North West University local government expert, Prof Rhulani Hanyane, says ongoing mayoral disputes in the province’s municipalities are a reflection of the damage done by careerism and factionalism.
Five municipalities currently have more than one mayor who claims rights to the top position.
Affected areas include Ditsobotla, Tswaing, Mahikeng and Maquassie Hills local municipalities and the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district municipality.
Recalled ANC deployees refuse to step down in the North West:
Mayoral disputes follow the ANC’s Interim Provincial Committee directive that mayors in poor performing municipalities must step down.
Mayors in affected municipalities are refusing to step down, even after being voted out during council sittings. Instead, they’ve opted to challenge their removals in court and won, leaving municipalities with two people both claiming legitimacy as rightful mayors.
North West ANC IPC confirms that four of its members have stepped aside:
Internal party politics
ANC Interim Provincial Committee Spokesperson, Keny Morolong, says some members treat directives from the organisation with derision.
“In the North West province, people treat instruction, decisions and directives of the organisation with derision. We will, in due course, discuss instances where such individuals have arrogated to themselves positions of deployment such as mayors without the consent or directive of the organisation.”
While internal party politics rage on, Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs MEC, Mmoloki Cwaile, says the ruling of the courts cannot be disregarded.
“The battle of parallel mayors has been fought and continues to be fought at the level of the courts. Ours will be to comply with the determinations and rulings made by the courts. We accept democratic. As a department, we recognise what we are told to do by the courts.”
‘Careelism’ and factionalism
Prof Hanyane says such careerism does little to address the service delivery shortcomings in affected municipalities.
“The issue of careerism in local government has always been the second skin of local government in SA. So, what this then creates is an impression that positions at local government level in municipalities is one way of generating employment. It does not mean that persons who then seek employment in such a space are bringing in specific skills.”
Hanyane says factional politics are also at play.
“In most instances, don’t be surprised to find that this is also done along fault lines based on factionalism. So, a particular faction would always insist that they want to see themselves in control of these resources. Anything outside the control of resources would mean that a sizable number of persons are out of the loop in terms of accruing these benefits.”
The IPC is expected to meet later this week to discuss the matter.
