Scores of families in Lichtenburg, North West, are sinking into debt while two men continue to fight over the right to control the town's purse with the governing ANC looking on as a helpless spectator.

A fight by two acting municipal managers to access the Ditsobotla local municipality's finances as well as low revenue collection and a divided council have been given as some of the reasons the North West municipality was unable to pay salaries for August...