A ring of steel is being set up around Mahikeng on Thursday morning as North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi prepares to deliver the 2026 State of the Province Address (SOPA).
While the premier is expected to outline his government’s programme for the year ahead, at a pre-SOPA briefing held on Wednesday, the focus was on security rather than policy.
Remote search park
North West police spokesperson Col Adele Myburgh said access to the North West Provincial Legislature would be tightly controlled, with a remote search park set up at Mmabatho Stadium as the first checkpoint for all guests.
“Law enforcement and safety officers will be deployed on all the main roads leading into Mahikeng as well as the identified key points,” she said.
All guests, including members of the provincial legislature, government officials, media, and invited members of the public, will be required to report first to the remote search park for screening before being transported under escort to the legislature precinct.
Myburgh said normal daily activities will not be affected. “It is equally important for the public, motorists, and pedestrians to take note of the regulated or restricted access into certain roads and thoroughfares around the parliament precinct,” she said.
Mokgosi’s renewal pledge
In his 2025 SOPA address, Premier Mokgosi painted a picture of ambitious renewal. He unveiled the Medium-Term Development Plan (2025–2030), promising inclusive economic growth, job creation, poverty reduction, and a capable, ethical state.
At the time, the province’s expanded unemployment rate stood at 52%. Billions of rands in mining investments were announced. Rural road upgrades, irrigation schemes, and housing projects were tabled as catalysts for development.
Yet beyond the statistics, many communities continue to grapple with unreliable water supply, deteriorating infrastructure, youth unemployment, and municipal instability.
