The incumbent premier, Job Mokgoro, and the MEC for Local Government and Human Settlements department, Motlalepula Rosho, issued a letter to the municipality informing it of the decision to invoke the section 139(1) B against it. The section sought to take all the administrative powers from the municipality effective from the 13 of May 2019 the day the letter was sent to the office of the mayor, Kgotso Khumalo. The mayoral spokesperson, Victor Boqo, tells OFM News that after the council of the municipality rejected the decision a meeting between Mokgoro, Khumalo and other government officials was held on Friday 17 May 2019. Boqo says it was agreed that task team consisting of local officials and provincial will be formed to look into issues raised by both parties in the matter and will have to report back to Mokgoro in two weeks’ time.

The North West provincial government has placed seven municipalities under administration bringing the number of municipalities under administration in the province to 15. The provincial government is cited financial distress, the collapse of service delivery and instability in council as the reasons for the intervention. The affected municipalities include JB Marks, Mamusa in Schweizer-Reneke, Lekwa Teemane in Bloemhof and Christiana, Ratlou in Setlagole, Tswaing in Delareyville, Madibeng in Brits and Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District based in Vryburg. Opposition parties in the Potchefstroom-based JB Marks Municipality in the North West have questioned the timing of the provincial government to place their municipality under administration.

OFM News previously reported that a group of about 150 disgruntled protestors in 2018 in Ikageng burned tyres and barricaded roads in protest against Khumalo, to leave the office and accused him of ignoring repeated calls for better service delivery. The former Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) chairperson, Mahlakeng Mahlakeng, previously told OFM News that the municipality was at the brink of collapse after allegations of financial irregularities against the municipality in 2018. Boqo, however, rubbished the claims and told OFM News that the accusations of the missing R1 billion are untrue and unfounded as his municipality has cash and an investment of over R232 million.

OFM News