Police have been deployed to safeguard the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality offices in Mahikeng after they were closed by the North West Amalgamated Business Forum, which is demanding the resignation of Mayor Khumalo Molefe.
The forum members have been camping outside the municipality offices for a week now, accusing the mayor of corruption and of interfering in the awarding of tenders.
The forum’s chairperson, Gaopalelwe Lobelo, said capable local businesses within the district are not benefiting from opportunities at the district municipality.
“The businessmen and women across the district municipality don’t benefit from the business opportunities in their district, while they have all the requirements needed for business opportunities. We have capable business people here, but they are denied opportunities.
“We previously had meetings with the mayor to raise our concerns. But nothing has changed. We are told by reliable sources that there is this interference in the supply chain processes. We are told by workers that at some point, some things were done without following the supply chain processes,” Lobelo said.
Molefe refuted the claims and said this was just a political ploy to oust him as the district mayor.
“There is a blockade of the municipal buildings and the demand was for the mayor to resign. It has got nothing to do with service delivery. It has got everything to do with politics within the ANC. It has got everything to do with the demands for tenders.
“But we have introduced new economic reforms in the municipality. We have insisted that out of 10 at least seven contractors or consultants must be procured from the district. We have said on the current ones that are on site, let there be subcontracting with women and the youth.
“We support any protest action that is lawful. People have the right to fight for what in their view are their rights. But in so doing, no one has got a right to undermine the rights of others, to undermine democracy by preventing and impeding the functionality of a municipality by denying community members access to the municipality, by denying workers the right to go to work and to work in a safe and healthy environment” Molefe said.
He said they have opened a criminal case with the police against those who are disrupting services at the district municipality.
“I think that is an act of lawlessness and criminality, we have been in an engagement with the police. We are satisfied that the police have gathered sufficient information to act. There is a court order and a case to that effect. So we will follow the law, but we will not be intimidated. We will not surrender or retreat. We have taken an oath to serve our people,” he said.
Community members within the district have criticized the North West Department of Cooperative Governance for failing to intervene in the district municipality.
Kerataone Motladile from Mabule village in the Ratlou local municipality expressed disappointment about the series of events unfolding in the district municipality.
“This is really disheartening because we residents on the ground are the ones that suffer the most. As we speak right now we have not had access to clean water for two months now. How does the government even allow individuals to close the municipality? Honestly, this is just unacceptable,” Motladile said.
Sam Montsaane said it was disappointing for a municipality that offers crucial services to be closed.
“What is happening at the district municipality is just a disgrace. As the community, we expected a lot from the district municipality. This municipality is the one municipality that is supposed to ensure that there is a provision of water.
“The communities are the ones who will suffer the most because of greedy politicians. The district municipality trucks have been bringing water to assist at funerals. The government really has to intervene quickly,” said Motsaane.
The North West Department of Cooperative Governance is yet to comment on the matter.
