Note to Broadcasters: Please find the attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Jóhni Steenkamp.
- DA demands answers from Premier Mokgosi over MEC Lenkopane’s court defeat and continued position in the Executive.
- High Court findings raise serious concerns about Lenkopane’s conduct, judgment and ability to lead DEDECT.
- DA calls for accountability as ANC infighting distracts from job creation, economic growth, and clean governance.
The DA wrote to Premier Lazarus Mokgosi demanding that he publicly state whether he retains confidence in MEC for the North West Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism (DEDECT), Keobiditse Evelyn Lenkopane, and explain why. (See letter here) The DA also wrote to the Chairperson of the DEDECT committee, Mpho Khunou, requesting him to summon Lenkopane to appear before the Committee to account for the litigation and its governance implications. (See letter here)
This follows a High Court judgment reportedly ordering MEC Lenkopane to personally pay the legal costs arising from litigation over the appointment of an interim North West Development Corporation (NWDC) board.
This is not simply a case of an MEC losing a legal dispute.
According to reports, the North West High Court found that MEC Lenkopane failed to disclose material information when she approached the court on an urgent, ex parte basis to establish her authority to appoint an interim NWDC board.
The undisclosed information reportedly included a legal opinion on her powers and a meeting with Premier Mokgosi where the opinion and proposed appointments were discussed. The court reportedly found that, had this information been disclosed, the matter may not have proceeded without all affected parties being notified.
The finding that MEC Lenkopane failed to take the court into her confidence, together with a personal costs order against her, raises serious questions about her continued position in the North West Executive.
The DA has repeatedly raised serious concerns about MEC Lenkopane’s competence and ability to execute her duties. This latest court judgment reinforces the DA’s longstanding concerns about whether she has the capacity and judgment required to lead a department responsible for driving economic development in the North West.
Premier Mokgosi must now answer whether he still has confidence in MEC Lenkopane, and, if he does, why.
It is extraordinary that a serving MEC took her own government to court in a dispute involving the Premier, the MEC for Provincial Treasury and a key provincial entity.
At a time when the North West economy is struggling, and unemployment remains among the highest in the country, the ANC provincial executive is fighting itself in court instead of focusing on economic growth and job creation.
This judgment also cannot be viewed in isolation from broader governance concerns surrounding DEDECT and its reporting entities.
Reports include allegations of interference in governance, appointments and disciplinary processes, the handling of senior officials at the NWDC, and the appointment of approximately 650 data capturers under a youth initiative. While MEC Lenkopane has denied these allegations, they warrant an independent investigation.
The accumulation of governance concerns, coupled with this latest court judgment, can no longer be ignored.
North West residents deserve a provincial government focused on economic growth, job creation and clean governance, not an Executive fighting itself in court while provincial entities lurch from one governance crisis to the next.
A court has spoken. Now the Premier must act.