President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his deep frustrations regarding the mismanagement plaguing several municipalities in North West province. Describing the situation as “unacceptable,” Ramaphosa highlighted the dire state of governance affecting at least ten municipalities, which are either under administration or grappling with severe financial distress.
The occasion marked a significant engagement between the president and several Cabinet ministers, aimed at addressing the challenges faced by the North West government and its various municipalities. The gathering took place in Rustenburg, where leaders gathered to discuss urgent issues and devise action plans for improvement.
One municipality that garnered particular attention during Ramaphosa’s remarks was the Ditsobotla Municipality. Recently placed back under administration due to repeated governance failures, Ditsobotla serves as a stark example of the challenges faced at local government levels.
Ramaphosa noted with concern the chaotic leadership structure in Ditsobotla, where the municipality has cycled through two mayors, two municipal managers, and two speakers in a short span—an inefficiency that he deemed “completely unacceptable.”
“The inability of our leaders at the local level to straighten out operations of local government is actually resulting in bad services being delivered to our people,” Ramaphosa said. “Our people deserve much more than what we are giving them through the dysfunctionality at local government level.”