By OBAKENG MAJE
12 May 2025- The uMkhonto Wesizwe Party (MKP) in the North West is calling for the immediate resignation of the North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Oageng Molapisi. The party alleged that there is administrative paralysis at various municipalities under the leadership of Molapisi.
The uMkhonto weSizwe provincial convenor, Alfred Motsi said they strongly condemns the continued administrative paralysis and lack of governance across multiple municipalities in the province. Motsi said the recent placement of Kagisano-Molopo Local Municipality under Section 139(1)(a) is yet another indication of a systemic collapse that has become a norm under the ANC-led government.
“We call for the immediate and total dissolution of municipalities such as Ditsobotla, Kagisano-Molopo, Madibeng, Matlosana, Moses Kotane and Mamusa Local Municipalities. These municipalities have become synonymous with instability, maladministration and deliberate evasion of accountability.
“Year after year, some of them are placed under administration without any lasting solutions—proof of a governance system that is both broken and deliberately kept dysfunctional. The ANC continues to use its majority in municipal councils to shield corrupt officials and councillors from accountability,” he said.
Motsi further said investigative reports—particularly close-up reports are consistently left incomplete or are never tabled at all, because they expose deep-rooted corruption and incompetence among both senior officials and ANC councillors. He added that this is not just negligence—it is a deliberate and strategic cover-up.
“We further demand the immediate resignation of the North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi, and the North West MEC for COGHSTA, Oageng Molapisi, whose continued tenure only serves to maintain the decay and dysfunction. They, along with many other provincial leaders and administrators, have failed to serve the people of North West with the dignity and urgency they deserve.
“It is time to clean the house. All officials and councillors who have consistently failed to deliver basic services, mismanaged resources and ignored the cries of our people must go. The people of the North West deserve clean, transparent, and accountable local government. Enough is enough,” said Motsi.
Meanwhile, Molapisi spokesperson, Lerato Gambu said: “Ditsobotla, Mamusa, and Kagisano-Molopo are among the municipalities that are struggling in both the administration and the council. Ditsobotla Local Municipality has been experiencing challenges because of instability in both council and the administration, which resulted in poor service delivery.
“The municipality is currently placed under Section 139 (5) (a) and (c) of the Constitution read with section 139 the Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003, which gives the provincial government authority to impose the Financial Recovery Plan in this municipality.”
Gambu said the Mamusa Local Municipality has also been experiencing challenges in the administration. He said at the council’s request, COGTA seconded Frans Mabokela as an acting Municipal Manager in accordance with Regulation 20 of the Regulations on Appointment and Conditions of Employment of Senior Managers and Section 54A (6) of the Municipal Systems Act.
“Kagisano-Molopo Local Municipality has been placed under Section 139 (1)(a) of the Constitution, which states that when a municipality cannot or does not fulfil an executive obligation in terms of the constitution or legislation, the relevant provincial executive may intervene by taking any appropriate steps to ensure fulfilment of that obligation, including— (a) issuing a directive to the Municipal Council, describing the extent of the failure to fulfil its responsibilities and stating any steps required to meet its obligations,” said Gambu.
He said, additionally, the municipality faces some difficulties, including a high vacancy rate, inability to table an adjustment budget and instability in the administration and council. However, Gambu said Molapisi will not entertain the call to resign by the MKP.
“These views are nothing, but a political witch-hunt and borders on populism of the highest order. Municipalities are functional with systemic challenges, which make it difficult for them to function optimally. Some of the challenges include the political instability in few councils, vacancies in senior management positions, debt owed to Eskom and Bulk Water accounts, as well as little or no revenue generation.
“Through the one-on-one engagement sessions with municipalities, performance plans for each municipality were drafted with clear directives to be implemented to turn around the situation,” he said.
Gambu said this is just one of many initiatives that the department is implementing in an effort to achieve “ideal municipalities” as they push towards ensuring that “every municipality must work”. He said through this initiative, all municipalities must be viable and able to collect revenue.
“They must be able to deliver basic services to communities. This includes being accountable and responsive to the needs of the communities. All municipalities must also have capable, ethical and principled leaders in both council and administration.
“Councils must exercise zero tolerance on corruption, maladministration, and nepotism. What is happening in Kagisano-Molopo is not a systematic failure by the ANC-led government, but the constitution of the Republic of South Africa empowers both the national and provincial governments through Section 154, to support and capacitate municipalities,” said Gambu.
He said the support is aimed at ensuring that municipalities can render basic services. Gambu said therefore, invocation of Section 139(1)(a) by the provincial government should be viewed in the spirit of addressing anomalies at municipalities and ensuring that local government functions optimally, with service delivery as its apex priority. Gambu said the dissolution of municipalities is not an end in itself.
“We have identified the existing challenges across our municipalities. We continue to work in partnership with both SALGA and the provincial treasury and other stakeholders to arrive at an ideal state of municipalities.
“We aim to assist municipalities in achieving clean audits. The national department of COGTA supports our efforts and plans to turn around municipalities and we believe if we set our eyes on the ball and avoid noise, we will achieve our goals,” he said.
The Guardian 