President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged leaders of the Ditsobotla municipality in North West to put the needs of residents first, warning against self-enrichment and neglect of basic services. The municipality was placed under administration this week after ongoing financial troubles and service delivery failures.
Ramaphosa said the national and provincial governments were determined to restore stability and ensure residents receive essential services such as water and electricity. He stressed that failure to provide these amounted to a violation of citizens’ rights, adding that communities should not endure more than a day without running water.
While acknowledging that fiscal constraints are affecting municipalities nationwide, Ramaphosa said poor governance, maladministration, corruption, and financial mismanagement could not be excused. He emphasised that municipal leaders must demonstrate accountability and diligence to justify their salaries.
