The National Council of Provinces’ (NCOP) Northern Cape delegation began its Provincial Week programme with briefings from the Office of the Premier, the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and the MEC for Infrastructure and Public Works.
Opening the session, the leader of the NCOP delegation, Mr Patrick Mabilo, emphasised that Provincial Week calls for responsiveness to the service delivery needs of communities, which is a constitutional obligation that demands urgency and commitment. He noted that the delegation will visit both successful and struggling projects, asking questions to ensure that constitutional service delivery objectives are met. This aligns with the 2025 Provincial Week theme: “Building Viable Municipalities to Enhance the Delivery of Services to Communities”.
NCOP Chief Whip Mr Kenneth Mmoiemang provided an intergovernmental overview of the programme. He highlighted a major focus of this year’s visit, which is to assess progress on delayed and incomplete infrastructure and public works projects identified in 2024. He stressed that this year’s engagement must be outcome-driven rather than a “talk shop”.
Mr Mmoiemang also underscored the importance of community involvement in governance, noting that this year’s programme will include direct engagement with residents.
Reflecting on developments since the 2024 Provincial Week, MEC for Infrastructure and Public Works Ms Fufe Makatong acknowledged that many of the same challenges persist, largely due to fiscal constraints affecting all government departments. These constraints have forced changes to project scopes and annual performance plans (APPs), resulting in the termination of some service delivery commitments. She emphasised that as implementing agents, the department must adhere to the 30-day creditor payment requirement under the Public Finance Management Act and reported a 99.9% payment completion rate to date.
SALGA Northern Cape representative Councillor Lulamile Nkumbi outlined structural challenges unique to the province, including vast geography, low population density and the resulting high per-capita costs of service delivery. Dispersed communities require long and costly reticulation networks, while weak local economies and limited tax bases make it difficult for municipalities to attract and retain scarce skills – even in areas with significant mining and renewable energy activity. Additionally, low revenue collection, high operational costs and large indigent populations contribute to ongoing financial strain in many municipalities.
Despite these challenges, MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison, Mr Bentley Vaas, argued that the Northern Cape has enormous potential for innovation, investment, renewable energy and inclusive growth. He highlighted the province’s rich mineral resources, strong renewable energy capacity, and some of the world’s clearest skies – ideal for astronomy and data science – as foundations for transforming the Northern Cape into a modern, growing and prosperous province.
Abel Mputing
19 November 2025
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