The ANC in the North West is considering dissolving the troubled Ditsobotla Local Municipality and integrating its areas into neighboring municipalities after the 2026 local government elections.
This decision stems from ongoing issues despite numerous interventions, as indicated by ANC North West spokesperson Tumelo Maruping.
“We have implemented all the interventions that you can think of,” said Maruping.
“If the interventions do not work out, post-2026, we are now looking at getting rid of that municipality altogether and merging it with other municipalities.”
Ditsobotla, encompassing towns like Lichtenburg, Coligny, and Ga-Raphalane, supports over 200,000 residents and plays a crucial role in agriculture, manufacturing, and retail.
However, it faces severe challenges including financial deficits, debts to Eskom and other creditors, and service delivery protests despite provincial interventions under Section 139 (5) of the constitution.
Ditsobotla has suffered a deficit of about R171 million in the current financial year’s budget.
The municipality owes Eskom more than R1.2 billion, other creditors debt totals R200 million, while household debt is at R1.4 billion.
The two largest opposition parties in the province, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Democratic Alliance (DA), have rejected the proposal.
DA North West spokesperson on Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements, and Traditional Affairs, Chris Steyl, accused the ANC of “playing with fire” by proposing to dissolve the Ditsobotla Local Municipality and merge its areas with surrounding municipalities after the 2026 local government elections if provincial interventions fail
“Once again, the ANC is exhibiting political cowardice in dealing with the structural issues that undermine good governance principles and quality basic service delivery in Ditsobotla, entrenched by various ANC factions over the last three decades,” said Steyl.
The DA said the Mahikeng, Ramotshere-Moiloa, and Tswaing local municipalities already struggle with service delivery, financial mismanagement, and governance failures.
All three have adopted unfunded budgets and received qualified or disclaimer audit outcomes over the past five years.
The party warned that incorporating parts of Ditsobotla into these municipalities would only worsen the situation, risking their total collapse.
“Over the last three decades, vying ANC factions have politicised the administration through cadre deployment, establishing a mafia-like state through a deliberate process of municipal capture,” said Steyl.
“Currently, poor governance, fraud, and corruption are being facilitated by a politicised administration that continues to undermine appointed senior management and even elected office bearers.”
He added: “This problem is compounded by ANC factions represented in Council who want to get their fair share of the little money that is left. Out of the 750 municipal employees, more than 500 are directly related to senior municipal officials or politicians.”
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