ANC accused of serving own interest regarding coalition in Ditsobotla

Opposition parties in the Lichtenburg based Ditsobotla Local Municipality in the North West say suggestions by the ANC to form a government of local unity with other parties is just to serve its own interest.

Currently, the municipality is in a coalition which is made up of the ANC and four smaller parties.

Recently, nine ANC councillors threatened to leave party for the MK Party, a decision that they later withdrew.

However, that prompted the ANC to suggest a government of local unity.

North West ANC Spokesperson Tumelo Maruping says discussions are under way internally.

“We are busy with some discussions internally including with other political parties to stabilise Ditsobotla Local Municipality and we want to promise the people of Ditsobotla that very soon it will be stabilised and the cancer that is in Ditsobotla will be something of the past once we finalise the arrangement of government of local unity.”

DA caucus leader in the Municipal Council, Yusuf Laher, confirmed the talks, but says the ANC must first get its own house in order.

“There are possible talks of coalition between the ANC and DA, however we cannot comment until the ANC has resolved their issues. We heard that the current speaker was asked to resign. There is a PR councillor who was asked to resign, we have not seen those resignations. Until we do not see those resignations, we cannot think of having those talks of the coalition. However, as the DA we are open to those talks.”

Meanwhile, EFF spokesperson in the province, Fanon Moema, says the ANC is being selfish.

“There is a political motive from the ruling party to make sure that Ditsobotla does not function for their own selfish benefits. From time to time, they ensure that that municipality is under the administration in a way of CoGTA as well as provincial Treasury. ”

Local government and administration expert, Arthur Shopola, says he has little faith that this will make much difference to service delivery.

“They are just using this phenomenon of government of local unity maybe as they political strategy to deal with certain political matters but for me, this is a coalition, they are entering into coalition talks and at the end of the day you will have the ANC partnering with certain party or two more parties just to run the council. But in essence, Ditsobotla is facing a governance crisis.”

And while negotiations continue, residents lament poor service delivery.

VIDEO | Ditsobotla Local Municipality facing political instability: