THE MOGALAKWENA LOCAL MUNICIPALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA

This case study by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) examines the institutional collapse of the Mogalakwena Local Municipality in South Africa. It argues that the municipality has entered a state of 'perpetual instability' driven by cyclical factionalism within the African National Congress (ANC) at local, regional, and provincial levels. The report details how political battles over the appointment of the Municipal Manager (MM) led to administrative rupture, the use of 'lawfare' to target rivals, and a total shutdown of services in 2014, illustrating a broader trend of institutional fragility within the South African state.

• The Mogalakwena Local Municipality is characterized by 'perpetual instability', where recurrent factionalism within the ANC at provincial, regional, and local levels has corrupted the administrative fabric, leading to a complete shutdown of the municipality and a halt in service delivery.
• The appointment of the Municipal Manager (MM) is a highly political process often dictated by the provincial ANC leadership, bypassing regional preferences. In Mogalakwena, the appointment of Willy Kekana by the provincial leadership against the wishes of the Waterberg Region acted as a catalyst for prolonged institutional conflict.
• The Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA) has been used as an 'administrative arm of the provincial ANC' to intervene in municipal processes, rubber-stamp political recruitments, and neutralize political opponents.
• Political factions have engaged in 'lawfare', utilizing municipal funds to hire private attorneys for court cases, disciplinary hearings, and forensic audits to justify politically expedient strategies and remove rivals.
• The municipality experienced a severe administrative breakdown in 2014 when an ousted mayor forcibly returned to office with armed police and bodyguards. This resulted in a split administration where officials were divided between the mayor's office and a separate site at a municipal library for three months.
• Administrative functions such as Human Resources, Performance Management, and Risk Management have been severely compromised. Recruitment often occurs outside regulated processes, and many senior section 56 positions have remained vacant or are held by acting managers who may lack the necessary skills.
• The Integrated Development Planning (IDP) process is undermined by contradictions between official reports of project completion and the reality on the ground, where community members report unfinished projects and a lack of access to water.

APA

Public Affairs Research Institute (2017). THE MOGALAKWENA LOCAL MUNICIPALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/310717-Mogalakwena-report-Final.pdf

Chicago

Public Affairs Research Institute. THE MOGALAKWENA LOCAL MUNICIPALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA. 2017. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/310717-Mogalakwena-report-Final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Public Affairs Research Institute |title=THE MOGALAKWENA LOCAL MUNICIPALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA |date=2017 |url=https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/310717-Mogalakwena-report-Final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{publicaffairsresearchinstitute2017mogalakwena, author = {{Public Affairs Research Institute}}, title = {{THE MOGALAKWENA LOCAL MUNICIPALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA}}, institution = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, year = {2017}, url = {https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/310717-Mogalakwena-report-Final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }