Their failure to successfully intervene in the ongoing chaos at the Ditsobotla Local Municipality makes national authorities complicit in the decline of once-progressive towns such as Lichtenburg and Coligny.
In the latest incident last week, municipal councillors and employees were threatened, assaulted and intimidated by security guards illegally appointed by an ANC/EFF faction within the Municipality. This occurred in the presence of local police, who seemingly refused to take action against the perpetrators.
This incident follows similar acts of violence, including an incident where individuals were shot at by the illegally appointed security guards.
The faction, led by Olaotse Bojosinyane, Molefe Morutse and Manana Bogatsu, unlawfully assumed the offices of Municipal Manager, Mayor and Speaker of the Municipality, respectively.
They currently occupy the municipal offices and have illegally accessed the Municipality’s bank accounts.
This is despite a High Court order explicitly prohibiting them from falsely presenting themselves as officials or office-bearers of the Municipality.
What makes this situation even more disturbing is that the Freedom Front Plus submitted comprehensive proposals to Velenkosini Hlabisa, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), to decisively address the wave of lawlessness at the Ditsobotla Municipality in August 2024 already.
Among other things, the Freedom Front Plus requested the deployment of a high-level task team comprising the South African Police Service, the Hawks, the National Treasury and the National Prosecuting Authority to Ditsobotla to conduct a thorough investigation into criminal activities at the Municipality and ensure the prosecution of offenders.
The party also pointed out that a standard section-139 intervention would not be applicable to Ditsobotla due to the ongoing and rampant criminality and lawlessness at the Municipality.
The authorities’ dereliction of duty has let Ditsobotla communities down, leaving towns such as Lichtenburg and Coligny in a state of utter decay.
It also tarnishes the reputation of the ANC government in North West, which appears to prioritise factional interests above the well-being of the Ditsobotla community.
Freedom Front Plus Support Base: The party primarily draws support from Afrikaners and other minority groups.
Red Woman
Fun South African Fact: Nelson Mandela has six different names in South Africa.
Mr. Peppermint
Van der Merwe is approached by SANRAL one day who want to build a new highway through his donkey farm. Van is really concerned with how his donkeys can get from one side of the farm to the other without having to cross the highway and risk being injured or killed. He is promised that they will build bridges the highway so that his donkeys can cross under the highway. Van agrees and gives them the go-ahead.
The highway is built and a year later the same rep goes to the farm to go see how Van and his donkeys are. He eventually finds Van under one of these bridges chipping away at the roof of the tunnel with a hammer and chisel.
\”Mnr Van de Merwe, what are you doing damaging the highway bridge?\”