ANC leads in troubled Ditsobotla

The ANC kept the lead in the troubled Ditsobotla Local Municipality for most of the day on Friday, getting 15,309 votes, equating to 53.37% of the number of people who voted.

By 4.30pm the party had the majority, followed by the EFF with 4,787 votes (16.69%) and was trailed by the DA with 4,583 votes (15.98%). 

For years the ANC-led North West municipality has been a symbol of a dysfunction, with council services not reaching residents. A few years ago, Clover was forced to move out of the agricultural town after years of battling to get a consistent supply of electricity.

There were also issues of political infighting and corruption, which compromised the administration of the council. 

Last month former managers in the municipality, municipal manager Tsietsi Isaac Shema and project manager Richard Thamsanqa Mtshali, appeared in the Lichtenburg magistrate’s court on charges of fraud and contravening the Municipal Finance Management Act. 

The two were arrested by the Hawks in Mahikeng and Zeerust after an investigation into allegations of fraud and flouting of supply chain processes. Police accused them of awarding a tender to the value of R760,000 to a service provider to supply and install clear view fences and gates at Biesiesvlei.