A parliamentary select committee has raised significant concerns about the ineffective intervention in the Ditsobotla Local Municipality, noting a severe lack of support from national departments.
The Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Public Administration is concerned that only the National Treasury and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) are effectively supporting the Section 139(7) intervention.
The Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Public Administration oversees Traditional Affairs, Human Settlements, and Water and Sanitation.
They are urging the Minister of Cooperative Governance to implement a “whole-of-government” approach to address challenges in water, sanitation, electricity, and infrastructure, so it can be “saved from complete collapse”.
While the municipality has made some administrative progress, such as stabilising council leadership, appointing a singular mayor and municipal manager, and improving council structures, these advancements have not yet resulted in actual service delivery.
Residents continue to face significant issues, including inadequate water supply, sanitation problems, refuse removal challenges, electricity outages, and poor road infrastructure.
Committee Chairperson Mxolisi Kaunda said that the lack of basic services severely undermines the municipality’s capacity to attract investment and create jobs, posing a serious risk of “business flight.”
The committee also strongly criticised councillors for contributing to political instability and prioritising their self-interests over the needs of the community.
“Political parties must deploy individuals who prioritise the interests of residents, not those driven by chaos and narrow self-interest,” said Kaunda.
The committee highlighted the need for strict consequences management to address underperforming and corrupt officials.
Kaunda said that the municipality is burdened by an excessive number of staff, with approximately 300 officials employed outside the approved organisational structure.
This situation is straining the municipality’s limited financial resources.
“Businesses must be encouraged to meet their obligations, but this is contingent on the municipality demonstrating consistent improvements in service delivery,” Kaunda said.
The committee has planned a visit to Emfuleni Local Municipality on 17 April 2026 to evaluate water services and the condition of public services in Gauteng.
Ditsobotla
Ditsobotla is located in the North West province of South Africa and encompasses Lichtenburg, Coligny, and Ga-Raphalane, with a population of over 200,000 residents.
This area is a significant agricultural hub and also features important manufacturing, wholesale, and retail industries.
However, Ditsobotla has faced numerous challenges, including a decline in basic services, political instability, corruption, and financial mismanagement.
Conditions in the area have steadily declined over the past 15 years, leading to frequent protests.
In 2021, Clover closed its flagship cheese factory in Lichtenburg, citing poor service delivery and ongoing issues with water supply, electricity, and road infrastructure.
Amid the failure of provincial efforts, calls for national intervention from organisations such as Sakeliga, the Ditsobotla Services Association, and the Democratic Alliance (DA) have increased.
In November 2022, President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Ditsobotla and described it as “a town taken over by gangsterism.”
“Ditsobotla is a typical example of a municipality captured by criminal elements. They got into the municipality, captured it, and money was just being siphoned out,” Ramaphosa said.
During the visit, the President expressed concern over failures in electricity, water provision, refuse removal, and other basic services.
In 2025, residents of the troubled Ditsobotla municipality took matters into their own hands by shutting down municipal offices and demanding new leadership.
This action followed years of escalating dysfunction within the North West municipality, resulting in political chaos and service-delivery issues.
An anonymous source described the shutdown as a peaceful demonstration by the community, which was aimed at upholding the rule of law and restoring good governance in the municipality.
This situation represents yet another challenge for residents, as COGTA Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa labelled Ditsobotla as “one of the ten most distressed municipalities in the country.”
Photos of Ditsobotla
