By OBAKENG MAJE
7 September 2025- The ANCYL in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District said it has observed the findings of the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA)’s oversight visit to the North West from 1-3 September 2025. The ANCYL said the committee’s tour did not reveal anything new to the communities, but simply confirmed an open secret.
The ANCYL Regional Task Team (RTT) coordinator, Kagiso Kgabo said there is a near total collapse of local governance under the ANC’s watch in the North West. Kgabo said the recent Audit-General’s reports for the 2023/2024 financial year, present irrefutable and factual evidence of this failure.
“The numbers do not lie. Mamusa Local Municipality received yet another disclaimer of opinion. The municipality could not provide evidence for most of its reported spending. This is not an audit outcome, but is an indictment.
“Lekwa-Teemane Municipality received a qualified audit opinion. There is a persistent lack of record-keeping and failure to follow supply chain management laws. The Naledi Local Municipality received a qualified audit opinion. However, the municipality is marred with instances of unauthorised, irregular, and fruitless and wasteful expenditure,” he said.
Kgabo further said the Greater Taung Local Municipality (GTLM) experiences a regression to a qualified audit. He added that there is failure to address basic financial disciplinary controls.
“Kagisano-Molopo Local Municipality received a disclaimer of opinion. There is a complete failure to maintain basic accounting records. The Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality received a qualified opinion. There is consistent failure to ensure credible financial reporting from its constituent municipalities, demonstrating a catastrophic failure of its constitutional mandate.
“These are not challenges, but a systemic and deliberate dereliction of duty. The ANC Regional Leadership tasked with political oversight and the deployment of cadres, has watched this decay happen in slow motion. Their responses are full of complacency, excuses and a stunning silence that echoes their complicity,” said Kgabo.
He said therefore, the ANCYL in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District held the ANC Regional Executive Committee (REC) directly and personally responsible for this ‘mess’. Kgabo said their failure to institute consequence management for poor performance is a betrayal to the ANC’s own principles and the people of this district.
“We demand the immediate suspension and disciplinary action against all Municipal Managers, Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and Section 57 managers in these municipalities who have presided over these disastrous audit outcomes.
“We further demand the immediate recall of mayors and executive mayoral committee members who have provided no political leadership. We issue a seven-day ultimatum to the ANC REC to present a concrete, time-bound and publicly available turnaround plan to the youth league and the community,” he said.
Kgabo said this plan must include names of responsible individuals and clear deadlines. He added that failure to act will be met with decisive mass action.
“The ANCYL will not stand by as the future of our youth is auctioned off by incompetent leaders. We will mobilise and occupy every street and every council chamber until accountability is served.
“The ANCYL in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati Region is making a clarion call that all mayors and speakers, junior and senior Supply Chain Managers across all five local municipalities in the region, including Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality, must be urgently subjected to a lifestyle audit,” said Kgabo.
He said it cannot be correct that deployees of the ANC in government and municipal officials are richer than the organisation that deployed them to municipal councils.
Kgabo said the patience of the youth has expired.
“We are done with meetings. We are done with empty promises. The time for excuses is over. The time for accountability is now,” he said.
The Guardian 