ANC infighting undermining service delivery in Mamusa Municipality
12 June 2017
The Democratic Alliance in the North West is concerned that the ANC’s infighting is affecting the functionality of Mamusa Municipality.
During an oversight visit to the area, the DA was informed that the sudden dismissal of the Acting Municipal Manager, Lucky Fourie, triggered violent protests from a faction of the ANC that was closely aligned to him.
There are allegations that Mayor Aaron Motswana was summoned by three MECs who demanded that the Acting Municipal Manager be fired. The DA was informed that the order came from senior members of the ANC executive in the province.
The DA will write to the MEC for Local Governance, Fenny Gaolaolwe, to request a record of decision making which resulted in the expulsion of the Acting Municipal Manager, as there was no council meeting held to discuss Mr Fourie’s dismissal.
The DA is of the view that municipalities are not only central to the delivery of basic services, but should also ensure sustainability within their local economies by creating a conducive environment for investment through the provision of infrastructure, economic development policies and quality services.
It is unfortunate that municipalities have now been turned into political power battlegrounds for the ANC in North West, forgetting their core mandate of providing services to communities throughout the province.
The DA is also concerned that the ANC is now resorting to intimidation tactics, as DA activists and structures are threatened every time they canvass or conduct door to door activities in the area.
These internal ANC political battles have rendered most municipalities in the province dysfunctional, with most municipalities receiving adverse audit reports for years in succession.
Where the DA governs in the Western Cape, municipalities have been focussing on creating a more supportive business environment, investing in basic infrastructure to create a conducive business environment.
Issued by Tutu Faleni, Democratic Alliance Spokesperson on Social Development, 12 June 2017
