Ramaphosa briefed about ANC councillors carrying knives, stabbing each other at ailing Ditsobotla municipality

Barbara Creecy a member of the ANC's National Working Committee engages with political party members during a visit to the North West province on 27 May 2023. (Photo: Twitter / @MYANC)

By Nonkululeko Njilo

28 May 2023

The Ditsobotla local municipality is in such a state of collapse that it cannot pay salaries or buy a roll of toilet paper. A delegation of the National Working Committee led by Cyril Ramaphosa got a first-hand account of malfunction during a working trip to the troubled North West province this weekend.

Dysfunctional. That is the state of Ditsobotla local municipality in the North West eight months after it was dissolved due to massive non-compliance breaches and reports of maladministration.

Ditsobotla is infamous for warring ANC factions that had two mayors, two speakers and two municipal managers for most of 2022.

ANC leader, President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the Ngaka Modiri Molema region under which the local municipality falls. He spent several hours on Saturday listening to grievances over dysfunctional structures and fresh calls for the dissolution of structures as they are unable to deliver on their mandate.

ANC SG Fikile Mbalula engages with political party branches in the Ditsobotla local municipality based in the North West on 27 May 2023. (Photo: Twitter / @MYANC)

Not only are structures dysfunctional, but also violent, particularly in Ditsobotla where some councillors allegedly “carry knives and stab each other”, Ramaphosa told party members after their meetings.

The ANC was previously in control of the municipality. This changed during the December by-elections that saw the ruling party’s support dip below 50% for the first time since the dawn of democracy in SA, going from 51% to 39%, leaving a hung council with no party in the majority.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Ditsobotla mayor does U-turn and withdraws resignation

The ANC then entered into a coalition with the PA, F4SD and African Heart Congress, which gave it 21 seats in the 39-seat council.

“The ANC in Ditsobotla is weak, it is almost nonexistent,” Ramaphosa admitted.

On Thursday 25 May, the municipality announced that it would not be able to pay May salaries indefinitely, citing a critical financial situation.

On Friday, executive mayor Boitumelo Lethoko is said to have told the North West Legislature Standing Committee on Provincial Public Accounts that the balance in the municipal bank account is zero, which had led to a total collapse of services in the municipality. She said the situation was so dire that the municipality cannot even afford to buy a simple thing like toilet paper. 'Ditsobotla municipality can't even buy toilet paper' – Mayor | OFM

The municipality has had 14 municipal managers, four mayors and four Speakers in six years, resulting in a total collapse of governance.

Last year, dairy group Clover closed its cheese factory in Lichtenburg, the company’s biggest, due to the ailing service delivery in the North West.

ANC leader, President Cyril Ramaphosa meets with political party branches in the Ditsobotla local municipality based in the North West on 27 May 2023. (Photo: Twitter / @MYANC)

Responding to calls for structures to be dissolved, Ramaphosa said these were motivated by divisions that had been deeply factional. “We are exactly 11 months away from next year’s elections, and what I have witnessed today in the North West is that I am leading a divided party.”

Quizzed on the same issue by Daily Maverick, Ramaphosa said talks of dissolution would not be entertained by the top brass.

“We are not here to dissolve any structure, there is no question about it all, the leadership that has been elected is in place to carry out the programmes of the ANC and we are saying everyone must rally behind the elected leaders.”

The president led the National Working Committee (NWC) delegation to the region. This is a third visit by the NWC to a province to get a first-hand account on the status of the organisation and governance challenges. It previously went to KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Ditsobotla Municipality has collapsed, with no water an...

During the meeting, regional deputy secretary of the region Karabo Magagane presented a bleak state of affairs in the region’s organisational and governance reports.

The reports revealed that more than 20% of the 103 ANC branches in the province’s five regions – Mahikeng, Ditsobotla, Ramotshere Moiloa, Tswaing, and Ratlou – were not in good standing.

This as several municipalities grappled with leaders with “periodic ill-discipline in that they colluded with opposition parties in council meetings, failed to attend meetings, or tendered apologies late”.

The concerns were also aired by the party’s branch and regional leaders as they raised concerns about the lack of service delivery, firing of opponents, water crisis and state of the roads.

Read more in Daily Maverick: ANC leaders head to North West to lay down the law

Addressing the members, Ramaphosa expressed concern over deepening divisions, which would hit the party hard in the 2024 national elections.

“You are members of the same family but you are pulling in different directions. I am afraid that I have to tell you that the divisions that I see are concerning. We are members of the same family but are deeply divided.”

Barbara Creecy, a member of the ANC's National Working Committee, engages with political party members during a visit to the North West province on 27 May 2023. (Photo: Twitter / @MYANC)

“We are facing the most difficult elections in 2024, but some of you are calling for the province and regions to be dissolved. When the ANC is divided right down the middle, we stand no chance in next year’s elections, but when we are united, we will win,” said Ramaphosa.

The majority of speakers were booed during discussions, something which NEC member Barbara Creecy cautioned against several times.

“This is an ANC meeting, not a tavern,” she told the unruly crowd.

Meanwhile, there was also a security breach when an unidentified man who was not accredited to be part of the meeting, ran inside the venue, bypassing security personnel and ran towards the stage where Ramaphosa and his entourage were seated.

The man was quickly whisked away by the presidential protection unit metres away from Ramaphosa.

The party’s Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula was expected to brief the media on the overall status of the organisation and governance challenges later on Sunday 28 May. DM

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