JOHANNESBURG – President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed strong disapproval over the poor state of governance in several North West municipalities, labeling the situation as “unacceptable” and a betrayal of the communities they are meant to serve.
During a high-level engagement in Rustenburg on Friday, Cyril, accompanied by several Cabinet ministers, confronted the ongoing crisis that has plagued local governments in the province. The meeting aimed to address the structural and administrative failures that have left many municipalities in financial disarray and unable to provide basic services.
President Ramaphosa revealed that at least ten municipalities in the North West province are either under administration or grappling with serious financial challenges. This, he said, has led to a collapse in service delivery, affecting residents’ daily lives in devastating ways.
“This is a matter that cannot be ignored any longer,” Ramaphosa emphasized. “We are seeing a trend where dysfunction and poor leadership are becoming entrenched, and that is something we need to reverse with urgency.”
Ramaphosa Exposes Widespread Municipal Collapse in North West
One of the municipalities that came under sharp criticism from Ramaphosa was Ditsobotla Local Municipality. The president highlighted it as a prime example of what happens when local leadership becomes embroiled in political infighting and neglects its mandate to serve the people.
“We have had a situation in Ditsobotla where there were two mayors, two municipal managers, and two speakers operating simultaneously,” Ramaphosa said. “That is just completely unacceptable. The people of Ditsobotla and surrounding areas deserve better.”
He stressed that such instability at the local government level directly impacts residents, resulting in poor or non-existent service delivery. Ramaphosa argued that this type of dysfunction erodes public trust and undermines the democratic institutions meant to uphold the rule of law and provide basic services.
During his address, Ramaphosa did not hold back in placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of local government leaders. He criticized their inability to perform their duties effectively and accused some of prioritizing personal or political agendas over public service.
“The inability of our leaders at the local level to straighten out the operations of local government is actually resulting in bad services being delivered to our people,” Ramaphosa stated. “And our people deserve much more than what we are giving them.”
He called for a complete overhaul of leadership in these troubled municipalities and insisted that accountability must be enforced to ensure that those who have failed in their duties face the consequences.
In response to the ongoing crises, Ramaphosa pledged stronger national and provincial intervention. He explained that while local governments are constitutionally mandated to operate independently, there are circumstances in which provincial and national structures must step in to restore order and functionality.
“We cannot allow a situation where municipalities collapse under our watch. It is our responsibility, as national and provincial leadership, to support and guide municipalities when they falter,” said Ramaphosa.
President Ramaphosa also encouraged community members to become more actively involved in local government affairs. He urged citizens to hold their municipal leaders accountable and to report any signs of corruption, mismanagement, or incompetence.
“People must raise their voices. They must say when things are not going right. That is how democracy works,” Ramaphosa said. “The public deserves transparency, honesty, and results from those they elect into office.”
President Ramaphosa’s visit to Rustenburg and his strong words against failing municipalities in the North West province serve as a wake-up call for local governments across the country. His message was clear: the era of impunity and dysfunction in municipal governance must come to an end.
As pressure mounts on the local officials in question, all eyes will be on whether real reforms will follow. For the residents affected by years of inadequate services, the hope is that Ramaphosa’s intervention marks the beginning of meaningful change.
Source- EWN
