Dear Editor
The DA in North West welcomes the decision by the COGTA Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa to place the Ditsobotla Local Municipality under national government administration as per Section 139(7).
Ditsobotla residents can today again look towards the future with hope in a municipality that is responsive and that delivers services.
This is the first time in democratic South Africa that the National Government has accepted its responsibility to ensure accountable and effective governance and improved service delivery in a North West Municipality.
This decision marks the first step towards cleaning out the mafia-style criminality that has crippled Ditsobotla over the last 20 years that resulted in the collapse of service delivery and local economic decline and a sense of hopelessness, frustration, anger, and misery within the community.
The DA will now engage Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa to ensure the immediate normalisation of service delivery, with a focus on electricity and water supply and refuse collection, and the implementation of:
- A fully funded financial recovery plan administered by National Treasury;
- An independent financial forensic audit;
- An independent skills audit of all management;
- Lifestyle audits of all elected political office bearers and municipal management;
- Disciplinary action to remove compromised politicians and municipal officials from office and prosecution of all individuals complicit in criminal activity;
- The recruitment of skilled, qualified and experienced officials through a fair and transparent process without any political influence; and that,
- The Asset Forfeiture Unit must recover all losses identified in the forensic audit.
We will closely monitor the intervention and will work with the administrator and all stakeholders to ensure that all Ditsobotla residents receive the services they deserve.
The DA first recommended that Ditsobotla rather be placed under Section 139(7) in September 2022 during the consultation process with the National Council of Provinces following the decision to dissolve the municipality under Section 139(1)(c). However, the municipality was subsequently dissolved, resulting in a municipal by-election in December 2022.
Barely a year after Ditsobotla was dissolved and a new Council elected, governance and service delivery continued to deteriorate.
In August 2023, the DA took Eskom to court for refusal to replace a transformer, resulting in extended electricity blackouts. Eskom abused the suffering of residents as a debt recovery mechanism against the municipality. The DA succeeded in the High Court application, forcing Eskom to replace the transformer.
In October 2023, the DA on two occasions wrote to the then COGTA Minister, Thembi Nkadimeng, and Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana, to place the municipality under national government administration following extended electricity blackouts and the fire that destroyed the Lichtenburg Town Hall and Museum. These requests fell on deaf ears.
On 10 January 2025, the DA wrote to the COGTA Minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and President Cyril Ramaphosa, again requesting national government to intervene under Section 139(7).
Subsequently, as the situation deteriorated further in Ditsobotla, resulting in factional gun fights and violent protests, we again wrote on 05 March 2025, following an illegal council meeting that irregularly elected a mayor and speaker as well as the appointment of a municipal manager that failed to receive concurrence from the MEC for COGHSTA, Oageng Molapisi.
Letters were also dispatched on 06 May 2025, following two gunfight battles at the Ditsobotla municipal offices resulting in the injury of three persons. In June 2025, a letter was dispatched after the salaries of municipal workers and Councillors were withheld by Mr Oloatse Bojosinyane by instruction from the Speaker as an intimidation tactic to legitimise an unlawful parallel council.
The DA’s efforts will go a long way towards capacitating the municipality to welcome a new council following next year’s local government elections. With the support of residents and voters, the DA stands ready to rebuild Ditsobotla, restoring the towns of Coligny, Lichtenburg, and Itsoseng to towns that we can all be proud of again.
Regards
CJ Steyl
DA Spokesperson on Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs in North West