Premier Bushy Maape on Monday announced that the newly appointed Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) and ANC Chairperson, Nono Maloyi, will now be the new MEC for Cooperative Governance (Cogta). This comes as municipalities, like the Lichenburg-based Ditsobotla Local Municipality, among others, continue to be troubled by issues of service delivery.  

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He also announced that he has since transferred two MECs from their initial posts with MEC Keneetswe Mosenogi, now being moved to head the Arts and Culture Department after being removed from the department of Economic Development and Tourism. 

Among further changes in this cabinet reshuffling, MEC Virginia Tlhapi was brought from her Arts and Culture Department to replace Mosenogi in Tourism and steer the ship. 

Maape said the effected changes and appointments are calls to champion the interests of the poor and marginalised, and to promote good governance which includes ethical leadership. Maloyi replaces Lenah Miga. Miga replaced former MEC Mmoloki Cwaile, who was fired in August 2021 following a spat between him and the ousted Premier Job Mokgoro.

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Mokgoro, when firing Cwaile, said “I have, as Premier of the North West Province, dismissed MEC Cwaile from his position as MEC for Cogta in terms of section 132(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. The dismissal of MEC Cwaile is with effect from 11 August 2021.”

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Cwaile replaced the late MEC for Cooperative Governance, Gordon Kegakilwe, who passed away due to coronavirus-related complications in July 2020.

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These changes are aimed at strengthening the work of the government in expediting service delivery and addressing a number of challenges confronting the province.

Since assuming office, the provincial government has been stable and where there have been challenges, there have been appropriate actions to respond to such matters.

This has been through the Accelerated Service Delivery Plan which is aimed at creating jobs and delivering services. Our municipalities continue to receive support through the Department of Finance in the form of financial recovery plans and other interventions. The North West High Court has also vindicated the provincial government on the dissolution of the Ditsobotla Local Municipality,” Maape adds.

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