The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the formation of an ad hoc committee by the North West Provincial Legislature to investigate serious allegations made by the Mayor of Naledi Local Municipality, Cllr C Groep, against the Premier of the North West Province, Lazarus Mokgosi.
Following the visit by the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) of the National Assembly, chaired by Zweli Mkhize, last month, the Mayor alleged that the Premier and three ANC members visited Thabo Apolus, a former employee of Naledi Local Municipality, on his farm, and allegedly instructed him to alter a report concerning the appointment of the Municipal Manager, Mr Segapo.
In response, the National Assembly Committee resolved that the Legislature must conduct its own process while the National Assembly proceeds with its own. Consequently, the North West Provincial Legislature mandated the Joint Committee on the Office of the Premier and Finance, together with the Portfolio Committee on CoGTA, to deliberate on the matter and propose a way forward.
The Joint Committee subsequently recommended the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee, which the House has now adopted. The Ad Hoc Committee is expected to investigate the matter and report to the House by 31 November 2025.
The DA welcomes this resolution as a sign of maturity and accountability, consistent with the rule of law and democratic principles. It is crucial that such serious allegations are investigated with transparency rather than being swept under the carpet.
We further urge that ANC internal politics should not be allowed to influence the work of the committee. The people of the North West deserve an unbiased, fair, and independent process that upholds the integrity of our democratic institutions.
North West municipalities continue to rank among the worst-performing in the country, and this process presents an opportunity to uncover whether there is underlying political interference that affects governance, appointments, and service delivery at the local level.
The DA’s representative on the Ad Hoc Committee is Honourable CJ Steyl, who will be the party spokesperson on the matter and monitor that the process is fair, transparent, and free from political manipulation, in the best interests of accountability and good governance.