By Akani Nkuna
North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi has reshuffled his provincial Cabinet, moving Community Safety and Transport Management MEC Wessels Morweng to Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation and appointing Virginia Tlhapi to the safety and transport portfolio.
Former North West legislature Speaker Desbo Mohono has also been appointed as the new Education MEC, replacing Viola Motsumi.
Mokgosi announced the changes during the quarterly Provincial Executive Council (EXCO) media briefing on Wednesday, describing the reshuffle as part of the provincial government’s ongoing evaluation of its performance and its alignment with the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy.
The changes come as the provincial government reported spending R1.210 billion on infrastructure during the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, representing 21.31% of its infrastructure budget.
Mokgosi said the province had spent R14.841 billion, or 25.35% of its overall 2026/27 budget, by the end of June, exceeding the 25% first-quarter spending threshold by 0.35 percentage points.
He said the expenditure demonstrated sound financial management and the provincial government’s continued prioritisation of service delivery.
“The Province spent R1.210 billion on infrastructure by the end of June 2026. This represents 21.31 per cent of the infrastructure budget for the 2026/27 financial year. The bulk of this delivery is carried by four departments. Human Settlements leads at 25.85 per cent, followed by Public Works and Roads at 21.57 per cent, Health at 20.44 per cent and Education at 17.94 per cent,” Mokgosi said.
“These departments are responsible for constructing houses, roads, clinics and schools on which our communities depend, and their spending confirms that projects are underway in the opening quarter. These resources were directed towards programmes that address poverty, unemployment and inequality while improving the lives of residents.”
Mokgosi also highlighted revenue generated by various sectors and their contribution to employment in the province.
He said the liquor industry supported about 21,000 jobs and generated R14 million through liquor licence renewals, while collaboration with Sector Education and Training Authorities had created 6,000 jobs for young people.
The gambling sector sustained 1,600 direct jobs, while gaming activity generated R2.38 billion, contributing R164.5 million directly to the provincial fiscus.
Mokgosi said tourism had also recorded substantial growth, generating 9,242 employment opportunities and contributing R10.9 billion to the provincial economy.
The Premier also raised concerns about illegal mining, describing it as an increasingly sophisticated criminal network and calling for firm law-enforcement action.
He welcomed the province’s migration to an online recruitment system acquired at no cost from the Gauteng Provincial Government, describing it as a step towards modernising government services.
Mokgosi said the Cabinet changes were intended to strengthen the provincial administration and ensure that its work remained aligned with the province’s development priorities.
The reshuffle is the first major change to the provincial Cabinet since the start of the Seventh Administration in 2024.
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