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ANC infighting hampers service: Free State DA

Infighting in the ANC caucus at the Dihlabeng municipality in Bethlehem was undermining service delivery in the area, the DA said on Thursday.

Democratic Alliance councillor Ben Venter said a council meeting was cancelled this week after 29 of 30 African National Congress councillors stayed away.

"The speaker of the Dihlabeng council, councillor David Lengoabala, was forced to call off the council meeting due to the lack of a quorum," said Venter.

Only the speaker and opposition councillors arrived. Venter said the town's ANC councillors were more concerned about access to powerful council positions than the welfare of Dihlabeng residents.

The Dihlabeng municipality and Free State ANC spokesman Thabo Meeko were not available to comment.

In an African National Congress statement issued after a provincial ANC caucus meeting in Bloemfontein on Wednesday, the party mentioned member tensions in Dihlabeng.

It stated the party intervened after minor tensions in some municipalities such as Dihlabeng and Maluti-a-Phufung. The tensions in the main were brought about by misunderstandings about councillors' roles and responsibilities.

Venter said several questions on public spending would have been discussed during the cancelled council meeting.

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