People do not work in North West Province. It’s not just that more than half the working-age population is unemployed − the government doesn’t work either. Nothing works.
Rampant corruption, nepotism, cronyism, ineptitude, and patronage have led to the complete collapse of almost all 23 municipalities, including four district municipalities, in what was formerly known as Bophuthatswana.
The dismal failure of the municipalities and provincial government has led to regular and violent community protests due to non-existent service delivery.
What is evident is that the current economic policies are failing to drive job creation in strategic economic sectors such as mining, agriculture, and tourism, as they are unable to employ more people. The provincial and local governments do not have what it takes to get out of this dire economic state due to incompetence and corruption.
Companies such as Clover, the country’s leading dairy company, had to relocate to other provinces due to the failure of Ditsobotla local municipality as well as Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality to provide basic service delivery, such as water, roads, and electricity. This has had negative ramifications on the labour market in the province.
The ailing and aging public infrastructure such as roads, water, and other public facilities has worsened the status quo in North West Province, without any intervention by relevant authorities. It is this deterioration of infrastructure that instils nostalgia for Lucas Mangope’s Bophuthatswana regime, which is seen as the best model of government to have ever existed in this province.
This is one of the depressing provinces in the country, with more than 50% of adults who are economically passive and disengaged due to few economic activities. As could be expected, due to this depressing state, the youth are disengaged from issues of politics and governance which affect their daily lives. There are also ineffective opposition parties, unable to confront the ANC’s failure to govern.
Around mid-2023, about seven municipalities had been placed under provincial administration as a result of financial misconduct and failure to meet their constitutional obligations. Such constitutional measures have not proven to be effective, as many of the municipalities in the North West continue to disregard their constitutional mandate of enhancing the provision of service delivery.
The Auditor-General (AG) revealed late last year, 2024, that there was an irregular appointment of the current municipal manager, Lloyd Leoko, who was found to have failed his matric. Another troubled North West municipality, Ramotshere Moiloa in Zeerust, appointed the controversial Lekgetho Mokgatlhe who was, at the time of his appointment, facing fraud and corruption charges from his previous employment in a municipality in the Free State, Dihlabeng local municipality.
It is clear from this backdrop that the North West provincial government is not committed to clean, ethical, and efficient government at the level of both local and provincial government. It does not seriously deal with the rot emerging in front of it. The members are hell-bent on protecting each other and advancing factional political lines, while the poor are left to fend for themselves without basic service delivery.
[Image: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay]
The views of the writer are not necessarily the views of the Daily Friend or the IRR.
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