North West MEC reshuffle must be reversed

The Democratic Alliance will make a formal appeal to Premier Thandi Modise to reverse her decision to appoint Manketsi Tlhape as Cooperative Governance MEC.

A crisis of basic service delivery exists in the North West, with many towns going without water and only 1% of informal settlements having access to proper sanitation.

MEC Tlhape cannot be fit to turn local government around given that she presided over the collapse of Tswaing Municipality. During her time there as mayor, Tswaing  was put under a Section 139 administration.

As the delivery of basic services dried up the withholding of rates and taxes became common in the municipality.  

A Hawks investigation was also launched into corruption and maladministration.

Tlhape was then tagged by the ANC to become the Ngaka Modiri Molema Municipality's Executive Mayor but because of her unsuitability for public office, ANC councillors defied that decision for more than two years.

The DA urges the Premier to put politics aside and appoint an MEC who has the skills to stop the suffering of North West residents by turning local government around.

Statement issued by Chris Hattingh, DA Leader in North West, July 2 2013

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