Ditsobotla: Deputy President Paul Mashatile will conduct an oversight visit to the Ditsobotla Local Municipality (DLM) in the North West on Thursday as part of government's ongoing efforts to strengthen the capacity of municipalities to effectively deliver basic services to communities.
According to South African Government News Agency, the visit follows concerns raised by residents of the DLM during the Deputy President's recent engagement with the community in January 2026. Among the key issues highlighted by community members were inadequate access to water and sanitation, unreliable electricity supply, poor road infrastructure, and broader service delivery challenges affecting their quality of life.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Presidency noted that the oversight visit forms part of the District Development Model (DDM), which aims to improve cooperative governance by ensuring alignment and integration of national, provincial, and local Government plans. The DLM has been facing persistent governance and service delivery challenges, leading to the National Cabinet placing it under administration in terms of Section 139 of the Constitution. These challenges include financial mismanagement, instability in political and administrative leadership, failure to provide consistent basic services, and deteriorating infrastructure.
Through the DDM approach, the government seeks to accelerate service delivery, enhance accountability, and ensure that communities receive coordinated and sustainable support. The programme of the Deputy President's visit will be preceded by an engagement between the Deputy President and the local traditional leadership as well as an engagement with business fora, spearheaded by Ministers.
During the visit, Deputy President Mashatile is expected to engage with local leadership, including the provincial government, municipal administrators, and other key stakeholders, to assess progress made since the intervention and to identify areas requiring urgent attention. He will also interact with community members to provide feedback on Government's interventions thus far.
The Deputy President will be joined by the Premier of the North West and supported by Ministers and Deputy Ministers from various sectors, including Mining and Petroleum Resources, Sport, Arts and Culture, Public Works and Infrastructure, and many others. Furthermore, as part of the Clean Cities and Towns Campaign, Ministers will undertake a cleaning Campaign at Matlaba Primary School and Tau Rapulana Secondary School, in the Bodibe Village.