MAHIKENG, NORTH WEST — The Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality governance crisis has deeply paralyzed local administration, driven by explosive allegations of a R10-billion procurement fraud scandal and relentless political infighting.
A comprehensive forensic investigation conducted by Modiboa Attorneys has brought to light alleged systemic procurement fraud and unauthorized expenditure tied to the massive R10-billion financial hole. Adding to the mounting legal pressure, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has formally referred five senior officials for internal disciplinary proceedings. This follows a targeted probe into irregular procurement totaling more than R25-million executed on behalf of the Ditsobotla Local Municipality.
Service Delivery Collapse and Community Outrage
The administrative gridlock has triggered a severe deterioration in basic services. Residents are currently enduring crippling infrastructure failures, notably prolonged water outages and completely dysfunctional sewage systems.
Community members have expressed deep frustration, demanding immediate accountability. Locals argue that political factions within the municipality are deliberately disrupting council meetings whenever lawmakers attempt to adopt the SIU and forensic investigation reports. These calculated interruptions have brought administrative functions to a standstill, with angry residents condemning the paralysis as the result of councilors driven by self-interest rather than public service.
Union Leaders Demand Constitutional Intervention
Amid the chaos, the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) is urgently calling for the district municipality to be placed under provincial administration via Section 139(1)(b) of the Constitution.
Tungwa Khumalo, SAMWU Deputy Chairperson, highlighted glaring irregularities regarding the hiring and compensation of senior staff.
“Managers that were appointed between 2020 and 2023, before they could finish their probation, had their salaries illegally placed on the highest notch,” Khumalo explained. He noted that the council subsequently attempted to retroactively legalize these inflated salaries, only for it to be discovered that several of these senior managers do not even possess valid employment or performance contracts.
Quorum Controversies and Partisan Blame
The political dysfunction reached a new low during a council meeting on June 4, where several critical appointments were reportedly pushed through without a legal quorum.
Crosby Maya, the ANC’s chief whip at the municipal council, refused to comment on allegations suggesting that internal party factions are the primary catalyst for the council’s instability. Conversely, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has fiercely criticized the proceedings.
Cornel Dreyer, a DA Councillor for Ngaka Modiri Molema, argued that the June 4 meeting violated multiple legal frameworks. “Individuals implicated in the Modiboa report were, in my view, fraudulently appointed as acting directors in the municipality while being implicated in that report,” Dreyer stated. He added that such actions transgress legislated issues and codes of conduct, noting that the objections were dismissed in the absence of a quorum. Dreyer confirmed that the DA has formally written to the speaker’s office regarding the matter but has yet to receive a response.
Executive Admissions of “Funded Resistance”
Financial mismanagement is further compounded by a legal probe revealing that unsigned contracts for the Chief Financial Officer and a senior manager expose the institution to severe financial risk.
In a rare public admission, Executive Mayor Khumalo Molefe acknowledged that his own administration is being sabotaged from the inside. While he declined to comment on the specific unsigned contracts, he did not mince words regarding the systemic failures impacting the public.
“There is serious, coordinated, and funded resistance towards change, towards consequence management, towards malfeasance,” Mayor Molefe stated. “There is a serious fight back. I must admit the situation is not impressive because, ultimately, the people who are going to suffer are the ordinary people.”
Leadership Vacuum and Provincial Oversight
The municipality is currently operating without stable leadership. The substantive Municipal Manager remains suspended, while the Acting Municipal Manager was abruptly removed from his position.
The North West Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) is monitoring the situation. Thebeetsile Keameditse, the provincial CoGTA spokesperson, assured the public that the department is aware of the turmoil.
“The department has noted the developments in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality and we will, in due course, engage the municipality with a view of finding a solution to all outstanding issues and intervene where necessary,” Keameditse said. “Our interest is good governance and accountability to ensure uninterrupted provision of services to our communities.”
Despite these assurances, the provincial department has yet to provide concrete answers regarding its oversight role. Specific questions concerning interventions into the suspended municipal manager’s delayed disciplinary hearings, the implementation of outstanding SIU and forensic recommendations, the legality of the disputed June 4 council meeting, and SAMWU’s formal request for a Section 139(1)(b) intervention remain unanswered.