NCOP Demands Urgent Action on Gauteng Infrastructure Failures | ClipTV Online

The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Gauteng Provincial Delegation has called for urgent corrective action and increased accountability in public infrastructure delivery in the province, following oversight visits to seven projects as part of the 2026 Provincial Week report-back program. The delegation wrapped up its four-day visit in Gauteng and presented its draft report this morning after discussions with provincial leaders, including Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Gauteng Legislature Speaker Morakane Mosupyoe, Members of the Executive Council, and senior officials.

The 2026 Provincial Week focused on evaluating progress on commitments and recommendations from previous oversight visits in 2024 and 2025, especially whether interventions have led to meaningful improvements for communities.

Premier Lesufi welcomed the delegation and urged that urgent issues uncovered during oversight be addressed without waiting for the final NCOP report to be officially referred to the province after Parliament’s approval.

He indicated that when urgent matters are identified, the provincial government should start addressing them while the formal legislative process is underway. The delegation appreciated this approach, emphasizing that oversight should lead to corrective action rather than merely reporting on challenges already identified.

The delegation visited Rustervaal Secondary School, Simunye Secondary School, Barcelona Primary School, Semphato Junior Secondary School, Khutsong Clinic, the Women’s Heritage Monument, and the R82 road project.

Overall, progress was noted on some projects, but major challenges still persist in others. The findings stressed the importance of stronger project monitoring, better coordination among government agencies, and more effective enforcement when contractors, service providers, or officials fail to meet their responsibilities.

The delegation called for an independent audit of the R82 project and recommended ongoing oversight for problematic projects, including monitoring by the NCOP’s verification team. It also suggested involving relevant NCOP Select Committees for increased scrutiny of underperforming projects.

Given these challenges, the delegation recommended inviting the National Treasury and the Auditor-General of South Africa to future provincial oversight meetings to improve oversight of financial management, procurement, and project execution.

The delegation appreciated the provincial government’s commitment to addressing these issues and stressed that these commitments should lead to tangible improvements.

Ms. Morakane Mosupyoe, Speaker of the Gauteng Legislature, supported the oversight work and reaffirmed the legislature’s duty to keep monitoring the implementation of commitments through its committees. “We will continue working with the portfolio committees to monitor the work that has been committed to and to hold the executive accountable. We will continue looking at the work that has been committed to and ensure that these problems are resolved in time, in the interest of the people of Gauteng, because they do need these services.”

She also urged the NCOP to keep raising Gauteng-related issues requiring national intervention and to keep these issues on the national agenda.

Presenting the delegation’s report, Mpho Modise, a member of the NCOP Gauteng delegation, said they had identified both progress and serious shortcomings during their interactions and would continue to monitor the implementation of commitments from the Provincial Week.

“The conclusion of our site visits does not mean the conclusion of our oversight. The commitments made to the delegation must now translate into measurable progress on the ground. Where we found progress, we acknowledge it; where we found delays, weak coordination, or failures in accountability, we will continue to demand corrective action.”

Mr. Modise emphasized that the provincial leadership’s engagement with the findings was welcomed and that communities should see the benefits of ongoing interventions.

“Oversight is meaningful when it results in action. The people of Gauteng need functioning schools, clinics, roads, and public facilities, and they should not have to wait indefinitely for projects that the government has already committed to deliver. We will continue using parliamentary oversight tools to monitor these commitments and hold responsible institutions accountable,” he added.

The NCOP Gauteng Provincial Delegation will continue to oversee the implementation of commitments from the 2026 Provincial Week, using parliamentary mechanisms to follow up on unresolved issues.

The 2026 NCOP Provincial Week was held under the themes “Confronting the Challenges Facing the Timely Delivery of Viable Public Infrastructure to Communities” and “Building Viable Municipalities for Enhanced Delivery of Basic Services.”

Distributed by APO