhura was sacked and replaced by Panyaza Lesufi while Sihle Zikalala was also removed from the position and replaced by Nomusa Dube-Ncube. The North West has been besieged by problems for years with its affairs being run by task teams. The recent elective conference is seen by many as a starting block to rebuilding…

Even in the face of public rage, the North West provincial government is adamant that its decision to supply donkey carts to residents of ward 2 in Dibono and Manawana areas outside Mahikeng, was the best under the circumstances. For a couple of days now, the North West has been the subject of discussions and criticism on social media amid accusations that the government is losing the plot. Activist, Thato Molosankwe, said buying donkey carts in this day and age is a demonstration that the government has failed in its mandate to uplift the poor. “The government has failed to…

By Thabang Morutloa The Bokone Bophirima Business Forum and some local artists have called on the department of Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation in the North West, to ensure that in the future, everyone benefits from the province’s annual Mahika Mahikeng Cultural Music Festival. The call for inclusivity of local artists has compelled the department to postpone the event to March 2023. Bokone Bophirima Business Forum acting secretary, Katlego Rakuba, said the department makes it difficult for the local businessmen to benefit from the event in its current form and hence he welcomed the postponement. “Local business people have never benefited…

By Thabang Morutloa The EFF believes it is the only party that can rescue the troubled Ditsobotla Local Municipality, whose council was disbanded by the North West provincial government in September. The party’s national chairperson, Veronica Mente was leading a campaign to woo voters ahead of the by-elections at the Lichtenburg-based municipality. Mente said the by-elections are an opportunity for the residents to give her party a chance to govern the municipality. “Now this is an opportunity for every citizen to understand that the municipality is not dissolved because councilors died, all of them. It was dissolved because the ANC…

The ANC Youth League in the North West province says it is confident that the young leaders deployed to municipalities will transform local government. This is the first time the ANC has deployed a high number of youth to become mayors, speakers and chief whips. The league’s coordinator in the province, Wessels Morweng, applauded the ANC for heeding the young people’s call. “We are gratified with what transpired. The ANC has demonstrated that it still cares for young people. It has demonstrated that the young people are an alternative. They have listened to us when we said to them, we…

Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality will seek intervention from the Minister of Water and Sanitation to address water challenges in the district. This was revealed on Wednesday during an assessment visit to the Mmabatho Waste Water Plant and the Mmabatho Water Plant by new Executive Mayor, Khumalo Molefe, and Mahikeng Local Municipality Mayor, Tshepiso Mphehlo. Residents in Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality and in Mahikeng Local Municipality have been experiencing water interruptions and when taps flow they produce water that is brown in colour. Molefe said despite interventions to resolve water challenges in the district, there is still no solution.…

The newly elected Executive Mayor of Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, Khumalo Molefe, has promised to ensure that residents across the district are provided with water as required. The Mayor, Speaker and Chief Whip of this municipality was elected on Tuesday at the municipal chambers in Mahikeng. Water scarcity and interruptions for those fortunate enough to have piped water has been a challenge in many parts of the province, including Ngaka Modiri Molema’s urban and rural areas. Molefe said consequence management is the only solution to fix service delivery problems. “Tomorrow [Wednesday] myself and the mayor of Mahikeng Local Municipality…