North West ANC's Mayoral Recall nothing but petty factionalism playing out at expense of the people

Note to Editors: Click here for soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Joe McGluwa MP, DA North West Provincial Leader.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in North West notes the announcement made by the ANC’s Interim Provincial Committee (IPC) to recall the Mayors, Speakers and Chief Whips (Troikas) of five municipalities, that of the Mahikeng, Ditsobotla, Macquassi Hills and Matlosana Local Municipalities and the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality, allegedly in a bid to hold the Troikas accountable for fraud, corruption, rampant financial mismanagement and the general collapse of governance.

The targeted recall of Troikas in these five municipalities is nothing but petty factionalism at play as the warring factions of the ANC in the North West fight over access to power and resources to further their own agendas.

The ANC’s IPC claim that this move, the first phase of action, is about putting people and service delivery first in a desperate attempt to portray a commitment to good, clean and responsive governance in the run-up to the local government elections next year. If they were really serious about cleaning house, they would also recall mayoral committees and the municipal managers and directors employed through cadre deployment.

Evidently the second phase will include action against six more municipalities.

In December 2019, the ANC North West’s Provincial Task Team (PTT) recalled seven mayors, that of the Kagisano-Molopa, Mamusa, Madibeng, Moretele, Mahikeng, and the Macquassi Hills Local Municipalities as well as the Mayor of the Dr Ruth Segomotis Mompati District Municipality.

What followed was a blanket refusal by Mayors to resign and to challenge the decision in court. The DA was on record then that this is factionalism at play and an attempt to window dress accountability following the disastrous VBS Scandal that saw R314 million of taxpayer money lost in four municipalities. It is also important to note that the recall took place during the campaign season in the run-up to the 2019 general elections.

The DA has always maintained that the problem with local and provincial poor governance in the province is the ANC and that the only way to improve governance here is to reject the ANC at the ballot box in its entirety.

The ANC cannot, and refuses to, govern in the interest of the people.

All local and district municipalities in the North West, all governed by the ANC, are either completely collapsed or in an advanced state of dysfunctionality. Service delivery is at best erratic, and financial mismanagement and corruption remain at the order of the day.

It is all well and good to fire the Troikas for their deliberate poor performance, however, the question begs, who will replace them, especially when the entire ANC has been corrupted. Our argument holds water, especially considering that not even two years ago, seven mayors were recalled, and there has been zero improvement in governance and service delivery in these municipalities since.

In addition, the ANC-led provincial government also finds itself under Section 100 administration, almost all North West Municipalities have been placed in and out of Section 139 administration over the last couple of years.

Just like in government, the ANC in North West has also had its own interventions over the last couple of years, Premier Job Mokgoro was shipped in when the ANC shipped out Supra Mahumapelo. The ANC in North West has gone from an imposed Provincial Task Team to an Interim Provincial Committee, with no indication of when the ANC in North West will stabilise its structures. It is unlikely that it ever will, as factions remain in battle for access to power and resources.

The only way to rebuild the North West, is for the voters to completely reject the ANC and vote the DA to government so that we can begin a programme of good, transparent, responsive governance and service delivery in the interest of the people.

Issued by Joe McGluwa, DA North West Provincial Leader, 13 September 2020