A high-level team of Limpopo’s permanent delegates to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), together with their provincial counterparts, has expressed satisfaction with significant progress made in implementing recommendations arising from the 2024 and 2025 Provincial Week programmes.
The team is conducting follow-up oversight inspections as part of the 2026 National Provincial Week programme, which on day one, Tuesday 18 August 2026, focused on six project sites and a Home Affairs office in the Lephalale and Greater Tzaneen local municipalities.
The delegation split into two groups, with group one conducting oversight in Mopani District and group two focusing on Waterberg District.
In Mopani District, group one conducted follow-up inspections at the Home Affairs office in Tzaneen, the Nkowakowa Waterworks and the Tours Water Scheme in Rhulani Village. Group two visited the Marapong Residential Community Unit in Lephalale, which comprises low-cost and Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses, as well as the Thabo Mbeki Wastewater Treatment Plant and internal water reticulation projects.
Overall, the two groups welcomed the progress recorded at most of the project sites and noted that several recommendations made during previous Provincial Week programmes had been acted upon. However, the team raised concerns about two areas where significant challenges remain.
The Home Affairs office in Tzaneen remains inaccessible to members of the public living with disabilities because it is located on the first floor of Tzaneen Mall, without a lift or elevator. The delegation said the matter requires urgent attention to ensure equitable access to essential government services. Furthermore, the office is still experiencing a high vacancy rate.
At the Thabo Mbeki Wastewater Treatment Plant, the delegation found that recommendations made during the 2024 Provincial Week had not yet been implemented. The matters previously identified therefore remain outstanding and require urgent intervention.
The delegation also reiterated concerns regarding Eskom’s electrification responsibilities. The outstanding electrification matters pose a particular risk of vandalism and could result in the loss of government investment in infrastructure and community development.
The follow-up inspections form part of NCOP’s ongoing oversight responsibility to assess whether recommendations made during previous Provincial Weeks are implemented and whether government projects deliver the intended benefits to communities.
The two groups will today continue their oversight programme with follow-up inspections at a combined total of 10 project sites in Greater Letaba Local Municipality and Thabazimbi Local Municipality. The inspections are expected to provide the delegation with a further opportunity to assess progress, identify outstanding challenges and engage relevant stakeholders on interventions needed to ensure that government projects are completed and sustainably maintained.
Justice Molafo
19 August 2026
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