Local government in the North West province is in the midst of a dispute – and the town is suffering because of it. The Ditsobotla municipality (which has two mayors) has seen service deliveries grind to a halt. The Daily Friend reports that in a Lichtenburg township, refuse has remained uncollected for months. At the heart of the conflict are two ANC factions, both battling for control of the local municipality. ‘Factional’ politics, as the Daily Friend describes it, has spilled over into neighbouring towns. Tswaing had its mayor, Dimakatso Malwane voted out of office in June last year. After winning reinstatement, Malwane was voted out yet again and replaced by Olaotswe Makalela. Uncertainty as to which mayor has access to the town bank account has prompted First National Bank to suspend Tswaing’s bank account. Warring factions and local politicians embroiled in rivalry’s and battles has seen the town and as a consequence, its people, come off second best. Service delivery interruption isn’t anything new to the province, or indeed South Africa. For years, residents have complained about schooling being interrupted and a complete lack of basic municipality services – Jarryd Neves
Double trouble for ANC-run towns
By Daily Friend
In Boikhutso township in Lichtenburg, North West, sewage runs down the streets and tons of black plastic bags line the streets where refuse has not been collected for months.
The provision of services has ground to a halt as ANC factions fight for control of Ditsobotla local municipality. The town has two mayors, Tsholofelo Moreo and Tebogo Buthelezi, from warring factions.
Buthelezi was removed by the council through a vote of no confidence, Â reinstated by a court, then removed by the ANC caucus through another motion of no confidence, whereafter Moreo was reinstated again.
The situation is the same in the neighbouring towns of Disaneng in Ratlou municipality and Delareyville in Tswaing municipality, both of which fall under Ngaka Modiri district municipality.
The instability in these three municipalities was highlighted in a draft oversight report of the National Assembly’s portfolio committee on co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta), which visited several North West municipalities this month.
In Tswaing, mayor Dimakatso Malwane was voted out of office in June 2020, won reinstatement, was voted out again, and replaced when Olaotswe Makalela was elected in her place.
First National Bank has suspended Tswaing’s bank account because of confusion over which of the two mayors has legitimate access to funds.
The town also has two municipal managers and two municipal speakers.
In Ratlou, mayor Mamoitsadi Phaedi was removed during a virtual council meeting in January, was replaced by Segametsi Ntladi, then won reinstatement, but lost when the council appealed.
When the committee visited the town, Phaedi and Ntladi both attended the meeting, claiming to be the legitimate mayor.
Sources in Ratlou said changes in councils were the result of ANC factional politics.
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