Parliament, Thursday, 20 November 2025 – The North West’s permanent delegates to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) have expressed deep concern over the retention of an unoccupied and dilapidating Mayoral House for a decade by the Moses Kotane Local Municipality.
The delegation, led by the Provincial Whip and the leader of delegation, Ms Sylvia Sithole, visited various sites in the municipality yesterday where it highlighted pressing issues that included mismanagement of resources and infrastructure challenges as part of the NCOP’s flagship Provincial Week programme.
Ms Sithole said it is shocking that the municipality continues to retain a depreciating asset that serves no purpose and which adds no value to the community. Furthermore, the property has not been occupied for over 10 years and yet the municipality is spending valuable resources to maintain it, including spending on security and on electricity, among other things, which could be better used to improve services for residents.
The Mayoral House, originally purchased for R4 million between 2002 and 2004, is now valued at just R1.35 million due to significant defects in the roof and plumbing. Its estimated cost of repairs exceeds R2 million which is equivalent to the municipality’s entire infrastructure maintenance of the budget for a year. The delegation expressed concern over the continued retention of the house which is a financial burden on the municipality, especially as the property continues to deteriorate without any hope of functioning again.
Ms Sithole also noted that the failure to address this issue and present a detailed report to the delegation undermines the municipality’s accountability and the NCOP’s oversight role.
Healthcare Infrastructure Challenges at Mapuleng Clinic
During the visit, the delegation also toured the Mapuleng Clinic, where concerns were raised about the adequacy of the healthcare infrastructure. While the clinic’s prefab structure was deemed appropriate as a temporary solution, its continued use in the long term is unsustainable.
“The delivery of quality healthcare is critical, especially as we move towards implementing the National Health Insurance Bill,” said Ms Sithole. She added that substandard facilities and poor road infrastructure that render ambulance take a very long time to reach patients and are a cause for frustration to the residents. “We call on the Department of Health to prioritize the building of a reliable healthcare facility for this community,” she emphasised.
The delegation also expressed alarm over reports that residents in the area experience delays of up to three hours to get an ambulance, largely due to poor road infrastructure.
Social Issues at Rapurele Secondary School
The delegation raised concerns over the rise of social ills such as bullying and teenage pregnancy at Rapurele Secondary School in Welgeval, Mogwase. Ms Sithole highlighted that 21 learners at the school were reported pregnant in the past year alone.
“The rising rate of teenage pregnancy and bullying symptomise a larger problem facing our communities. These social challenges require a concerted effort from schools, communities, parents, and government to prevent further harm to our youth,” reiterated Ms Sithole.
The delegation also expressed dissatisfaction over the continued use of pit latrines at the school in spite of the Department of Education’s deadline for the Sanitation Appropriate for Education Initiative being set for March 2025. Although the delegation expressed its concern over the delayed eradication of pit latrines, the North West Department of Education has committed to eradicating the pit latrines by December 2025.
Overcrowded Classrooms and Educational Quality
Overcrowding in classrooms was another major concern. In some cases, the teacher-to-learner ratio in lower grades is as high as 1:76, which the delegation described as detrimental to quality education.
The Department of Education has promised to deliver mobile classrooms by the beginning of 2026 in response to the overcrowding issue, but the delegation emphasized the urgency of addressing this matter sooner.
Next Steps and Ongoing Oversight
The North West delegation’s work continues as Group 1 will visit the Rustenburg Rapid Transport project, along with the Rustenburg Bulk Water Supply and Water Purification plant, while Group 2 will inspect the Carousel View Internal Roads and Ward 16 Water Reticulation and Road Connection project in Moretele Local Municipality tomorrow.
The delegation remains committed to ensuring that local municipalities, government departments, and stakeholders collaborate effectively to address the region’s critical infrastructure and social challenges.
Details of the visit (Group 1) are as follows:
Date: Thursday, 20 November 2025
Time: 09:00
Venue: Rustenburg Rapid Transport
Details of the visit (Group 2) are as follows:
Date: Thursday, 20 November 2025
Time: 09:00
Venue: Carousel View
Detailed programmes of each provincial delegation can be viewed on the following link:
https://www.parliament.gov.za/project-event-details/4261
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE NORTH WEST PROVINCIAL WHIP, MS SYLVIA SITHOLE.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Provincial Whip, please contact the delegation’s Media Officer:
Name: Malatswa Molepo (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 8438
Cell: 081 512 7920
E-mail: mmolepo@parliament.gov.za
parliament.gov.za
www.parliament.gov.za
