Residents of the Lichtenburg based Ditsobotla Local Municipality say they are yearning for improved service delivery and stability in the municipality. Some, are however, skeptical that parties that have gained seats in the council following the local government elections will prioritise the interests of communities.
Ditsobotla is one of the 11 municipalities in the North West province, in which no single political party secured enough votes to form government, a political dynamic called a ”hung council”. 11 parties have secured their place in the municipality, as opposed to eight that were part of the council, following the 2022 by-elections.
Residents expressed frustrations over the lack of service delivery in their municipality.
“They persuaded us to vote for them and we did that. However, this is our eighth year without water in our yards; that’s not fair. Ditsobotla is dirty, streets are pothole-riddled, and they don’t collect waste.”
Other residents are calling on parties that will form a coalition to prioritise the needs of community members.
“Five years ago, they were united, but nothing changed. Even now we don’t think that something is going to change. I hope this time around, people going into that council will put the communities first. The people of Ditsobotla must come first. This time, we need officials who will work for people, because the people must govern.”
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