JB Marks Collapse: DA calls for full details of administrative action

15 May 2019

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has been reliably informed that JB Marks Municipality will be placed under administration, this follows years of mismanagement, corruption, and collapse of service delivery.

This action, a week after elections, and years of disorder, is well overdue.

The DA will write to the Municipal Manager, requesting full disclosure of the terms of the municipality being placed under administration and the plan of action detailing how the municipality’s functionality will be restored.

The DA has long warned about the collapse of the municipality under the poor leadership of Mayor Kgotso Khumalo. We have twice attempted to table motions of no confidence in the mayor but the ANC chose to rally around a failing mayor and municipality.

The municipality can no longer afford the pressure of bad governance, mismanagement, and corruption that has been so prevalent in JB Marks Municipality.

To date, the ANC has failed to account for the R1 billion that was lost to wasteful, unauthorised and irregular expenditure.

The people of JB Marks continue to suffer with service delivery at a standstill, there is no refuse removal, numerous water and sanitation issues, poor roads, and unmaintained, untidy parks and pavements.

It is alarming that there has been no transparency regarding the municipality being placed under administration, considering that it is in the interest of the residents of Potchefstroom to know how this will affect them.

This should not be another wasteful paper exercise that does not mount to any change. The people of JB Marks Municipality have a right to a transparent and accountable government, which will prioritise service delivery and improve their lives.

Issued by Hans Jurie Moolman, DA Caucus Chairperson JB Marks Municipality, 15 May 2019