North West province: A Province at governance risk

The North West province  is confronting a troubling fusion of corruption, poor governance and deteriorating service delivery. The province,  rich in mineral resources and economic promise, is now widely characterised by failing municipalities, neglected infrastructure and institutions buckling under their responsibilities.

Several credible investigations and oversight bodies have exposed the depth and breadth of the problems. A parliamentary oversight delegation from the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) found that corruption and collusion between officials and service providers in the North West are major drivers of project failure and nondelivery in municipalities.  For instance:

The province’s municipalities have spent billions in unauthorised or irregular expenditure. One institution noted corruption and wasteful expenditure of about R87 billion for the 2021/22 year alone, translating into roughly R128 billion in lost growth potential. 

In the Ditsobotla Local Municipality, which serves as a symbol of the failure, residents continue to endure erratic water supply, uncollected refuse, potholeridden roads and deep governance dysfunction. National government has intervened multiple times. 

The provincial AuditorGeneral’s report noted that the province had underspent infrastructure budgets (e.g., only around 90.9% of allocations used) and left major projects incomplete, such as lowcost housing schemes and nursing colleges. 

The political analyst Kedibone Phago of NorthWest University summarised the root cause:

“When good governance is sacrificed on the altar of corruption, service delivery falters. Where corruption thrives … an increase in poverty becomes inevitable.” Prof Phago 

So: the province is caught in a vicious cycle. Corruption eats into resources meant for basic services; institutional failure prevents corrective action; and service delivery collapse erodes public trust and economic opportunity.

This crisis is not abstract. It impacts ordinary citizens in multiple, concrete ways:

Schools and hospitals in the North West are crumbling. The AGSA flagged schools and hospitals deteriorating because maintenance was neglected, forcing early and costly refurbishments. 

Economic activity is stalling. As noted in an opinion piece: large employers such as the dairy processor Clover SA left Lichtenburg following water, electricity and infrastructure failures, resulting in job losses. 

Local communities are increasingly showing their frustration through protests over basic services. Municipalities that are supposed to deliver fail to do so; the consequence is instability, lack of development, and rising unemployment.

For the broader South African economy and democratic legitimacy, a province like the North West cannot function as a basket case. National growth and confidence depend on every region delivering.

Fixing the North West will not be easy, but it is possible. Based on the evidence and expert commentary, I advocate the following priorities:

Consequence & accountability for corruption

Corruption must not simply be exposed,it must be prosecuted and sanctioned. There are over 50 criminal cases in the province relating to public funds, with some convictions.  Steps must include:

Transparent public disclosure of ongoing investigations and outcomes.

Strengthening the capacity of oversight and lawenforcement agencies in the province.

Ensuring that no official or service provider is above the law.

 Professionalising municipal leadership and administration

As Prof Phago notes, dysfunctional councils often stem from politicallymotivated appointments and a lack of technical competence.  Solutions include:

Imposing minimum professional standard requirements for municipal senior management.

Establishing meritbased recruitment and avoiding cadre deployment as the norm.

Implementing continuous training and performance monitoring for municipal staff.

Transparent management of finances and projects

Poor planning, unspent budgets and incomplete projects are recurring symptoms in the North West. For example, R204 million of a R1.2 billion budget for roads went unspent.  Key actions:

Publish full projectbyproject status updates (budget, timeline, implementation progress, responsible official).

Engage communities in monitoring delivery: if a project is paid but not done, there must be immediate redress.

Freeze funding to any municipality or department that fails to meet audit and projectcompletion standards until corrective action is taken.

Build economic pathways beyond waiting for central transfers

Many municipalities in the province are almost entirely dependent on national transfers. Without local economic activity, they cannot sustain services.  Therefore:

Identify and leverage the province’s economic assets (mining, agriculture, tourism) to generate revenue and jobs.

Align municipal service delivery with economic development: for instance, reliable water, electricity and roads are prerequisites for investment.

Support local small businesses and contractors in a transparent manner—so that municipal infrastructure spend also supports local economies.

Empower citizens and civil society to hold the system accountable

As Prof Phago emphasises, active citizen participation is vital to curbing corruption.  Measures should include:

Create accessible dashboards showing municipal performance.

Facilitate independent civilsociety monitoring and reporting.

Protect whistleblowers and encourage public participation in budget and planning processes.

The North West province sits at a crossroads: its vast resources and potential contrast sharply with its current governance failures. The rotten cycle of corruption, failure and decline is not inevitable, it is a failure of leadership, accountability and systems. If the provincial government and municipalities are serious about turning the ship around, they must move beyond rhetoric to demonstrable action.

I have observed that the North West’s plight is symptomatic of broader governance issues across South Africa, but it is also one of the most urgent because the human cost is high. Lives are disrupted, communities denied the services they deserve, and the dream of shared development recedes.

But there is hope. The reform ideas are clear. The actors are known. What remains is political will, public vigilance and sustained institutional change. The people of the North West deserve nothing less. By Ditaba Malefo , an economic analyst .