During today’s special session of the North West Provincial Legislature, the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) abstained from voting to elect a new Speaker.
The election was necessitated by Dr Desbo Mohono’s resignation from the office and her subsequent appointment as the new MEC for Education last week.
During the session, Ms Viola Motsumi of the ANC was elected as the new Speaker with an overwhelming majority vote – with the support of ANC and DA MPLs.
The Freedom Front Plus will keep holding the ANC Speaker accountable for fulfilling her constitutional duties to ensure that the Legislature functions effectively as an oversight body for the North West provincial government.
It is, however, alarming that Ms Motsumi is the third Speaker elected to the North West Legislature since 2024. This disrupts continuity, which destabilises the Legislature’s functioning.
The high turnover of Speakers in the province points to ongoing shifts in political loyalties within ANC ranks in the North West, undermining effective government oversight and service delivery.
Voters should use their votes in the upcoming local government elections to send a loud and clear message: Unstable ANC administrations in all spheres of government will no longer be tolerated.
