By OBAKENG MAJE
5 March 2025- Situation continues to be volatile at the embattled Ditsobotla Local Municipality in Lichtenburg. This comes after two municipal employees were shot in an alleged standoff between the suspended Municipal Manager, Olaotswe Bojosinyane’s bouncers and municipal employees.
It is alleged that, on Tuesday, Bojosinyane who won his labour case against the municipality, arrived at the municipality premises and forced entry. However, the situation was triggered as a group of municipal employees denied him access.
The cagey Ditsobotla Local Municipality mayor, Mazwi Moruri confirmed that, indeed there was a shoot-out and two municipal employees were hospitalised.
“The version of the event that you have is correct. The situation was triggered by the alleged forceful entry into the municipal offices executed by the suspended Municipal Manager, Olaotswe Bojosinyane. It is true that the municipality has appealed the verdict on Monday.
“Two municipal employees were shot in the process and they were both hospitalised. As we speak, one has been admitted at Mafikeng Provincial Hospital, while the other is admitted at the General Delarey Hospital in Lichtenburg,” he said.
However, Bojosinyane came guns blazing and refuted the allegations. According to Bojosinyane, he was not anywhere nearer the Ditsobotla Local Municipality when the shooting took place.
“How can I comment on that because I was even anywhere near municipality premises when that happened?”
The Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson on Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) in North West, Chris Steyl said they have written to the North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Oageng Molapisi, North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng and the acting North West Police Commissioner, Major General Patrick Asaneng, requesting the immediate permanent deployment of the public order police unit at the municipality to restore order. Steyl alleged that, despite the unlawful decision by the ANC-led Ditsobotla Council to remove Bojosinyane from his position on 30 January 2025, the municipality is appealing the Labour Court judgement.
“The DA is on record that the Ditsobotla Local Municipality must be placed under Section 139 (7) national government administration to address the systemic issues plaguing the administration. Today’s events at the Ditsobotla municipal offices support our position that municipal workers have been politicised, creating a mafia-like state.
“This is the result of three decades of ANC cadre deployment and the politicisation of the municipal administration along ANC factional lines. Until the Minister of COGTA, Velenkosini Hlabisa, declares the national government’s intervention in Ditsobotla under Section 139(7), there is very little hope of any success to restore order and improve service delivery to residents,” he said.
Meanwhile, the North West police spokesperson, Colonel Adele Myburgh said: “From start of business on Tuesday, various groupings formed at Ditsobotla Local Municipal offices with the view to continue with disruptive actions and to prevent the normal day to day running of the municipality and to prevent advocate Bojosinyane to return to office and to resume duties.
“The municipality also beefed-up security of the office and the contracted security officials generally referred to as “Bouncers”, deployed additional personnel and prepared for crowd management by arming the personnel with riot gear.”
Myburgh said during the course of the morning, various alterations occurred between the groupings demanding entry into the municipal offices and the deployed security personnel. She said the participating groupings pelted the security personnel and municipal offices with stones, resulting in the situation turning violent and the security official allegedly firing several shots.
“A case of attempted murder was opened after the victim sustained a gunshot wound in his upper body, outside the municipal offices. He received medical treatment and was transferred to hospital. Another victim sustained a gunshot wound on his right lower foot. No case docket is registered as yet,” she said.
Myburgh said an intervention was held at Lichtenburg SAPS Boardroom on Tuesday, by the Lichtenburg SAPS Station Commander, Mahikeng Public Order Policing and Ditsobotla Local Municipality Management.
She said during this intervention, an agreement was reached that Bojosinyane will not currently return to office as an appeal was made against the Labour Court judgement by Ditsobotla Local Municipality and that feedback is awaited from this appeal process.
“The participants dispersed peacefully. However, the situation is currently very tense,” she said.
The Guardian 