Rescue Ditsobotla's financial crisis

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) Local has written to the Ditsobotla Executive Mayor and Municipal Manager as well as the Premier, MEC, Minister of COGTA, Auditor General and Minister of Finance requesting urgent intervention to rescue the municipalities finances.

OUTA has been, in recent weeks investigating and addressing maladministration and corruption within the local government.

OUTA Local has noted in its letter that non-payment of electricity by the municipality will lead to a significant number of large commercial employers scaling down further exasperating already high levels of unemployment in the area.

“We are concerned about the Ditsobotla Municipalities lack of urgency on this matter and we are investigating fruitless and wasteful expenditure within the Municipality,” added OUTA Local Manager, Michael Holenstein.

In its letter, OUTA Local pointed out that the Municipality has failed to honour the terms of its agreed repayment plan with Sedibeng Water which has resulted in the interruption of bulk water supply to the Ditsobotla Local Municipality.

OUTA Local advises the municipality to pull together a detailed financial recovery plan, made available to the public, that will illustrate the short, medium and long-term strategies that will get the municipality back on its feet.

The Ditsobotla Local Municipality has not yet responded to our letter sent on 27 March 2018.