MAHIKENG MAIL - MAHIKENG: North West Public Works and Roads MEC, Sempe Elizabeth Mokua, reiterated her Department’s commitment to ensure that women, youth and people with disabilities become the main beneficiaries of the new intake in the Vukuphile Contractor Development Programme in the current Financial Year (2025/26).
Addressing women on the first day of the two-day Women and Youth in Construction Summit held as part of Women’s Month commemorations at Mmabatho Palms last week, Mokua said the current group of 52 participants in the programme comprised 23 women owned companies that have to date, been allocated projects amounting to a total combined value of more than R350 million. She said the Department was in the process of implementing specific interventions to give effect to the requirements outlined in the Gender Responsive Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing Framework as introduced in 2018.
In their new Strategic Plan document, Mokua said they had set targets for public procurement from designated groups to increase over a five-year period from the baseline considering women from 20% to 40%, youth from 18% to 30% and persons with disabilities from 1% to 7%.
“The Expanded Public Works Programme continues to be a programme that offers numerous benefits and opportunities for women within our Province,” Mokua said.
Mahikeng Executive Mayor, Cllr Tshepiso Mphehlo paid tribute to former North West female Premiers Maureen Modiselle, Thandi Modise and the late Edna Molewa, describing them as women with special leadership ethics.
“I thank the Department for choosing Mahikeng to host this summit as we believe that women hold half the sky and we value women. We thank the MEC for her massive contribution to the road infrastructure that indeed make Mahikeng a fitting capital city of the North West,” he said.
He encouraged women to be at the forefront in the construction industry and hailed the ANC for appointing Mokua in her position as MEC and for being the first female and former Nehawu chairperson, a position she held with distinction for a long time.
