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Failure by the Northern Cape government to intervene in the collapsed Renosterberg municipality, has left the Democratic Alliance (DA) with no option but to call on President Cyril Ramaphosa to institute a Section 139.7 intervention.

The situation is dire. The municipality is at a complete standstill, services are non-existent, salaries have not been paid by the municipality since November last year, and staff are on a go-slow.

The crisis has been long in the making but reached a tipping point after Renosterberg’s bank account was frozen late last year due to Eskom having successfully been granted a court order to recover over R100 million owed to them by the municipality.

To date, the only tangible provincial government intervention has been the awarding of R3,2 million to the municipality in March, to cover basic salary payments for December and January, exclusive of pension and other third-party contributions. This also only came about when I raised the matter in the State of the Province debate, pushing the Premier, Dr Zamani Saul, into a corner.

Since then, there has been no visible progress to speak of. The MECs of COGHSTA and Finance failed to respond to a letter by DA Renosterberg councillor, Matt Posthumus, for an urgent intervention within seven days, by 7 March. The Premier and MEC of COGHSTA also did not even bother to respond to my request, exactly two weeks ago, to meet to discuss an urgent intervention.

It seems that they are quite content to reduce Renosterberg to ruins.

Already, only one of the six sewage pumps remains in working order while raw sewage spills into the Vanderkloof Dam, the effects of which already seem to be causing illness to those dependent on this water. In addition, it is the ratepayer’s association, and not government, that is trying to keep the town afloat, as it continues to procure chemicals at its own expense, for water purification purposes.

It is absolutely inexplicable as to how this situation seems to be overlooked by government.

In 2020, provincial government wasted no time in placing the municipality under administration and dissolving the Renosterberg council. The intervention team under administration failed to solve the Renosterberg problems due to political pressures in the council.

Now, when the municipality is really down and out, and in desperate need of an intervention, provincial government simply couldn’t care less.

Given the lack of political will for a provincially led intervention, in addition to the provincial government’s past failure to remedy the breakdown of services in Renosterberg, this task must now fall to National Government. Hence the DA’s call for a Section 139.7 intervention.

The DA will follow all required processes in an attempt to try and bring this very serious matter to the attention of national government and parliament, including requesting the National Council of Provinces select committee on COGTA to immediately intervene and schedule an oversight at Renosterberg. The lives of the residents of Renosterberg and the future survival of the towns of Vanderkloof, Petrusville and Philipstown, depend on it.

Issued by DA Northern Cape Provincial Leader, Harold McGluwa MPL