The ailing municipality was issued with a Section 139 directive last month, giving its council 14 days to provide reasons why it should not be placed under administration or dissolved. Repeated council meeting collapses had been largely driven by deep divisions over the status of municipal manager Thapelo Matlala.

He had reportedly been placed on precautionary suspension after misconduct charges were brought against him. However, the situation has since become a focal point of political tension within the council.

Administration

The Northern Cape department of cooperative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs (Coghsta) has raised serious concerns about the state of administration in the municipality, warning the ongoing instability is leaving residents without adequate service delivery.

“We are concerned as a department about what is going on at the municipality. So MEC (Bentley) Vass is … applying his mind as to what the way forward should be in terms of law and applicable legislation,” said Northern Cape Coghsta spokesperson Tebogo Monyo.

“I’m sure … the next steps and decisions that he would take will be to ensure good, sound, administrative governance at the municipality, so that ultimately (the) municipality is able to (deliver) good service.”

Earlier this year, OFM News reported on escalating tensions within the municipality. A council meeting intended to address critical administrative matters collapsed after opposition councillors staged a mass walkout. The protest centred on alleged procedural irregularities and the disputed status of acting municipal manager Busisiwe Mgaguli.

The meeting, which lasted three hours before reaching a deadlock, deteriorated when opposition members accused speaker Dipuo Peters of disregarding council rules and procedures.

Opposition councillors argued Mgaguli could not be legally appointed while a permanent municipal manager remained in office. They pointed to a recent high court ruling, which reportedly declared the suspension of Matlala null and void, and expressed frustration at not being given the opportunity to vote on the matter.

Meanwhile, ANC in the Frances Baard region has sought to calm speculation around the municipality’s leadership. The party dismissed reports that Sol Plaatje’s executive mayor and speaker had resigned during a special regional executive committee meeting.

“The ANC Frances Baard regional executive committee reiterates its support for Sol Plaatjie executive mayor Cde Barbara Bartlett and speaker Cde Dipuo Peters as deployees of the movement. 

“We exhort our deployees to remain steadfast and unperturbed by such narratives, and to maintain an unwavering focus on service delivery,” said regional spokesperson Christopher Majaha.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi dg

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