“Gangster” Municipality Fails to Pay Pension Fund Contributions
Ditsobotla Local Municipality has been under national administration since September
Ditsobotla
First Certificate of Debt for Municipal Manager in North West Just a Pilot Project
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) welcomes the decision by the Auditor-General (AG) to issue the country’s first Certificate of Debt (CoD) for R4,6 million to the Municipal Manager of the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, Allen Losaba. This step confirms the Freedom Front Plus’s constant claims that financial control, consequence management and political accountability […]
The post First Certificate of Debt for Municipal Manager in North West just a pilot project appeared first on Freedom Front Plus.
A Victory for Ditsobotla Residents
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) welcomes the announcement that national government will directly intervene in the Ditsobotla Local Municipality in Lichtenburg. The people of Lichtenburg and Coligny have been plagued by the lawlessness and mismanagement characterising the Municipality for years. The Freedom Front Plus along with organisations such as Sakeliga has repeatedly called on […]
The post National intervention a victory for Ditsobotla residents appeared first on Freedom Front Plus.
Corruption in North West Wrecks Province’s Economy
During today’s debate in the North West Provincial Legislature, the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) emphasised that corruption in government not only results in direct financial losses, but also has a devastating ripple effect on the provincial economy. The National Treasury (NT) calculated that government spending on local suppliers and contractors adds up to 150% […]
The post Corruption in North West wrecks province’s economy appeared first on Freedom Front Plus.
National Authorities Complicit in Ongoing Ditsobotla Chaos
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 […]
The post National authorities complicit in ongoing chaos in Ditsobotla appeared first on Freedom Front Plus.
North West Premier proposes Eskom take over Ditsobotla electricity supply
North West Premier proposes Eskom take over Ditsobotla electricity supply
The North West Provincial Government, led by Premier Lazarus Mokgosi, has held an engagement session with the Council of Ditsobotla Local Municipality in Lichtenburg to address the municipality’s ongoing service delivery challenges, particularly regarding electricity supply.
During the meeting, the provincial government proposed that the struggling municipality transfer its electricity rights to Eskom, under the oversight of the Ministry of Electricity.
The special Council meeting, held on Tuesday, was attended by Premier Mokgosi, who was invited by the Council, and MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements, and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA), Oageng Molapisi. The visit aimed to engage directly with councillors to explore solutions to service delivery challenges.
Lichtenburg has faced severe power supply issues, including prolonged blackouts in 2023 after Eskom cut off electricity due to the municipality’s historic debt. Reports indicate that Ditsobotla Local Municipality owed Eskom over R1 billion at the time, making it one of the country’s largest defaulters.
Premier Mokgosi urged the Council to support the proposal to allow Eskom to take over the electricity supply function. He argued that this intervention would ensure an uninterrupted power supply across the municipality, as previous efforts by the local government had failed to produce the desired outcomes.
“The municipality is facing numerous challenges, and at the center of these challenges are the people we must serve,” Mokgosi said. “The municipality lacks both the financial capacity and the necessary skills to manage electricity provision. One of the options we presented was for Eskom to assume full responsibility for electricity operations to alleviate this burden.”
However, councillors expressed concerns about revenue collection from electricity supply and the potential financial implications for the municipality. To address these concerns, the parties agreed to hold a follow-up engagement session with all relevant stakeholders to discuss the details of the proposed intervention.
“We are exploring every possible avenue to stabilize this municipality,” Mokgosi emphasized. “It is essential for all of us to work together to achieve this objective.”
The upcoming engagement session will be led by Premier Mokgosi and attended by MEC for CoGHSTA, representatives from the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, the Ministry of Electricity, and the Department of Water and Sanitation.
The session will include discussions on a Section 154 intervention report and address questions about blocked and ongoing projects in the municipality.
“This collaborative effort aims to stabilize the municipality and ensure reliable service delivery for the residents of Ditsobotla,” Mokgosi concluded.
– SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Thu, 01/23/2025 - 10:02
69 views
Meeting held to resolve Ditsobotla water and electricity challenges
Meeting held to resolve Ditsobotla water and electricity challenges
The North West Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) has committed to collaborating with all relevant stakeholders to resolve challenges at the Ditsobotla Local Municipality.
The department made the commitment during a meeting with the Ditsobotla Local Municipality and the Ditsobotla Service Association (DSA) to discuss challenges confronting the municipality.
This follows electricity outages in Lichtenburg and complaints of water shortages for prolonged periods in other areas, leading to protest action by residents.
CoGTA Head of Department (HOD), Dr Ben Bole, convened the meeting on Thursday to address the critical issues and identify lasting solutions to the municipality’s challenges.
Bole said partnerships between the provincial government, municipality and various stakeholders are key to addressing challenges of service delivery across the municipalities in general, particularly in Ditsobotla.
As part of improving good governance and recovering efficient financial systems, Bole said the department will continue its partnership with the Provincial Treasury to intervene and enable Ditsobotla Municipality to function better.
The meeting considered avenues of collaboration between all stakeholders, including the provision of the needed technical expertise to unlock service delivery challenges.
“The department believes collaboration with stakeholders in Ditsobotla may develop a concrete, sustainable and efficient solution to long-standing infrastructure problems faced in the municipality, particularly electricity and water systems.
“We are committed to working together with all relevant stakeholders towards a lasting solution that will transform the service delivery landscape and improve the quality of life for the residents of Ditsobotla,” Bole said.
During the meeting, Ditsobotla Municipal Manager, Olaotse Bojosinyane, urged the residents to remain calm while they resolve the electricity issues.
Bojosinyane reported that the municipality has since managed to restore power to certain parts of Lichtenburg, while some areas are still outstanding and receiving attention.
Bojosinyane said the service provider is still on site and attending to power issues. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Fri, 01/10/2025 - 12:32
156 views
North West on high alert amid heavy rains
North West on high alert amid heavy rains
The North West Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PMDC), working together with Municipal Disaster Centres, remains on high alert for incidents of disaster across the province.
This follows heavy rainfall that affected many parts of the province and damaged infrastructure and properties.
North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Gaoage Oageng Molapisi, said the disaster management teams are on the ground conducting a needs and impact assessment.
The province experienced heavy rainfall in the past few days and largely affecting district municipalities, including Bojanala Platinum and Ngaka Modiri Molema.
Molapisi said formal and informal houses were damaged by the heavy rains, as well as municipal infrastructure such as culverts, roads and bridges.
“Kromkuil bridge in Moretele has collapsed and scores of houses in the Moretele, Rustenburg, JB Marks, Ditsobotla, Ratlou and Mahikeng Local Municipalities were flooded. Roofs of houses at Mokgola in Ramotshere Moiloa and Ledig in Moses Kotane were blown away.
“Mud houses in Moshwaneng in the Ratlou Local Municipality were affected and face the possibility of collapsing. Public amenities such as hospitals, clinics and schools were also not spared. Lehurutshe Hospital and Moses Kotane Hospital in Ledig and General Delarey in Lichtenburg are some of the hospitals which were affected,” Molapisi said.
The Bogosi Clinic and Primary School in Moretele were water-logged and mop-up operations are underway to bring all affected facilities back to full operation.
Upon receiving reports on disaster incidents, Molapisi directed coordination on the ground to assist affected residents and communities across the province.
“The provincial preparedness and response contingency plan have been developed and are being implemented. Various sector departments and municipalities have been briefed and activated in line with their roles and responsibilities, and they use their own resources to respond to emergencies/disasters incidents.
“The National Department of Human Settlement provided Temporary Residential Units (TRU’s) for damaged houses in the province. The affected departments will reprioritise their budget to address the pressure created by the flood disaster incidents” Molapisi explained.
The MEC added that the Department of Social Development and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has profiled affected families and Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grants were provided.
The Al-IMAAD and Gift of the Givers organisations have provided humanitarian relief in some affected areas, including Ditsobotla.
The humanitarian relief includes hygiene packs, blankets, food parcels and mattresses. The Red Cross donated 100 blankets to the Bojanala District Disaster Management Centre.
Molapisi said the blocked drainage system caused flooding in most of the areas in the province.
The MEC has since directed sector departments and municipalities to budget for proactive disaster management activities to avert some of the disaster incidents.
“As part of the long-term intervention, municipalities must on an on-going basis maintain road infrastructures and storm water drainage systems to reduce flooding. The Department of Public Works and Roads, in collaboration with municipalities will repair damaged roads, bridges and culverts, and the Department of Human Settlements will repair all affected RDP houses.
“Municipalities must incorporate disaster risk reduction into development planning, and they must also develop bylaws and their enforcement strategy thereof,” Molapisi said.
The MEC reassured that the department and PDMC will continue to coordinate sectors to ensure safer and disaster-resilient communities in the province.
“The department is also working with South African Weather Service (SAWS) for issuance of severe weather early warnings to role-players and communities. SAWS predicts that the province will still experience above-normal rainfall throughout the autumn season,” Molapisi said. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Fri, 01/10/2025 - 10:46
63 views
Health Minister to assess flood-hit hospital
Health Minister to assess flood-hit hospital
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi will visit the General De La Rey Hospital in Lichtenburg on Tuesday to assess the extent of the damage to the hospital.
This follows reports of the flooding of three hospitals in the North West province.
The Minister will be accompanied by the provincial MEC for Health, Sello Lehari, and a technical team from the national head office, including engineers, to assess the damage and develop an intervention plan.
“In response to reports of the flooding of three hospitals in the North West province, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi will [on Tuesday] visit General De La Rey Hospital in Lichtenburg, Ditsobotla Municipality, to see for himself the state of the situation.
“This hospital is apparently the most affected, thus necessitating the presence of the Minister. What is most worrisome to the Minister is the report that some of the patients have already been transferred to other hospitals,” said the Department of Health in a statement. – SAnews.gov.za
Janine
Tue, 01/07/2025 - 09:29
254 views
Police killings an ‘assault on society and attack on the State’ – Hawks Head Lebeya
Police killings an 'assault on society and attack on the State' - Hawks Head Lebeya
Seventeen police officers have been killed in the second quarter of the 2024/25 financial year.
This is according to Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) Head, Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, who briefed the media on Sunday.
At least 13 of the officers were off duty at the time of the incidents, while four were on duty when they were killed.
The Lieutenant General condemned police killings, which the DPCI categorised as a national priority offence that “requires the attention of the DPCI”.
“There exists a blue wall in South Africa. A human wall formed by men and women in blue. The wall that divides and shield the good from the bad elements in society. The stronger the wall, the safer the community.
“The weaker the wall, the happier the criminals. Criminals will continuously attack this wall in order to access the protected good citizens of this beloved country. An attack of police officials is an assault on society and indeed an attack on the State,” he said.
He cited four examples of arrests and convictions secured following the killing of an officer, including that of a man who masterminded the killing of his own wife, who was seven months pregnant at the time.
“On 23 June 2022, Constable Prudence Masuku, who was stationed at Daveyton SAPS [South African Police Service] was murdered in Putfontein while on her way to work [and was] accompanied by her husband, James Veli Masuku.
“The husband alleged that they were confronted by two taxis, where the passengers of both taxis approached them and began firing several shots at the deceased, while he ran for cover. He said that upon returning to the vehicle, he found that his wife’s service pistol had gone missing.
“Investigations by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation and ballistic results revealed that the service pistol belonging to the deceased was in fact the very weapon that was used to murder the member,” Lebeya said.
During investigations, law enforcement officials Veli Masuku and Xolani Lawrence Dlamini after swiftly reacting to information about a suspect demanding cash from a middleman for murdering the police officer.
“On 08 April 2024, Masuku and Dlamini – who pleaded not guilty – were convicted of murder, theft of firearm, two counts of illegal possession of firearm and defeating the administration of justice.
“On 23 August 2024, the Gauteng High Court sitting in Benoni sentenced Masuku and Dlamini to life imprisonment for murder. They were further sentenced to five years imprisonment for the theft of a firearm, five years imprisonment for possession of unlicensed firearm, and three years imprisonment for illegal possession of ammunition, which runs concurrently with the life imprisonment sentence. They were further declared unfit to possess firearms in the future,” Lebeya said.
Unscrupulous legal practitioners
Lebeya told the media about legal practitioners, who are stealing money from unsuspecting clients’ trust funds, Road Accident Fund payouts and deceased estates.
Some of the cases Lebeya cited include:
- An attorney, Solomon Slom, arrested for allegedly stealing R39 million from a client’s trust fund.
- An attorney, Thouret Mampe Thabe Tiro, appeared in court for allegedly defrauding the Ditsobotla Local Municipality of R460 000 by submitting false request for payment.
- Attorney, Kobie Nieuwenhuis, allegedly misappropriated at least R243 000 after the Master of the High Court appointed her as the executor of an estate.
- Three attorneys – Mkhululi Enock Tokota, Masixole Bangiso and Michael Songezo Tuswa – appearing in different, unrelated cases related to fraud and theft of Road Accident Fund payouts.
“Legal practitioners are officers of the court. Theirs is a profession of honour. It is important that our learned colleagues should continue to maintain the decorum of this great profession. They must be exemplary to upcoming jurists and jealously insulate the image of this profession.
“Those who betray that trust need to take full responsibility and the Legal Profession Council should continue to police those who breach professional ethics. It should ensure that all legal practitioners observe a settled expectation of uberrima fides, the highest possible degree of good faith in dealing with client during submissions, representations to client so that they are accurate, honest and frank.
“It is comforting that prosecutors, the defence and the presiding officers who deal with these matters are jurists in good standing,” Lebeya said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Sun, 10/13/2024 - 12:50
124 views
Help for struggling municipalities
Help for struggling municipalities
To achieve rapid and inclusive growth, South Africa must address struggling municipalities and appoint qualified professionals to top positions.
This is according to President Cyril Ramaphosa who delivered a televised Opening of Parliament Address (OPA) on Thursday evening.
“Growth happens at a local level, where people live and work,” the President said.
The Head of State took the time to outline the government’s agenda, priorities, and policies for the next five years in a joint sitting of the newly constituted two Houses of Parliament.
The Opening of Parliament signifies the formal start of the parliamentary year following the May 29 General Elections.
President Ramaphosa said municipalities should provide social services and promote inclusive economic growth.
“They must work to attract investment. This approach can encourage businesses to expand and create more jobs in municipal areas. Investors are attracted to areas with reliable and modern infrastructure.”
eThekwini municipality
The President also spoke at length about the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, which is currently under the Presidential Working Group, to enhance support from the national and provincial government and turn the metro around.
“When I visited eThekwini earlier this year, I met with residents of the city, with local business leaders and municipal officials. They told me that they wanted to work together to build a city that they could be proud of again.”
He said the group was working around the clock to fix the problems in water and sanitation to attract new investment.
“We will extend the same approach to other metropolitan cities that face serious challenges so that our cities can be engines of growth and dynamic centres of opportunity.
“eThekwini must be restored to its former glory,” he stressed.
Simplifying and speeding up planning and regulatory processes can make it easier for businesses to invest and operate in a municipality, thus creating more jobs.
“As the national government, we have both a Constitutional responsibility and a clear electoral mandate to assist municipalities in the effective exercise of their powers and functions.
“We will ensure that the institutional structure and funding model for local government is fit-for-purpose and that municipalities are financially and operationally sustainable.”
Qualified professionals
In addition, the President assured South Africa that government will ensure the appointment of capable, qualified people to senior positions in municipalities as well as independent regulation and oversight of the appointment process.
“As an immediate priority, we will bring stability to governance in our metros and restore the delivery of services. We have already begun this work,” he said.
On Tuesday, newly appointed Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa, said the seventh administration was committed to working towards turning around dysfunctional municipalities.
Hlabisa used his Budget Vote Speech to acknowledge some of the challenges faced by local municipalities.
He said the department will continue to implement and enforce compliance with Municipal Support and Intervention Plans (MSIPs) and employ financial recovery plans in distressed municipalities.
The Minister said the current leadership plans to prioritise five additional municipalities that are in severe financial and governance distress which has negatively impacted service delivery.
Some of the five additional municipalities that will receive attention include Ditsobotla in the North West, Kopanong and Mafube in the Free State, Emfuleni in Gauteng and Thabazimbi in Limpopo. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Thu, 07/18/2024 - 21:00
492 views
CoGTA Minister talks tough on underperforming municipalities
CoGTA Minister talks tough on underperforming municipalities
Newly appointed Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa, has stated that the seventh administration is committed to working towards turning around dysfunctional municipalities, including the eThekwini Metro.
Hlabisa used his Budget Vote Speech in Parliament on Tuesday to acknowledge some of the challenges faced by local municipalities.
Going forward, the Minister stated that the department will continue to implement and enforce compliance with Municipal Support and Intervention Plans (MSIPs) and employ financial recovery plans in distressed municipalities.
Municipalities in distress
He told Parliamentarians that the current leadership plans to prioritise five additional municipalities that are in severe financial and governance distress which has negatively impacted service delivery.
“Some have struggled to pay salaries over the past three to six months. Some have debts that seem insurmountable as well as prolonged and expensive litigation,” he explained.
These municipalities are Ditsobotla in the North West, Kopanong and Mafube in the Free State, Emfuleni in Gauteng and Thabazimbi in Limpopo.
“Additionally, we will address the challenges faced by the eThekwini Metro, which is grappling with governance, institutional, and service delivery issues.”
According to the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) President, eThekwini is currently also receiving support from the national government led by the Presidency and KwaZulu-Natal CoGTA.
“It is important to note that this prioritisation does not imply that other municipalities are not facing similar challenges. Our commitment remains to support all municipalities that are experiencing difficulties.”
The Cooperative Governance budget is sitting at R395.7 billion, with a significant portion of 95.9% (R379.61 billion) to be transferred to municipalities and affiliated entities.
The R379.61 billion of the department’s total budget over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period, will primarily cover the local government equitable share, disaster relief grant and the municipal infrastructure grant.
In addition, he stated that the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA) will continue its efforts to assist the 22 distressed municipalities that are increasingly confronted with the need for infrastructure investments to deliver essential municipal services.
“They also struggle to mobilise resources for this infrastructure due to their borrowing limitations and reduced transfers from the national government amid fiscal constraints,” he explained.
He believes government’s success depends on the collective efforts of Parliament, departments, municipalities, traditional leaders, civil society, and every citizen.
He stated that his department aims to eliminate fragmentation in the planning, budgeting, implementation, and monitoring of government programs by the end of the seventh administration’s term.
“We cannot sit on the sidelines whilst the taxpayers’ money is not used as planned and infrastructure that could benefit our communities remains a dream,” he said.
Traditional leadership
Hlabisa also used his Budget Speech Vote to throw his weight behind traditional leadership, including the Khoi-San community.
“Time for lamenting is over; we must join hands to make an impact by turning dysfunctional municipalities around and improve support for institutions of traditional and Khoi-San leadership. The seventh administration has opened a new chapter which must be a turning point for the CoGTA sector post 30 years of freedom and democracy.”
The Traditional Affairs department has been allocated a budget that amounts to R187.3 million, which has been reduced by R5.8 million compared to the previous year’s allocation.
According to the Minister, the institution of traditional and Khoi-San leadership has raised several issues with the government through various engagement platforms during previous administrations.
“Our traditional and Khoi-San leaders also face their own set of challenges which include uneven provision of support and resources to fulfil their roles effectively, challenges in integrating traditional and Khoi-San leadership structures with municipal governance frameworks, and the need to finalise the formal recognition of khoi-San leaders and to promote respect for the cultural heritage which traditional and Khoi-San leaders are custodians of.”
During the current financial year, the department will continue to support the Commission on Khoi-San Matters (CKSM) to ensure it completes its work and submits recommendations.
The CKSM was established to handle applications for the recognition of Khoi-San communities and leaders and to submit recommendations to the Ministry.
The Commission has received 124 applications and conducted 62 Applicant Member Investigations (AMIs) to ensure application completeness.
“Let me remind this August House that the 2026 Local Government Elections are around the corner and the present term of local government comes to an end. We owe it to our communities to better their lives through effective and impactful service delivery.” – SAnews.go.za
Gabisile
Wed, 07/17/2024 - 10:31
116 views
Cabinet notes continued improvement in electricity availability
Cabinet notes continued improvement in electricity availability
The Cabinet continues to receive an update on the electricity situation in the country and notes reports of the continued improvement in electricity availability.
This is according to the Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who was briefing the media on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.
“Although the last few days had recorded an increase in the load shedding stages to Stage 4, the situation has since improved with the return of units to generation and Eskom continues to taper down the load shedding stages,” Ntshavheni said on Thursday.
The state-owned power entity announced this morning that load shedding would jump to Stage 4 as more generating units failed last night.
Minister Ntshavheni also spoke about the communities that have no electricity due to power outages and not load shedding.
These power outages, the Minister said, are caused by system overload due to illegal connections, theft or vandalism of sub-stations and transformers, and vandalism of distribution lines.
The affected communities include parts of Soweto, Tembisa, KwaThema, Komane, Taung and Ditsobotla.
Ntshavheni announced that the Ministers of Electricity and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs have since commenced with a programme to engage with the affected communities to agree on measures to replace damaged infrastructure.
However, the Minister said this would be linked with the prohibition of illegal connections, community partnerships in the protection of electricity infrastructure, and payment for electricity services.
“South Africa’s agreement with the Chinese companies, on recently signed agreements, will play a significant role in introducing electricity infrastructure with self-preservation capability.”
Western Cape Provincial Powers Bill
In addition, Ntshavheni said the Executive has also been briefed about the “unconstitutional” draft Western Cape Provincial Powers Bill.
The Bill creates a framework for the province to fully assert its existing constitutional and legislative powers and to get more powers delegated from the national government.
“The Draft Bill violates the provisions of Schedules 4 and 5 of the Constitution that set out powers and functions including concurrent powers of both the provincial and national executives.”
“Cabinet has noted that this draft Bill is an attempt to revert to the Democratic Party’s, forerunner to the Democratic Alliance preferred federal approach that seeks to undermine a united and inclusive South Africa,” the Minister explained.
In addition, she said the Draft Bill ignores the exclusion from access to services of the large Black communities of Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Nyanga, Langa, the Cape Flats, Delft, and Central Line, among others.
“Cabinet has mandated the Ministers of Justice and CoGTA to enter into discussions with the Western Cape provincial government in line with the relevant dispute resolution mechanisms as provided for in section 146 of the Constitution and the applicable intergovernmental framework.” – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Thu, 08/31/2023 - 11:05
23 views
We will NEVER do that!
Dear Editor The DA in North West categorically rejects the Patriotic Alliance’s (PA) disingenuous assertion that the DA has entered into a coalition with the EFF in the Ditsobotla Local Municipality. The DA is on record that we would never enter into a coalition with the EFF whose ideology and policy framework does not align …