Deputy President Paul Mashatile has assured residents of Ditsobotla Local Municipality (DLM) that government interventions currently underway are aimed at addressing challenges related to inadequate water and sanitation services, unreliable electricity supply, and poor road infrastructure.
The Deputy President made the commitment on Thursday during an engagement with community members in the municipality, as part of the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen municipalities' capacity to deliver basic services effectively.
“Our intervention in Ditsobotla is concrete, targeted, and already underway. We are acting decisively to restore governance, rebuild services, and renew hope,” he said of his visit to the municipality in the North West.
The Deputy President’s visit is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen municipalities' capacity to deliver basic services effectively to communities.
READ | Deputy President to take stock of developments in the North West
“This visit is about restoring presence, action, and accountability. We are serious about fixing local government in real time, accelerating delivery, and ensuring visible improvements. Some of the interventions mean a change will not happen overnight, but visible change must begin, and it must be sustained,” he said.
As part of efforts to stabilise the municipality, government has deployed former Free State Director-General Kopung Ralikontsane to work on the ground to help rebuild and strengthen the municipality.
“We will continue to be here with you until the water systems are stabilised. Electricity revenue is protected and reinvested in ensuring the security of supply. Roads are repaired, and nonperforming contractors are reprimanded, put to terms, and terminated,” the Deputy President said.
He also stressed the importance of ensuring that economic support reaches local entrepreneurs and that skills development initiatives are aligned with economic opportunities.
“Skills development is aligned to our local, national, and global economic environment so that our young people are properly skilled for real work.”
Restoring functionality
While acknowledging community frustrations over poor service delivery, the Deputy President said government would maintain a sustained presence in the municipality to ensure accountability and implementation.
The DLM has been facing persistent governance and service delivery challenges, which led to the National Cabinet placing it under administration in terms of Section 139 of the Constitution.
These challenges include financial mismanagement, instability in political and administrative leadership, failure to provide consistent basic services, and deteriorating infrastructure.
Therefore, this intervention aims to restore functionality, strengthen institutional capacity, and ensure improved service delivery outcomes.
“Government has noticed this and decided to deal with this by appointing a National Cabinet Representative (the NCR) in this municipality, through whom the Cabinet will attend to the situation in this municipality on a day-to-day basis.
The NCR is a multi-disciplinary team under the supervision of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) and the Treasury.
“Ditsobotla must be turned from being an example of all that resembles the worst in our democratic dispensation to an epitome of greatness, good governance, excellence in the delivery of services, and the best example of collaboration amongst all stakeholders and residents of municipalities.”
He also warned officials that the era of delayed implementation and empty promises was over.
“The time for endless discussions is over. The time for decisive action has come. Now is the time to have qualified officials, clear authority, and firm accountability.
“We want councillors, management, and staff to be united in supporting the intervention. Officials must be empowered to deliver and held accountable when they do not.”
Open door
He added that his office would remain engaged with the municipality until conditions improve.
“My office remains open to you as we work toward addressing your challenges, and we will stay engaged until Ditsobotla works,” the Deputy President said.
The Deputy President’s visit was preceded by an engagement between the Deputy President and the local Traditional Leadership, as well as an engagement with business fora, spearheaded by Ministers.
He also visited the Klipveld Water Treatment Plant to assess the work being done to provide water, and he inspected the upgrades that are being done on Nelson Mandela Drive.
This has been described as the busiest road in Mahikeng and an economic transport arterial road, which carries large volumes of traffic, especially during peak hours. -SAnews.gov.za
