DA wants more answers on rejected R90 billion NW infrastructure funding.

By Molaole Montsho

Pothole riddled province under spotlight

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in North West has submitted follow-up questions on the funding of 23 projects in the province.

In follow-up questions to Premier Lazarus Mokgosi, the DA wants to know what actions were taken after Infrastructure SA (ISA) declined to fund the projects.

DA Caucus leader in the North West Provincial Legislature, Freddy Sonakile, said the party submitted follow-up questions to determine whether any of the urgent actions he promised in July 2025, after the rejection of all 23 provincial infrastructure projects by Infrastructure South Africa, were ever implemented.

 In a reply to written questions submitted by the DA in the North West Provincial Legislature, Mokgosi admitted that none of the 23 projects submitted by the North West government to ISA for the 2024/25 financial year were approved because they did not fulfil all the requirements for successful award of funding.

In his reply Mokgosi said he would invite ISA to the province, convened a special extended sitting of the North West Provincial Coordinating Council (NWPCC), and engaged officials from all affected departments as intervention to devise a solution.

“However, four months later, there is no evidence that any of these actions ever took place; there are no minutes, no reports, and no progress on resubmitted projects.

“This raises serious concerns about whether these so-called interventions were genuine corrective actions or simply face-saving promises meant to deflect public scrutiny,” Sonakile said.

These projects, worth over R90 billion, included major initiatives like the Ngaka Modiri Water and Sanitation Programme, Matlosana Smart City, Bojanala SEZ, Rustenburg grouped water and sanitation upgrade and the upgrading of gravel roads by the Department of Public Works and Roads.

The DA now wants Mokgosi to confirm whether ISA ever visited the province and provide records of the special NWPCC sitting and its outcomes.

The DA further wants to know if any of the 23 rejected projects have since been corrected or resubmitted for funding and

Also, what consequence management, if any, has been taken against officials responsible for submitting non-compliant projects?

Sonakile said this failure has devastating consequences for the province’s economy and people.

“With the highest unemployment rate in the country, collapsing roads, and communities still without water infrastructure, the rejection of all 23 projects represents a lost opportunity for jobs, growth, and service delivery.

“Premier Mokgosi must now answer whether his July 2025 commitments were real action or merely political theatrics.”