Note to Broadcasters: Please find attached soundbite in English by Joe McGluwa
The DA in Ditsobotla will write to the Premier of North West, Lazarus Mokgosi, the MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Oageng Molapisi, as well as the MEC of Finance, Kenetswe Mosenogi, to urge them to take decisive action in dealing with the defiance and deliberate flouting of laws by the municipality.
The diliberate disorder and lawlessness have once again rendered the municipality unstable and will soon lead to the total collapse of the municipality once again.
The ANC is finding itself in the centre stage once more, as its divided caucus plays a key role in the commotion within the municipality. Pairing this with the defiance from councillors representing the EFF, F4SD, and Save Ditsobotla, the instability of the municipality creates a ripple effect shaking the municipality to the core.
Despite being warned by the Department of COGTA that the municipality cannot afford to appoint a Municipal Manager (MM), the grouping persisted.
Last week, the Speaker cancelled a planned sitting citing a security threat; however, the grouping went ahead with the sitting, tabled a motion against him, and nominated a new Speaker. Today the new Speaker called for a council sitting to appoint senior managers—another irregular appointment process.
All this is taking place within a municipality that can’t afford to pay salaries or even deliver the most basic services, such as water and electricity, to the residents.
Last week the Auditor General also revealed in his report that Ditsobotla is one of only two municipalities in the country that did not submit its 2022/2023 Annual Financial Statements.
If no response on our letters comes forth within the next seven days, we will have no choice but to seek the intervention of COGHSTA Minister, Velinkosi Hlabisa.
The residents and businesses of Ditsobotla are suffering. We call on all parties in the GNU at national level to bring the national sobriety into this municipality for the sake of the residents of Ditsobotla, who deserve none of this current drama.
Although the DA in Ditsobotla wishes to distance itself from the chaos that is the municipality, we will not stop fighting for the residents until Ditsobotla Municipality and the town as a whole return to their former glory.