North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi has acknowledged that political considerations played a role in his decision to reshuffle the provincial cabinet, adding a new dimension to changes he initially described as necessary to strengthen government performance and service delivery.
Mokgosi was responding to questions in the North West Legislature on Thursday when he addressed the circumstances surrounding the reshuffle, which affected three members of the Executive Council.
The changes included the removal of Viola Motsumi as Education MEC and her replacement by former Legislature Speaker Desbo Mohono. Wessels Morweng was moved from Community Safety and Transport Management to Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation, while Virginia Tlhapi took over his former portfolio.
When announcing the changes, Mokgosi maintained that the reshuffle was aimed at improving service delivery and strengthening the performance of the provincial administration.
His latest comments, however, place the political dynamics within the ANC more firmly at the centre of the decision.
The reshuffle had already prompted political speculation, particularly over Motsumi’s removal. Reports had linked tensions within the provincial leadership to disagreements between the former MEC and the Premier, while questions were also raised about broader political alignments within the ANC and its relationship with the South African Communist Party (SACP).
Mokgosi’s admission is likely to intensify scrutiny over whether the changes were driven primarily by the need to improve government performance or by political considerations within the governing party.
The Premier is now under pressure to demonstrate that the new Executive Council can deliver on the administration’s priorities, particularly as the province has declared 2026 the “Year to Fix Local Government” amid continuing service-delivery challenges.
