RUSTENBURG - Forum 4 Service Delivery (F4SD) has called for North West Premier Job Mokgoro to step down following the provincial government's decision to cancel the Mahika Mahikeng cultural festival.
"F4SD in North West evidently view the decisions that are taken within the North West province are led by greed, selfishness and corruption," said the party's provincial spokesperson Kelebogile Mocumi.
"One might ask, how and when did the economic development of Mahikeng and the province not take priority?"
Mocumi said they were disappointed that the ANC-led provincial government ignored the economic impact of Mahika Mahikeng, which provides temporary employment opportunities for the youth, attracting of possible investors to Mahikeng and the province at large among others.
"The benefits Mahika Mahikeng gave small, medium and macro businesses, whether being a person selling ice cubes or those offering accommodation.
"It is a disgrace that with procedures which govern the procurement processes in place, a decision which is meant to build the province becomes so difficult to take, ignoring the ramifications that decision will have on the local economy."
The provincial government on Wednesday announced that the fifth edition of annual Mahika-Mahikeng Cultural Music Festival would not be staged.
"The annual Mahika-Mahikeng Cultural Music Festival, which started four years ago, will this year take a gap year, so as to allow the North West provincial government to deliver a repackaged quality music and cultural festival next year.
"We have, after careful and in-depth consideration, and after consulting with various stakeholders related to the event, come to a difficult decision not to stage the 2019 Mahika-Mahikeng Cultural Music Festival," the provincial government said in a statement.
Grammy Award-winning R&B and soul singer Anthony Hamilton performed at the 2018 event.