Note to Broadcasters: Please find attached soundbite in English by Freddy Sonakile MPL
The Democratic Alliance (DA) condemns the Premier’s refusal to account for the performance of Members of the Executive Council (MECs) during today’s oral question session in the North West Provincial Legislature.
When asked whether any MEC has been sanctioned or held accountable for underperformance, the Premier failed to provide a direct answer. Instead, he claimed that such matters are “private” between himself and individual MECs.
This response is wholly unacceptable.
While the Premier acknowledged that he engages MECs and issues directives in cases of underperformance, he could not identify a single instance where meaningful consequence management has been applied.
This raises serious concerns:
If consequences exist, why are they being concealed?
If they don’t, then the Premier is confirming what residents across the province experience daily — a government where failure carries no consequence.
The Premier further:
- Failed to table MEC performance agreements
- Avoided disclosing the outcomes of performance reviews
- Provided no evidence of consequence management
This reinforces the growing perception that MEC performance agreements are little more than administrative formalities, with no real enforcement, while service delivery continues to deteriorate.
MECs are not private employees but public office bearers entrusted with managing public funds and delivering essential services. Their performance cannot be treated as confidential.
To classify performance outcomes and accountability measures as “private” undermines transparency and weakens democratic oversight.
The DA therefore calls on the Premier to:
- Publish all MEC performance agreements
- Disclose which MECs have failed to meet their targets
- Confirm what consequence management has been implemented
The DA will pursue these matters through all available oversight mechanisms, both within the Legislature and through legal channels, until full transparency is achieved.
The people of the North West deserve honest, accountable leadership — not secrecy that protects political allies while service delivery collapses.
The DA remains committed to exposing this culture of non-accountability and to fighting for a government that serves the people with integrity.