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Residents of a collapsed North West municipality hope by-elections will bring them a saviour

Residents of a collapsed North West municipality hope by-elections will bring them a saviour
A man relieves himself next to an unfinished shack in Jerusalema Informal Settlement, Lichtenburg. Photo: Tiro Ramatlhatse
Queenin Masuabi
By Queenin Masuabi
22 Nov 2022
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South Africa’s municipalities have been on a steep downward trajectory in the last few years – and the North West’s Ditsobotla Municipality is no exception. ANC treasurer general Paul Mashatile visited the neglected area last Wednesday as part of the ANC’s Letsema campaign. 

The community in Lichtenburg’s townships and informal settlements are living in squalor. Boikhutso township reeks of sewage while the streets, which are mostly not tarred, are full of litter. 

Running water is not available in Boikhutso and residents have used pit toilets for over 20 years. Johannes Malekane, 62, is one of the residents who believes there should be an alternative to the ANC government. 

“We arrived here in the year 2000 and how many councillors have been elected since then? We cast our votes but there are no improvements. We do not have water… the government installed water meters a while back, but no taps. I get my water directly from the meter. I have had to build my own toilet using my own money…. money meant to take my children to school!

Residents of Jerusalema Informal Settlement in Lichtenburg walk more than 5km to fetch water. Photo: Tiro Ramatlhatse



“The ANC has not done anything for me. I am frustrated. I might as well vote for another political party besides the ANC. I can barely open my door because of the stench from the sewage and the litter which has been dumped beside my house. My children do not want to be here because of the stench… this water is affecting their health,” he said. 

A similar picture is painted in the Jerusalem informal settlement where residents were moved by an ANC ward councillor last year just before the local elections. This was with the hopes that the area they were being sent to would be the perfect place to settle.

However, just like the community of Boikhutso, they have had no running water except for a central point used by hundreds of informal settlement dwellers. 

Garbage is piled everywhere. Occasionally, children can be seen playing at these dumping sites. 

Read in Daily Maverick: Life in the North West: The bad news and the worse news 

In August, it was found that none of the 22 municipalities in the North West province received a clean audit, according to the Auditor-General’s latest outcomes.

In particular, the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, which includes Ditsobotla, Mahikeng, Ramotshere Moiloa, Ratlou and Tswaing local municipalities, received an adverse audit with findings from the Auditor-General. This means the financial statements were misrepresented, misstated and did not accurately reflect the municipality’s financial performance and health.



Three material irregularities were issued against the district municipality’s management for failed water supply and sewage projects that have led to a continued lack of clean and drinkable water.

According to the AG’s report, no action appeared to have been taken to repair the water and sewage works, which were not functional because of poor management, inadequate security and equipment not repaired or maintained.

“This resulted in raw sewage overflowing from manholes before reaching the plant, due to blocked pipes. The wastewater received at the plant was discharged into the nearby wetlands and river without being treated first. This state of affairs was unchanged from previous site visits. Other plants in the district are in a similar state of disrepair,” the audit report said.

ANC’s Paul Mashatile promises change

African National Congress Treasure-General Paul Mashatile visited Jerusalema Informal Settlement for a house-to-house campaign in Lichtenburg. Photo: Tiro Ramatlhatse



ANC treasurer general Paul Mashatile visited Ditsobotla last Wednesday as part of the ANC’s Letsema campaign. 

“There will be wastage removal because we do not want people to live in dirty areas. We are here to see how you are living… this will assist in finding out what we need to fix. 

Residents of Ditsobotla are living without proper sanitation. Photo: Tiro Ramatlhatse



“We will give the local government a timeframe in which they need to assist the community. We will ask the premier Bushy Maepa to oversee the process and monitor progress… communities love the ANC, but the ANC must also assist them,” Mashatile said. 

The number of people who turned up to meet Mashatile was indicative of the unemployment crisis faced by community members. They explained to the outgoing ANC treasurer general that not only were they jobless, but there are no health facilities in the area, or even schools. 



The North West provincial executive sent a notice to the National Council of Provinces to place Ditsobotla under section 139(1)(c) of the Constitution, which meant that they would dissolve the municipality in September. 

Parliamentary chair of the Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Water and Sanitation and Human Settlements, China Dodova, and his team then visited the area. They found that problems facing the municipality – which included financial mismanagement, inadequate service delivery and lapses in governance – were sufficient to recommend the dissolution of the council. 

An old woman walks past carrying a heavy load of wood over her head in Jerusalema Informal Settlement. Residents are complaining about service delivery. Photo: Tiro Ramatlhatse



The municipality had two parallel councils operating, with two mayors, two speakers and two chief whips. The Cooperative Governance MEC hired an administrator for the municipality, even though the legal process had not been concluded.

By-elections looming

Speaking to Daily Maverick, the Ngaka Modiri District Municipality’s executive mayor, Khumalo Molefe, said he would do everything in his power to remedy the situation. 

He explains that placing the municipality under administration is an indication of how serious the ANC is about restoring council and providing services to residents. 

The composition before the dissolution of the Ditsobotla council saw the ANC with 21 seats, DA (6), EFF (6), Forum For Service Delivery (2), Freedom Front Plus (2), African Christian Democratic Party (1) and African Independent Congress (1). 

“The municipality has collapsed, not yesterday… it has been coming, and it is a question of garbage in and garbage out. What we have put there, in the sense of leadership, has resulted in infighting amongst councillors, fighting for tenders, flouting recruitment processes and outright ill discipline where people do not want to listen to anybody,” said Molefe.

A man relieves himself next to an unfinished shack in Jerusalema Informal Settlement, Lichtenburg. Photo: Tiro Ramatlhatse



“The ANC, in acting this way, calculated all the risks including losing the municipality, because we are not guaranteed to win it back. We thought, in the interest of the people, let us start all over again,” he explained.

There will be fiercely contested by-elections taking place on 14 December. 

DA and Freedom Front Plus posters are on lamp posts throughout Lichtenburg. 

EFF secretary general Marshall Dlamini visited the area this past weekend to campaign for the red berets. The Patriotic Alliance is also looking to make inroads with voters in the area.

Political parties will contest in 20 wards, with residents expected to cast their ballots at 100 voting stations. DM

 

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