Note to Broadcasters: Please find attached soundbite in English by Heinricha Hodgson
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in JB Marks welcomes the release of the Municipal Demarcation Board’s (MDB) long-overdue technical report on the proposed demerger of Potchefstroom (formerly Tlokwe) and Ventersdorp.
After nearly six months of delays, the MDB has finally confirmed what residents have known all along: the 2016 forced merger has been a disaster, leaving JB Marks financially unstable, dysfunctional, and unable to deliver services. The report even recommends de-amalgamation as the more viable path forward.
But shockingly, newly disclosed minutes show that ANC provincial office bearers and selected JB Marks officials advised against de-amalgamation, while the municipal council and the public were excluded. Based on this narrow input, the MDB disregarded its own findings and ignored the voices of almost 14 000 residents who signed a petition in favour of demerger.
Worse still, despite specific requests, the MDB produced no evidence of public participation. This stands in stark contrast to its current ward delimitation process, where residents are actively consulted. Why was democracy abandoned in this case?
The truth is clear: The process ultimately favoured the ANC’s position, while communities were excluded and accountability was lacking. The result is a municipality still collapsing under the weight of a failed merger.
In the 2026 Local Government Elections, residents have a choice: continue under ANC neglect, or vote DA to ensure their voices are heard, their needs prioritised, and JB Marks is placed on the path to recovery.