Rustenburg residents urge President Cyril Ramaphosa to address service delivery failures and bring tangible change to their community. Image credit: SABC
(The Post News) – Rustenburg residents pin hopes on Ramaphosa’s visit as frustrations boil over regarding years of poor service delivery. On Friday, President Cyril Ramaphosa, along with the Cabinet and the North West Provincial Executive Committee (PEC), is scheduled to hold a crucial joint meeting to tackle the persistent challenges affecting local governance.
The meeting aims to provide actionable solutions to pressing issues such as water shortages, road infrastructure backlogs, and housing crises. The President’s presence has reignited optimism among many community members, but also intensified protests as residents demand concrete outcomes rather than promises.
Protests Signal Growing Frustration
Outside the venue, dozens of residents gathered to make their grievances heard. Community leader Mathew Setshose, representing Phatsima Extension 3, said the Rustenburg Local Municipality has not provided visible service delivery in over a decade. “We have gone back and forth with promises of service, but nothing gets implemented. Rustenburg Local Municipality is failing us,” said Setshose.
This dissatisfaction mirrors a growing national concern over the state of local government, where communities in multiple municipalities feel neglected.
Ramaphosa Calls for Radical Solutions
President Ramaphosa acknowledged the frustrations, stressing the need for radical solutions to address local government failures. Speaking earlier at an ANC Golf event in Sun City, Ramaphosa highlighted the dysfunctionality plaguing municipalities. “Our people deserve much more than what we are giving them right now. The inability of leaders at the local level to straighten out operations is resulting in bad service delivery,” said Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa cited the case of the Ditsobotla Local Municipality, where two parallel councils operated with separate municipal managers, creating administrative chaos. The municipality is now under national administration following several interventions.
Call for Competent Local Leaders
As the country heads towards the 2026 municipal elections, Ramaphosa urged political parties to field competent candidates who are capable of running municipalities efficiently. “We would like all political parties to deploy candidates who have the competence to run local government properly. Many political parties will admit that we have not yet reached that level,” Ramaphosa emphasized.
The outcome of the joint Cabinet-PEC meeting could shape the future of service delivery in Rustenburg and beyond. If successful, it could become a model for resolving governance issues across the country.
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