IT MIGHT be the most chaotic council in the country!
At one stage in 2022, the Ditsobotla Municipality in the North West had two mayors, two speakers and two municipal managers. Then supporters of the two factions, who both claimed to be in power, ended up trading gunshots. The council was dissolved for fresh elections after a siege of the municipal building.
But it doesn't seem to have helped. The municipality has allegedly been struggling to pay its workers while having to pay huge debts. Now the chaos continues with parties at each other’s throats over an unlikely coalition featuring the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
On Wednesday, 21 June, the Patriotic Alliance came (PA) out swinging, accusing the DA of exploiting the death of ANC Speaker Fikile Jakeni earlier in June 2023.
After Jakeni's death, an interim speaker from the DA, Ronald Matlholoa, was elected. Then a council meeting was called where Mayor Elizabeth Lethoko of the PA was voted out in a motion of no confidence.
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This follows an unlikely coalition between the DA, EFF, Save Ditsobotla Movement and Forum 4 Service Delivery (F4SD), which voted together for Thabo Nkashe of F4SD to be the new mayor.
PA national spokesman Steve Motale said the party accepted the result, in spite of some "irregularities" around the process.
“But one can only laugh when considering how confusing life must feel for the DA nowadays," he said. "The DA appears to have taken advantage of F4SD’s hunger for power in a move that makes a mockery of their commitment to not trading for positions in coalitions.
“Jakeni was still being mourned at a memorial service, with his body barely cold, before these opportunists used this moment to get themselves into a new coalition government,” he said.
Motale said the DA has conveniently also forgotten its criticism of coalitions in Gauteng metros where mayors were elected from minority parties. He said it suited them to do exactly that in Ditsobotla.
“As the PA, we have no problem with any party voting with any other party to get into power. The PA has routinely said that we are willing to work with anyone when it comes to coalitions, but the DA made a solemn promise to its voters to never work with the EFF,” he said.
Acting Speaker Matlholoa from the DA said the motion of no confidence against Lethoko was tabled in January 2023 before he got the speaker job and there was an opportunity for it to finally be debated.
“Lethoko was removed with a motion of no confidence. After being removed, council proceeded to elect a new mayor of council of Ditsobotla, which is Mr Nkashe, who was nominated and seconded,” he said.
And so the chaos continues!
