The North West Provincial Government, led by Premier Lazarus Mokgosi, has held an engagement session with the Council of Ditsobotla Local Municipality in Lichtenburg to address the municipality’s ongoing service delivery challenges, particularly regarding electricity supply.
During the meeting, the provincial government proposed that the struggling municipality transfer its electricity rights to Eskom, under the oversight of the Ministry of Electricity.
The special Council meeting, held on Tuesday, was attended by Premier Mokgosi, who was invited by the Council, and MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements, and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA), Oageng Molapisi. The visit aimed to engage directly with councillors to explore solutions to service delivery challenges.
Lichtenburg has faced severe power supply issues, including prolonged blackouts in 2023 after Eskom cut off electricity due to the municipality’s historic debt. Reports indicate that Ditsobotla Local Municipality owed Eskom over R1 billion at the time, making it one of the country’s largest defaulters.
Premier Mokgosi urged the Council to support the proposal to allow Eskom to take over the electricity supply function. He argued that this intervention would ensure an uninterrupted power supply across the municipality, as previous efforts by the local government had failed to produce the desired outcomes.
“The municipality is facing numerous challenges, and at the center of these challenges are the people we must serve,” Mokgosi said. “The municipality lacks both the financial capacity and the necessary skills to manage electricity provision. One of the options we presented was for Eskom to assume full responsibility for electricity operations to alleviate this burden.”
However, councillors expressed concerns about revenue collection from electricity supply and the potential financial implications for the municipality. To address these concerns, the parties agreed to hold a follow-up engagement session with all relevant stakeholders to discuss the details of the proposed intervention.
“We are exploring every possible avenue to stabilize this municipality,” Mokgosi emphasized. “It is essential for all of us to work together to achieve this objective.”
The upcoming engagement session will be led by Premier Mokgosi and attended by MEC for CoGHSTA, representatives from the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, the Ministry of Electricity, and the Department of Water and Sanitation.
The session will include discussions on a Section 154 intervention report and address questions about blocked and ongoing projects in the municipality.
“This collaborative effort aims to stabilize the municipality and ensure reliable service delivery for the residents of Ditsobotla,” Mokgosi concluded.
– SAnews.gov.za
