There is dysfunctional and then there is Ditsobotla local municipality.
With 14 municipal managers, four mayors, four speakers – all in six years resulting in a total collapse of governance – Ditsobotla is the perfect example of how not to run a municipality.
This is the unending sorry state of a municipality which has been ravaged from within by feuding ANC factions fighting over power.
The municipality which covers towns such as Lichtenburg, Coligny and townships including Itsoseng in the North West is one of the worst run councils in the country and has been left battered by groupings wrangling for control of the public purse.
The fights came to a head on Monday when municipal employees clashed with bouncers hired by a private security company appointed to take control of access to municipal offices allegedly by a former acting municipal manager Josephine Ledwaba.
Yesterday, the provincial government said it would be intervening in the municipality by placing it under section 139 of the constitution.
Cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Lenah Miga's spokesperson Tsholofelo Mathibedi said Miga would make the announcement soon.
Mathibedi said the municipality was currently under section 154 where the provincial government was providing financial support.
“There’s been a whole lot of layers of issues to the point where the MEC is looking at what she can do constitutional.
“Ditsobotla is one of the municipalities under financial distress. A team from provincial treasury was sent to try and see what can be done but there was an incident where the treasury team was chucked out of the municipality... and even someone from the AG's office (auditor-general) was physically assaulted,” Mathibedi said.
Asked what the decision to lift section 139 was based on in November and if they were satisfied with where the municipality was at the time, Mathibedi said: “No.”
“The decision to lift was this was the new council. [Cogta] wanted to give it [the new council] a fair slate and not suffer the misdeeds of the old slate. The MEC even in engagements told the new council not to repeat the shenanigans of the predecessors as the department was not going to be lenient with them.”
This will be the third such intervention by the provincial government in six years after the latest feud in June saw a motion of confidence passed against the mayor Mercy Mokgothu and speaker Mpho Lekaba who were elected after the local government elections in November.
They were replaced by Lebogang Thebegaye and Kgosi Phakedi, respectively, who after just a month in office appointed another acting municipal manager (MM).
This made Tsietsi Shema, who was previously a manager in the speaker's office the 14th municipal manager in six years.
Asked who the provincial government recognised as the mayor, speaker and municipal manager, Mathibedi said those elected after the local government elections.
“We don’t want to fall into a trap of recognising new mayors because we're told there was a meeting because depending on which faction you speak to, the meeting didn't quorate.”
Since 2016 residents from the small community have had to watch as things went from bad to worse to services grinding to a halt all because of warring factions within the ANC.
The latest incident saw two security companies appointed by the municipality's two municipalities shooting at each other, resulting in one death – all this while the provincial government watches.
“In June we received our salaries very late as some officials in finance are refusing to come to work because they don't know who they report to,” a senior municipal worker said.
Shema said he was appointed on June 4 by the municipal council.
Shema said in February, Ledwaba was unlawfully appointed as the acting municipal manager by Lekaba.
‘’There are a lot of factions, groupings and political instability in council. Ledwaba was not appointed by council,’’ claimed Shema.
He said Ledwaba suspended him earlier this year.
‘’Around March or April, Ledwaba suspended me as a legal manager in the municipality because I refused to sign an attendance register of a meeting she called and I was not part of it. The meeting was between Ledwaba and service providers,’’ said Shema.
He said his suspension was rescinded by a majority vote of council last month, which then appointed him as acting municipal manager.
Ledwaba could not be reached for comment on Wednesday as her phone rang unanswered and she did not respond to text messages.
EFF councillor Teko Mokhuwane said Shema was the current acting municipal manager.
“In February, the acting speaker just stood up in council and appointed her friend Ledwaba as the acting municipal manager. Then that is when chaos erupted in council. What the speaker did was unlawful. In June we submitted a motion of no confidence against the speaker and the speaker was removed through a secret ballot.
“Council then appointed Shema as the legitimate acting municipal manager. As the EFF we did not vote for Shema but the council sitting that appointed him was lawful.”
A disgruntled community member, Sipho Kabi, 30, of Boikhutso township said nothing had changed after the elections.
“Our municipality is not assisting us. We still have sewage spillages in the area and potholes are not fixed. These politicians do not care about ordinary people.”
Another resident, Lehlohonolo Moya, 23, said: “Ditsobotla [municipality] needs people with qualifications to provide service delivery. Right now we have unqualified people who are hiring unqualified people.”
Last year, the municipality was in the same boat as political wrangling over power left the municipality with two mayors after Tebogo Buthelezi was ousted with two motions of no confidence and replaced by Tsholofelo Moreo.
nkosin@sowetan.co.za
kokam@sowetan.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.