A shooting incident outside the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality offices has starkly highlighted the violent political instability plaguing the council, with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) blaming internal African National Congress (ANC) battles for bringing the administration to its knees.
The incident, which occurred on a Sunday morning, is reportedly linked to ongoing leadership squabbles that have forced council meetings to be moved to alternate locations due to safety concerns for councillors and staff.
In an interview, EFF North West Provincial Spokesperson Fanon Moema stated the party was “not finding these incidents to be strange at all,” citing weeks of observable instability, power mongering, and expulsions within the council.
“We could tell that at the direction these things are going, it was going to end up where it is now,” Moema said.
The crisis has resulted in a complete paralysis of service delivery. Municipal workers have reportedly been told to stay home on multiple occasions, including twice in August, due to safety threats. This has exacerbated an already critical situation for residents, who have previously protested in the streets over a severe water crisis and a lack of basic services like road maintenance.
“The residents of Ramotshere are not able to access those basic service delivery needs as a result of this political instability,” Moema stated.
A central point of the conflict is the contested leadership of the municipality. There are currently two individuals—one newly installed and the incumbent, Dinina—both claiming the title of mayor. Moema labelled the situation “lawlessness,” noting that there is no legal provision for two mayors and that it stems from “internal party squabbles” within the ANC.
“This is nothing other than people contesting the limited resources of our people,” he alleged, accusing councillors of fighting over state resources meant for equitable public benefit.
The safety concerns extend beyond the council chambers. Moema raised alarms over alleged “vigilantism,” suggesting that some councillors have employed their own private security details, potentially funded by money meant for service delivery.
“The security of the municipality is at serious compromise… An innocent resident might be going there to get assistance… and they might find themselves in a crossfire,” he warned.
While calls have been made for provincial and national government intervention, Premier Lazarus Mokgosi recently stated that efforts to deal with the municipality are “beyond the powers of provincial government.” The EFF, however, contends that the root cause is a political one that the ANC itself must resolve.
“The issue of ill-discipline… of undermining the people who vote for these public representatives… that’s why this situation doesn’t find a quick resolution,” Moema concluded, emphasizing that it is ultimately the residents who suffer from the political infighting.
The South African Police Service is investigating the shooting, as the community awaits a resolution to the violent political deadlock.
