Zeerust, North West – Service delivery in the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality has been severely disrupted after the High Court Sheriff seized 13 municipal vehicles over an alleged R4 million debt owed to a security services provider.
The attachment, executed following a default judgment linked to a security services tender, has left the North West municipality struggling to respond to urgent community needs. Residents in several villages now face heightened delays in addressing leaking drains, sewage spillages, and persistent water supply challenges.
A municipality spokesperson described the development as “an unfortunate setback,” emphasizing that engagements with the service provider remain ongoing. “It is unfortunate that we see the sheriff coming to attach because we were thinking that our lawyers are busy handling this matter,” the spokesperson stated.
While the security company initially claimed an amount exceeding R4 million, the municipality disputed the figure. “We were disputing it. Hence the agreement that I’m having it’s indicating 2.2 [million],” the spokesperson explained. They clarified that while the municipality is not financially distressed, immediate payment remains constrained pending the arrival of equitable share allocations from national government.
“At the moment, we don’t have that cash to pay for the 2 million that we have agreed upon,” the spokesperson said, adding that the municipality has committed in writing to settle the agreed amount by the first week of July upon receipt of these funds.
Civil organization SANCO and local residents have expressed deep concern over the potential deterioration of essential services. “There’s a serious issue of the entire service delivery… water, sewer, roads are bad, and now the very same municipality that we are expecting to provide service delivery to our people, their assets are seized,” noted a SANCO representative. They questioned consequence management measures, suggesting the situation “could have been prevented.”
Opposition parties have pointed to systemic administrative failures. One opposition representative cited a “serious credibility crisis” and “leadership chaos” within the municipality, arguing that residents bear the brunt of poor oversight. “It cannot be correct that our people continue to suffer yet a lot of money is being paid to these companies,” the representative stated, calling for greater accountability among municipal officials, directors, and leadership.
The Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality has appealed for public patience as negotiations continue toward recovering the attached vehicle fleet and restoring full operational capacity.
