Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa, has reaffirmed his department’s commitment to restoring stability, effective governance, and reliable service delivery in the Ditsobotla Local Municipality in the North West.
“We will ensure that the financial recovery plan is implemented effectively to benefit residents and rebuild public trust. Our stance is clear: ‘Every Municipality Must Work’. The people of Ditsobotla deserve reliable services, ethical leadership, and a municipality that is financially sound and responsive to their needs,” the Minister said.
This as he visited the municipality on Tuesday and chaired the first engagement as part of
This follows Cabinet’s approval to invoke Section 139(7) of the Constitution, placing the municipality under national intervention due to ongoing governance failures, financial mismanagement, and the collapse of service delivery.
READ | Cabinet approves placement of Ditsobotla Municipality under administration
“Since its dissolution in September 2022 and reconstitution in December 2022, Ditsobotla has continued to face political instability, administrative dysfunction, and financial decline,” the department noted.
The municipality has adopted unfunded budgets for five consecutive years, accumulated over R1.6 billion in unpaid creditors, defaulted on salary and Eskom payments, and failed to implement court-ordered recovery measures.
Its low revenue collection undermines its operational capability, with services stalling, including unreliable water and electricity supply, non-compliance in waste management, and halted infrastructure projects.
Previous intervention by the North West Provincial Executive Council under Section 139(5) of the Constitution failed to restore stability or full functionality.
Meanwhile, varied CoGTA court actions, including those prompted by civil and business organisations, have highlighted the urgent need for decisive action.
Addressing councillors, officials, and community members, Hlabisa emphasised the intervention is “not merely about taking power away, but about restoring credibility, functionality, and trust in this municipality.”
Support
National and provincial governments have already initiated several support mechanisms.
These include ongoing technical and oversight aid from CoGTA, the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent, the province, and sector departments such as the Department of Electricity and Energy.
A multidisciplinary Provincial Executive Representative (PER) team is being deployed to provide technical, financial, and governance expertise to both staff and councillors.
Meanwhile, a skills audit and employee verification process is underway.
Going forward, the National Executive will take on the functions and powers of the provincial executive to implement the mandated financial recovery plan.
National Cabinet Representative (NCR) Kopung Ralikontsane and a multidisciplinary team of governance and service delivery experts have been appointed to the municipality.
This group, led by the NCR, will implement the financial recovery plan with the National Treasury and deploy technical and governance support via the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agency (MISA) and other national partners.
They plan to establish a Joint Operations Task Team with the South African Police Service, State Security Agency, Department of Justice, and the National Prosecuting Authority to investigate corruption, maladministration, and irregular appointments.
The team will also focus on institutional reforms, addressing political instability, irregular staff appointments, governance failures, and the enforcement of strict financial controls, with the NCR overseeing all municipal accounts and procurement processes.
Hlabisa stressed that these interventions are not simply quick fixes, but form part of a long-term transformation strategy aimed at restoring public trust. – SAnews.gov.za
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