Section 100 intervention in N West should be reviewed: NCOP

The National Council of Provinces Ad Hoc Committee on the Section 100 intervention in the North West, has recommended that the intervention in the province should be reviewed.

The committee, led by its chairperson China Dodovu, has presented its report which was subsequently approved by the National Council of Provinces.

The National Executive in 2018, placed a number of North West provincial government departments under administration.

This was sparked by allegations of rampant corruption and lack of service delivery, which led to violent protests.

The recommendations by the Ad Hoc Committee was tabled after a visit to the province recently.

The purpose of the visit was to assess progress made since the intervention was put in place.

Various stakeholders such as communities, the executive council led by Premier Job Mokgoro, legislature members and labour unions were consulted.

After consolidating its report, the AD Hoc Committee recommended that national government review the intervention.

Dodovu says much has been achieved.

” We believe that the intervention has worked to a larger degree. It has stabilise the province, the protests that you saw in the past are no longer there and we are also of the view that yes the North West province has been sufficiently babysitted and it is now time, that the national government must review that particular intervention.”

The ANC Interim Provincial Committee ( IPC) supports the recommendations by the Ad Hoc Committee.

” Undoubtedly the intervention has brought much needed stability in the North West province. We expect the next sitting of cabinet to pave a way forward on this matter. We also expect cabinet to provide an exit strategy that should go a long way in sustaining a stable provincial government. The appointments of heads of departments represents an important milestone brought by this intervention”, says IPC Spokesperson, Kenny Morolon.

Opposition parties in the province say although they do not support the notion that the intervention has worked, they however, call for it to be discontinued.

“An ideal situation would be for the administration to leave and allow MECs led by the premier to do their work because when they fail it will be easy for us to say it is your failure Ntate Mokgoro and your team. Currently we cannot say that because when you call him and start questioning that there are allegations of HODs who are employed or hired who are not qualified, he says mine was just to concur and the final decision rest with the minister,” says DA’s Chief Whip, Freddy Sonakile.

EFF Provincial Secretary, Papiki Babuile, agrees with Sonakile.

“We agree that cabinet must review the intervention, actually they must not review, they must go. They must stop the intervention and allow government to run its affairs so that we hold those who are in government accountable directly without them having any excuse that they are not in charge themselves.”

It is expected that the cabinet will discuss the committee’s recommendations in its next meeting to be held soon.