ANC PEC chairperson, Nono Maloyi, was sworn in on Tuesday 8 November 2022 after another ANC member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL), Kim Medupe, resigned. This then allowed speaker Sussana Dantjie to declare a vacancy in the list of the ANC. 

According to the North-West University political analyst, André Duvenhage, the province could follow the Gauteng and KwaZulu–Natal routes, where premiers resigned after failing to return seats as chairpersons of PEC.

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He says he has no doubt that the newly elected ANC PEC, Maloyi will become the next premier of the province in the future. Duvenhage says we have already seen steps taken to make room within the provincial legislature and as such, he expects a regime change which will be sooner rather than later.

“The legislature is the point where the party and the bigger political system are connecting and I think if you would like to control the provincial structures it is very important to be a representative within the bigger legislature and this makes a lot stand from a strategic perspective,” Duvhenage adds.

Asked if Maloyi was to become the premier, how significant his leadership can be for the province with several municipalities failing to deliver the most basic services, Duvenhage says: “It is difficult to say, there were a lot of huge expectations when it came to the president of the country after 2017 and not a lot happened, and am now referring to Cyril Ramaphosa. Now the same process is going on here in North West. At the moment there are many high expectations and what I can say positively about Nono Maloyi, is that he immediately took action with regard to the crises in the Ditsobotla Local Municipality in Lichtenburg, where there are serious problems. He disciplined members of the ANC.”

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Meanwhile, the ANC provincial secretary, Louis Diremelo, in a statement says it congratulates Maloyi. Diremelo says the party has in the past outlined its intention to strengthen governance across all levels.

“The swearing in of cader Maloyi with his vast experience as a former Member of Parliament, speaker of the legislature and former member of the executive, would breathe new energy in the legislature to fast track the transformation agenda of the ANC,” Diremelo adds.

In September 2022 The North West provincial government dissolved the troubled Lichtenburg-based Ditsobotla Local Municipal Council after the municipality had two mayors and two municipal managers at loggerheads.

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This has since now opened a window for opposition parties and independent candidates in that area to contest the by-election with the aim to take control of the troubled municipality which lost prominent businesses like Clover company due to allegations of failed service delivery.

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However, the dissolved council of the municipality, a few days later, announced that it will be dragging the Provincial Government to High Court over its dissolution.

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