The ailing Ditsobotla municipality in the North West is facing renewed political problems after only two out of four council meetings passed resolutions without glitches since by-elections in December.
Two council meetings collapsed due to disagreements over who ought to preside over the meeting and objections to shortlisting of current council employees for the position of municipal manager.
The meetings that were convened successfully served to induct 39 councillors and the mayor as well as to approve the temporary transfer of a municipal manager from the provincial department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs.
One of the two council meetings that collapsed was meant to discuss key items such as the midterm report, a progress report on the annual financial statements as well as the Independent Development Plan (IDP) draft budget consultation process. The discussions were deferred until the appointment of an acting municipal manager and have still not been tabled in council.
As a result, the municipality has been unable to issue the crucial IDP document for public participation and to inform residents about rates and tax increases for the 2023/2024 financial year.
ANC councillor Tshepiso Mere said speaker Fikile Jakeni had to adjourn the March 25 council meeting to discuss candidates for the municipal manager position after the EFF, Save Ditsobotla and the DA objected to the names presented.
“There were parties against those names that were proposed as possible appointees for acting municipal manager. The meeting was postponed because the most suitable [candidate] didn’t have the right skills and competence,” Mere said.
He added that because of the city’s finances, it needed someone who had the capacity to take the municipality forward “given the problematic and challenging situation”.
African Heart Congress councillor Joseph Mtlhambe confirmed the parties could not agree on who to appoint.
“The situation in the municipality has been hectic and even the administration has been hostile due to political factions. It’s been difficult to create stability,” Mtlhambe said.
Mtlhambe added the municipality was unable to procure tools for workers to do their jobs and serve members of the community.
The municipality is yet to fill critical posts in its administration including that of CFO or senior managers across key departments such as water and sanitation.
On Saturday, a special council meeting approved the appointment of an acting municipal manager, Mamorena Lehoko, from the provincial department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs.
Ditsobotla mayor Elizabeth Lethoko said the administrative situation in the municipality was bad as the municipality was facing litigation.
“The municipality has a lot of litigation and two days after I got here I remember the sheriff was attaching some things of the municipality such as tractors and bakkies, so it makes things difficult for me.
“This municipality is bankrupt and we’re struggling to get money but we’re getting there,” said Lethoko.
“There are no directors here and there is no CFO. We’re just in a pool of problems but after the province sent someone here we realised we owe all the newspapers, especially national newspapers where we have to advertise senior posts, we owe everyone money.”
Lethoko said the municipality also had two outstanding annual reports from two previous financial years including the annual report for the 2022/2023 year.
“We need to get those documents out of the way first and we’ve written to the province to inform them of this and also ask for an extension,” she said.
SA Municipal Worker’s Union chairperson Makeba Kgotlabeng said workers’ salaries were paid on time for the first time in March but there was uncertainty going forward.
“There are serious inconsistencies with payment of salaries and at times we’ve gone for two months without being paid. We’re worried about this month because when we raise these issues we’re labelled anarchists” he said.
As the municipality’s infrastructure continues to deteriorate, Ditsobotla has amassed debt of close to R1bn, which includes money owed to Eskom, the SA Revenue Service as well as contractors.
DA caucus leader in Ditsobotla councillor Yusuf Laher said water challenges recently led to some community unrest, “however the situation has also improved as most people have started receiving water though still not at an acceptable level”.
“We hope the new acting municipal manager exercises her core function – that is to keep stability in the municipality and make sure services are rendered and salaries of employees are paid on time,” Laher said.
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