The National Council of Provinces’ Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Public Administration (Traditional Affairs, Human Settlements and Water and Sanitation) has strongly questioned the continued payment of salaries to councillors in Ditsobotla Local Municipality, when they are contributing to the municipality’s ongoing dysfunction.
Committee Chairperson Mr Mxolisi Kaunda raised concerns about this lack of accountability: “This municipality has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Everyone in the country knows you because you are always on television for actions that do not contribute to building this municipality. Why should you continue to draw a salary if you are not positively contributing to its functionality?”
The committee conducted an oversight visit to assess the impact of the implementation of Section 139(7) of the Constitution, which provides for national intervention when provincial measures fail. The municipality was dissolved in 2022 and reconstituted in December of the same year following persistent governance failures, financial mismanagement and a collapse in service delivery.
While the committee acknowledged limited progress since the intervention, including the stabilisation of political leadership, the appointment of a single mayor and municipal manager, improved functionality of council structures and enhanced coordination between the mayor, speaker and the national Cabinet representative, these gains have not translated into improved service delivery on the ground.
Community members painted a stark picture of ongoing hardship. “We have submitted three memorandums to the municipality regarding service delivery in Extension 4, but to date we have received no response. We are left wondering whether these memorandums disappear when office bearers leave. We still do not have water or electricity, and our roads are in a terrible condition. Last week, children were sent home from school because it was raining and the school building is dilapidated,” said Mr Katlego Shai.
The committee emphasised that it is unacceptable for residents to continue facing unreliable water and sanitation services, inconsistent refuse removal, electricity supply challenges and severely deteriorating road infrastructure.
To address these failures, the committee called on the national Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) to lead a coordinated, whole-of-government response to strengthen the intervention. It noted concerns raised by the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Human Settlements that several government departments are not actively supporting the intervention.
The committee further urged councillors to reflect on their constitutional responsibilities and prioritise service to communities over internal conflicts and self-interest. “If the municipality becomes stable and responsive to the needs of residents, people will be encouraged to pay their rates and taxes. This will improve cash flow and, in turn, enhance service delivery,” Mr Kaunda said.
Mr Kaunda also highlighted the economic consequences of governance failures, pointing to the closure of Clover’s cheese manufacturing factory as a direct result of the municipality’s inability to provide a stable and reliable service-delivery environment.
“Service delivery in the municipality remains largely non-existent. This undermines the municipality’s ability to attract investment, stimulate economic growth and create employment. At the current trajectory, the risk of business flight is both real and imminent,” he warned.
The committee has committed to urgently engaging with the national Department of Cooperative Governance to ensure stronger coordination and improved support for the intervention.
Malatswa Molepo
17 April 2026
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