The embattled Matjhabeng Local Municipality is positioning itself for a major economic revival, with more than R40 billion in investments secured since 2022 and fresh multi-billion-rand projects expected to reshape the region’s economy and infrastructure.
Executive Mayor Thanduxolo Khalipha said the municipality is intensifying efforts to attract investors, create jobs, and rebuild confidence in Matjhabeng as a competitive destination for business and development.
“As part of these efforts, the municipality will host an Investment Summit in July 2026, bringing together government, business leaders, investors, development agencies, and strategic partners to explore economic opportunities within Matjhabeng,” said Khalipha when briefing the media on Sunday.
The summit is expected to showcase opportunities in mining, agriculture, infrastructure development, tourism, and industrial expansion, while also promoting investment-ready projects across the municipality.
According to Khalipha, the initiative aims to stimulate economic growth, support small businesses, create employment, and restore investor confidence in the municipality.
He stressed that partnerships between government, business, and communities remain critical to unlocking inclusive growth and improving living conditions for residents.
Among the municipality’s key priorities is the revival of the Liberty Centre, a once-popular shopping complex whose decline left many residents frustrated.
Khalipha revealed that investors have already expressed interest in redeveloping the site, with a proposed investment of R250 million expected to transform the area.
“They have already informed us that they want to invest an amount of R250 million, and if everything goes well, construction will start between September and October,” he said.
The mayor added that developers have already presented plans that could significantly change the economic landscape of Matjhabeng.
“In the next two weeks, we will be interacting with organisations dealing with hotels and urging them to come and build hotels here in Matjhabeng,” Khalipha said.
Another major development being considered is a R1.2 billion mixed-use investment near the former Vista University site, focused on student accommodation and retail infrastructure.
“It’s not only student accommodation, but also a mall and several other developments that they are going to build on that piece of land,” the mayor said.
Khalipha appealed to investors to continue backing the municipality’s recovery plans and called for stability within local government structures.
“We are aware that there are people who want to destabilise this municipality,” he said.
He accused certain individuals of attempting to disrupt the administration for personal gain.
“What they want to do in this municipality is loot, which is what they have been doing in the past. So we are people who are disturbing them,” Khalipha added.
Despite ongoing political and financial challenges, the municipality believes the planned investments could mark the beginning of a major turnaround for Matjhabeng’s economy and infrastructure.
It is all systems go for the state funeral of former North West Premier, ANC stalwart, and anti-apartheid activist, Kaobitsa Abel ‘Bushy’ Maape, who will be laid to rest in his hometown of Vryburg tomorrow.
Maape passed away last Saturday, 16 May 2026, at the Life Brenthurst Hospital in Johannesburg at the age of 68.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a Special Provincial Funeral Category 1 for the late veteran, which includes ceremonial honours designated by the South African Police Service (SAPS).
President Ramaphosa also ordered that all national flags be flown at half-mast across the province from today until tomorrow in honour of the former premier.
Tributes continue to pour in for the ANC activist, who has been described as a hero, a father figure, and praised as one of the most dignified leaders to emerge from the North West for steering the province through challenging periods of governance.
Family, friends, and comrades from across the country gathered in Mahikeng on Thursday for a memorial service to celebrate a life defined by struggle and service and are now moving to Vryburg to pay their final respects.
Maape served as the seventh Premier of the North West Province and was a member of the North West Provincial Legislature from September 2021 until May 2024.
“Comrade Maape was recruited into the underground structures of the ANC during the apartheid era and became an operative within the liberation movement,” ANC national spokesperson Mahlengu Bhengu-Motsiri said.
“His passion for education remained a defining feature of his life as he believed deeply in the power of learning to liberate and uplift communities,” she added.
Bhengu-Motsiri added that Maape dedicated his life to the struggle for liberation, the advancement of South Africans, and community empowerment through education, serving the ruling party with discipline, humility, and unwavering commitment.
In 1986, Maape was imprisoned on Robben Island for his political activities, where he continued to pursue education and intellectual development despite the harsh conditions of apartheid confinement.
“Following his release, he served the people in various leadership roles, including as chairperson of the ANC in the Kgalagadi region and as a senior government official in the province,” Bhengu-Motsiri noted.
The late premier is survived by his family, comrades, and a province that will remember him as both an administrative leader and a dedicated veteran of the liberation struggle.
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North West police have launched a high-level investigation and deployed specialised units following the fatal shooting of Mahikeng community activist and traditional healer Thato Molosankwe.
Molosankwe was shot multiple times this morning (Wednesday, 20 May) at his home in Lomanyaneng.
According to police in the province, a case of murder and robbery was opened and will be treated as a priority.
Molosankwe was widely known in Mahikeng and surrounding communities as a vocal advocate for anti-corruption and corruption, working closely with local safety structures.
He was also a traditional healer and a community figure who often used his platform to raise concerns about crime, governance, and local economic issues.
Molosanke’s death has sparked an outpouring of grief and anger on social media, with many describing him as a fearless voice against criminality and corruption. Community members say his killing represents a devastating loss for grassroots activism in the area.
Residents in Lomanyaneng and broader Mahikeng have called for swift arrests, saying community leaders who work with law enforcement must be better protected amid rising concerns about targeted attacks
Acting National Police Commissioner Puleng Dimpane has instructed provincial leadership to mobilise all available resources to track down those responsible..
Police have urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or submit anonymous tips via the MySAPS platform, assuring that all information will be treated confidentially..
By Gomolemo Winkel
Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality has confirmed that the final report from the grievance hearing, involving allegations of sexual harassment against General Manager of Communications Qondile Khedama, was officially received on 11 May 2026.
Khedama was placed on special leave in December last year following allegations of sexual misconduct were levelled against him.
The latest development came from City Manager Sello Moroe on Friday, stating that the municipality is currently reviewing the findings in the report.
“The municipality is currently undertaking the necessary consultations and administrative processes to consider the findings and recommendations contained in the report.
“This process is being conducted in accordance with applicable labour legislation, municipal governance prescripts, principles of procedural fairness, and the municipality’s internal disciplinary and grievance procedures,” Moroe said in a media statement..
The municipality admitted that the matter has dragged on for an extended period, therefore raising an alarm among affected parties who have been awaiting closure on the issue.
“We remain mindful that this matter has been pending for a considerable period and acknowledge the expectation for closure by all concerned parties.
“The intention is to conclude the process and communicate the outcome before the end of May,” he said.
Journal News sent an enquiry regarding the matter, but there was no response at the time of publication.
Labour intentions have escalated at Sol Plaatje Local Municipality in Kimberley, with contract workers protesting amid job cuts.
The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) is accusing the municipality of abandoning long-serving workers, while claims emerge that misinformation fuelled ongoing strike action in Kimberley
The workers staged protests outside the municipal offices in Ashburnham over the alleged termination of 137 fixed-term contract workers, whose contracts are expected to end on 29 May.
Today is the third day of the strike action that started last Friday. The protesting workers burned tyres and disrupted operations at municipal offices, preventing members of the public from entering the building.
Many of the affected workers have been employed in road maintenance and other essential municipal services and are now demanding permanent positions within the municipality.
SAMWU has vowed to intensify its fight against the planned terminations, arguing that long-serving workers are being unfairly discarded despite years of service to the municipality.
SAMWU Northern Cape Provincial Spokesperson, Papikie Mohale, says SAMWU will not stand by while workers who have dedicated years to keeping the city functioning are discarded without any job security.
“We are demanding that the municipality immediately stop these dismissals and engage with labour to find a lasting solution, he said.
Mohale also said workers remain deeply frustrated by the uncertainty surrounding their employment and warned that tensions could escalate further if no intervention is made.
Anonymous sources say the tensions have also been fuelled by misinformation circulating among workers regarding the status of the contracts and possible permanent appointments.
They say, despite these claims, uncertainty remains over whether management intends to review or reverse the termination notices.
Attempts to obtain comment from the Sol Plaatje Local Municipality were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
