The African National Congress (ANC) in North West has proposed that the Lichtenburg-based Ditsobotla Local Municipality be dissolved and all its areas incorporated into nearby municipalities.
The party says this is one of the resolutions taken at the recently convened local government summit.
The troubled municipality is still not functioning as expected and cannot meet its statutory obligations of providing services to the residents.
Ditsobotla has also been marred by service delivery protests, despite several interventions by the North West provincial government. The municipality is currently under mandatory intervention by the provincial government in accordance with section 139 (5) of the constitution.
The Ditsobotla Municipality was established through the amalgamation of the former Lichtenburg, Coligny and Biesiesvlei Transitional Councils.
Over the years, the embattled entity has experienced persistent political and administrative instability which has severely affected service delivery.
The provincial government’s interventions at the municipality for over 10 years have failed to solve the problems. The municipal council was dissolved more than two years ago. It was reconstituted at the beginning of 2023, following by-elections in December 2022. The ANC lost its majority in the municipality after the by-elections.
In a 10-year period, audits from the 2010/2011 to 2020/2021 financial years, Ditsobotla had a disclaimer on its reports for nine years. The ANC also says all interventions prescribed in the constitution have failed to yield positive results.
“During the summit we have received a well-researched document in terms of the process or alternatives that we can implement in Ditsobotla. And the only thing that we are left with, which we are still considering is the entire dissolution of Ditsobotla not as a municipality but in terms of demarcation. So that we get rid of that type of municipality because it’s not working for us. It’s not working for our people. But it’s not a final decision. This is something that we are still continuing with it in terms of the resolutions of that lekgotla,” says Tumelo Maruping, ANC NW Spokesperson.
If the ANC’s proposal becomes a final decision, the process to dissolve Ditsobotla may start as soon as next year.
“If this last intervention because we have implemented all the interventions that you can think of. Section 139 (a)(b), section 139 (c) in terms of the dissolution for I think maybe three times. If these last ones, these interventions do not work out post 2026. We are now looking at getting rid of that municipality all together and merge it with other municipalities because really, we would have exhausted all the avenues that are available in terms of the constitution,” Maruping added.
Opposition parties are against the move saying it will only burden already struggling municipalities.
“We feel strongly that won’t be a tangible solution, actually it’s going to create more problems even to other municipalities that will now inherit Ditsobotla. It becomes a problem to now transfer a problem to other municipalities that are not in good standing themselves,” says Fanon Moema, EFF NW Spokesperson.
“The only way to solve the structural problems within the Ditsobotla local municipality is to ensure that national government intervenes under section 139 (7). That a funded financially recovered plan is implemented. That the forensic financial audit is conducted,” says Chris Steyl, DA NW.
However, some residents welcomed the proposal saying that they have already endured much suffering.
“It is better for our municipality to be dissolved. Those of us who fall under Ditsobotla must be incorporated to the Mahikeng municipality or we must just be taken somewhere because we don’t get any services. Just look at the condition of these bad roads,”
“The municipality is not rendering any services for us. We rather be incorporated to other areas. Ditsobotla must just be cancelled,”
“It’s no use because one thing is that there’s no consistency at the Ditsobotla local municipality. People only work for three months then a motion of no confidence is tabled, another three months then there’s another motion of no confidence. So, there won’t be any stability in the municipality,”
If the ANC succeeds to have the Ditsobotla Local Municipality dissolved it will be the first time in the province’s history that a municipality is incorporated into others after it had failed to meet its statutory obligations.
