By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
Service delivery continues to be a challenge at Mamusa Local Municipality. The municipality is still under pressure after the North West Provincial government put it under Section 100 (c) citing lack of service delivery, maladministration, and corruption.
Now political parties are preparing for the by-elections on 15 January 2020 to elect a new council. The North West Provincial government embarked on a service delivery blitz a month ago at the embattled municipality in an attempt to bring services closer to the people.
However, the Democratic Alliance (DA) leader in the North West, Joe McGluwa accused the ANC of being desperate to secure votes in the upcoming by-elections and resorted to ‘window-dressing’ service delivery.
McGluwa said: “The ANC-led provincial government has been in Mamusa over the last couple of months to hand out token title deeds, promising that the rest will be handed over soon. A blatant lie and behind the scenes, the ANC national government is hell-bent on expropriating property without compensation, so it is quite possible that the title deeds handed out will be taken back should the ANC continue with its plan of expropriation.
“Earlier in the year when we campaigned in Mamusa before the 8 May elections, we conducted extensive oversight inspections across the municipality. At the municipal dumping site, we found the entire area operating outside of legislation.”
McGluwa said they have conducted an oversight inspection and the situation has deteriorated. He added that people of Mamusa could do with some basic services such as a proper water management plan, clean drinking water, and sewage free streets and communities.
“Smoke, mirrors and the abuse of state resources to try and swindle votes out of a desperate community will not do the ANC any good. The ANC has governed Mamusa since the dawn of democracy and is completely responsible for the collapse in governance, non-existent service delivery and the socio-economic misery that the people of Mamusa has to endure.
“The alarm bells signaling the collapse of Mamusa under the ANC have been ringing for more than seven years. Since the 2012/13 financial year, the Auditor-General could not ascertain the financial health of the municipality and issuing disclaimer audit opinions.
Marred by internal factionalism, ANC cadres have been fighting each other to secure power through the state to continue the unabated looting and abuse of power we have seen in Mamusa,” said McGluwa.
However, the spokesperson for ANC interim structure in the North West, Kenny Morolong extended the party’s appreciation and congratulated the people of Mamusa for the successful nomination of their preferred ANC councillor candidates.
“These community meetings reaffirm the ANC as a mass-based organization that is rooted amongst our communities. We are confident that this process will produce credible candidates who will serve our people with honour and humility. We encourage our community members to participate in the remainder of our community meetings.
“The ANC in the North West calls upon the residents of Mamusa to exercise their hard-won democratic right and register to vote in the upcoming by-elections in their municipal area. Those who are already registered as voters are called upon to visit their respective voting stations and check their names in the voters roll,” Morolong said.
The Guardian 