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AfriForum stops expansion of Rustenburg Local Municipality

AfriForum welcomes the decision of the Municipal Demarcation Board not to merge the Rustenburg Local Municipality and the Kgetlengrivier Local Municipality. This follows after AfriForum, and its specialists already submitted comments against the planned change on 28 April this year. If the change were to be successful, it would mean that Koster, Derby, Swartruggens and surrounding areas would form part of the Rustenburg Local Municipality.

“We are glad that the Municipal Demarcation Board has heeded our comments not to merge the two municipalities. Basic service delivery, such as water and sanitation, is already extremely poor in both municipalities and to bring additional towns under the management of the Rustenburg Local Municipality would only worsen the situation,” says Petrus Coetzee, AfriForum’s advisor for Local Government Affairs.

“If the merge was successful, funding to this municipality would also possibly increase and create increased opportunities for corrupt officials to obtain money illegally. The solution to South Africa’s mismanagement of municipalities and the total collapse of service delivery lies in a more federal approach, and not in a stronger centralist system as this change would entail,” Coetzee adds.

“Where there is already a lack of effective maintenance, it is simply unwise to put further pressure on an already dysfunctional municipality,” says Armand Viljoen, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for Marico.

AfriForum encourages communities to get involved at www.afriforum.co.za.

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