MEC DANTJIE LAUNCHES MUNIMEC STRUCTURE IN MAFIKENG

By Petrus Siko

• •⁠ ⁠A MuniMEC forum made up of the MEC for Social Development and members of mayoral councils responsible for social development, community development, and special programmes in their respective municipalities has been set up in the North West.
• ⁠The new structure aims to strengthen governance and service delivery across the province.
• “This is a platform that will enable us as leaders to build on collaboration, innovation, and responsive governance for the betterment of the people we serve,” MEC Sussana Dantjie said at the launch of the MuniMEC forum in Mahikeng.

The newly established MuniMEC structure will go a long way in strengthening governance and service delivery across the province, North West MEC for Social Development, Basetsana Sussana Dantjie, told members of mayoral councils from various municipalities at the launch of the MuniMEC forum in Mahikeng.

“This is a platform that will enable us as leaders to build on collaboration, innovation, and responsive governance for the betterment of the people we serve,” MEC Dantjie said at the launch of the MuniMEC forum in Mahikeng on Friday, 12 December 2025.

“It will also help us to monitor and evaluate service delivery commitments by stakeholders,” Dantjie said, adding that the forum will convene its meetings once per quarter to track progress on service delivery, to discuss and resolve a wide range of issues affecting the local government sphere.

The MuniMEC provides a platform for the provincial government and municipalities to regularly interact, ensuring a coordinated approach to service delivery and governance.

The MuniMEC – a shortened form of municipalities and MEC – is a consultative forum typically established at the provincial level that brings together the MEC and members of mayoral councils responsible for social development, community development, and special programmes in their respective municipalities.

The launch and operation of the MuniMEC structure is a practical implementation of the country’s cooperative governance model, aiming at bridging gaps between spheres of government to improve the living conditions of communities.

A MuniMEC structure stems from Section 40(1) of the Constitution, which establishes government as national, provincial, and local spheres that are distinctive, interdependent, and interrelated.

Section 41 mandates that all spheres of government must co-operate with one another in mutual trust and good faith, which includes supporting and consulting each other on matters of common interest.