Page 32 - DPSA_SDR Vol 12 No.2 2019

NORTH WEST INTERVENTION

Update on the North West

Province intervention

The clearest symptom of the deep- leadership, but directives must be The successful institutionalisation of the
rooted challenges in the North West implemented under the supervision intervention in the North West province
province was the widespread labour of the national department and cases accounts for the progress that has been
and community unrests in April of 2018 whereby the National Minister assumes made thus far in the implementation of
as the health sector buckled under due responsibility for the fulfilling the various intervention plans and initiatives.
to maladministration. It was this then executive obligations of the department, These range from putting a stop to corrupt
which prompted Cabinet to place the though an Administrator. activities, restoring the confidence of
North West Province Department of staff and community in the provincial
Health under administration in terms of Since May 2018, each of the provincial administration and communities by
Section 100 (1) (b) of the Constitution, departments as had undertaken restoring good governance and service
which also involved enlisting the help of specific intervention plans that were delivery.
the medical corps of the South African tailor-made to first stabilise the crisis
Nation Defence Force (SANDF) in order and eventually restore them to normality. “Visible progress has been made in
to stabilise the situation. According to the Inter-Ministerial Task stabilising the provincial departments
Team (IMTT) which oversees the work in the North West and the provision of
At the end of May 2018, almost the of the various intervention teams, much basic services has been prioritised. We
entire provincial administration had progress has been made in stabilising are also pleased to note that various
been put under administration as it was the provincial administration thus far. government departments are working
realised that the challenges extended IMTT Chairpersonship and Minister in together to promote good governance.
beyond those in the health sector. Half The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring The critical point of the intervention by
of the ten (10) departments were placed and Evaluation, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini- national government in the North West is
under the severe section 100 (1) (b), Zuma has noted the extent in which ensuring that a clean administration and
while the balance fell under the less the intervention teams are now “fully efficient service delivery are in place
intrusive section 100 (1) (a). The two embedded in the complex environment” to achieve a better quality life for all
types of interventions respectively refer as an achievement in itself, given the residents of the province”, said Minister
to situations whereby the executive relatively short deployment period of the Dlamini-Zuma. n
authority remains with the Provincial various departmental intervention teams.

30 SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 12 No.2 of 2019