Note to Editors: Please find the attached soundbite in English by Freddy Sonakile.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the North West has today submitted follow-up questions to Premier Lazarus Mokgosi to determine whether any of the “urgent actions” he promised in July 2025, after the rejection of all 23 provincial infrastructure projects by Infrastructure South Africa (ISA), were ever implemented.
In a reply to written questions submitted by the DA in the North West Provincial Legislature, the Premier admitted that none of the 23 projects submitted by the North West Government to ISA for the 2024/25 financial year were approved because they “did not fulfil all the requirements for successful award of funding.” See the response attached here.
These projects, worth over R90 billion, included major initiatives like the Ngaka Modiri Water and Sanitation Programme, Matlosana Smart City, Bojanala SEZ, and the upgrading of gravel roads by the Department of Public Works and Roads.
The Premier further claimed that he had invited ISA to the province on 1 July 2025, convened a special extended sitting of the North West Provincial Coordinating Council (NWPCC), and engaged officials from all affected departments to “devise a collective solution”.
However, four months later, there is no evidence that any of these actions ever took place; there are no minutes, no reports, and no progress on resubmitted projects.
This raises serious concerns about whether these so-called interventions were genuine corrective actions or simply face-saving promises meant to deflect public scrutiny.
The DA’s follow-up questions now compel the Premier to:
- Confirm whether ISA ever visited the province as claimed;
- Provide records of the “special NWPCC” sitting and its outcomes;
- Have any of the 23 rejected projects since been corrected or resubmitted; and
- What consequence management, if any, has been taken against officials responsible for submitting non-compliant projects?
This failure has devastating consequences for the province’s economy and people.
With the highest unemployment rate in the country, collapsing roads, and communities still without water infrastructure, the rejection of all 23 projects represents a lost opportunity for jobs, growth, and service delivery.
Premier Mokgosi must now answer whether his July 2025 commitments were real action or merely political theatrics.
The DA will continue to pursue full accountability to ensure that the people of North West are not punished by incompetence disguised as progress.