North West Legislature Raises Alarm Over NTI Crisis

The committee, chaired by Freddy Sonakile, reviewed the department's third and fourth-quarter performance reports and scrutinised a range of unresolved issues affecting service delivery across the province.

The North West Provincial Legislature's Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management has voiced concern over the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management's failure to meet several annual performance targets during the 2025/26 financial year.

The committee, chaired by Freddy Sonakile, reviewed the department's third and fourth-quarter performance reports and scrutinised a range of unresolved issues affecting service delivery across the province.

Among the matters discussed were the Road Rangers Programme, security tenders, stock theft interventions, weighbridge operations, infrastructure projects, ongoing litigation and the integration of the former Atamelang Bus Company into the Ngaka Modiri Molema bus contract.

Committee members expressed dissatisfaction with programmes that fell short of their targets and instructed the department to submit a detailed corrective action plan outlining how the shortcomings would be addressed. Particular attention was placed on filling vacant positions to strengthen institutional capacity and improve service delivery.

Despite the concerns, the committee commended Programme 2: Provincial Secretariat for Police Services and Programme 4: Transport Regulation for achieving all their annual performance targets despite operating under budget constraints.

NTI Operations Remain at a Standstill

A significant portion of the meeting focused on the deepening crisis at North West Transport Investment (NTI), which has been facing severe operational and financial challenges.

The committee received a status report indicating that NTI operations have remained suspended since January 2026 after subcontractors withdrew buses due to non-payment. Members described the situation as alarming and stressed the need for immediate intervention to prevent further deterioration.

The committee was also briefed on recent legal developments involving Business Rescue Practitioner Thomas Sammons, who was granted condonation by the Supreme Court of Appeal.

Sonakile made it clear that the committee would not support any attempt to return NTI to business rescue, arguing that the process had failed to achieve its intended objectives.

He said workers had suffered for too long while salary payments remained unresolved, adding that employees should not continue bearing the consequences of prolonged delays and failed interventions.

Pressure Mounts for Permanent Solution

The committee has requested that a clear timeline for the payment of all outstanding employee salaries be submitted within the next week. Members also resolved to urgently meet with the Premier and the MECs responsible for Provincial Treasury and Community Safety and Transport Management to discuss a long-term solution for the struggling transport entity.

In addition, the committee called for legal options to be pursued in order to implement the Executive Council's resolution seeking the removal of NTI from the business rescue process. Sonakile criticised the prolonged involvement of business rescue practitioners, saying the uncertainty surrounding the entity had continued for more than four years while workers, commuters and economic opportunities suffered the consequences.

The committee concluded the meeting by expressing condolences to the family, colleagues and friends of Ingrid Masothe, a South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) shop steward at NTI, who recently passed away. Members said they hoped ongoing efforts to restore stability and dignity to the entity would honour the sacrifices made by employees who endured the prolonged crisis.