Ten political parties and one independent candidate will be contesting the local government elections in the Matzikama Local Municipality in the Western Cape. This municipality is currently under investigation by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
The investigation is looking into irregular payments and irregular appointments and theft within this municipality.
Since 1994, Matzikama has largely been under the control of the African National Congress (ANC). Between 2016 and 2019, it was the Democratic Alliance (DA) running the municipality.
Financial crisis
ANC’s Salvester Coetzee says the party cannot be blamed for the financial mess Matzikama now finds itself in. The DA however says this allegation is not true.
The party’s mayoral candidate Johan van der Hoven says in 2019, the municipality had a positive bank balance, and Eskom was not owed any money.
Today, Matzikama owes Eskom just under R50-million.
Van der Hoven says: “I am very positive to say that once the DA comes, the DA has the experience, they have the people that know how to run a municipality and together we will turn around Matzikama.”
The Patriotic Alliance (PA) cites a range of issues as the cause for the municipality’s bad financial state.
The PA’s Brenden Oeries says: “We have changed council quite a lot and our administration is in disarray due to the fact that we have had five municipal managers for the past five years. And the most important thing is, and I want to make it quite clear, not only the ANC can be blamed, but also the DA government.”
A municipality in ruin
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has one seat on the council. It used to be in a coalition with the ANC. That has now changed.
EFF’s Xolani Peterson Tshetu says: “As you see, it’s bad. You see the rubbish is there as you are coming down, you see a pool of sewerage, and that has been almost two years under the leadership of the ANC.”
Matzikama’s former speaker, Patric Bok, was elected on an ANC ticket. But he accuses the ANC of meddling in the affairs of council.
“When we want to appoint a senior manager or municipal manager, they come and say who it must be and for us, it was a huge problem,” says Bok.
The party has denied this allegation. Bok has since switched parties and has also just lost his position as speaker.
Another smaller party hoping to make inroads is the Freedom Front Plus.
Will any of these parties be an outright winner on the first of November? Will coalitions, albeit shaky coalitions, be on the cards?
Will residents continue to vote based on their loyalty to one of the bigger parties, or will they place their hope in someone else?
Parties here have just over a week to help residents make up their minds.
