South Africa comprises of nine provinces, eight metropolitan municipalities, 44 districts and 257 local municipalities. Out of these 257 local municipalities, 175 of them are reportedly bankrupt or insolvent.

So, 68% of our municipalities are bankrupt, which means talked-about service delivery is just a dream. The problem started when the ANC government introduced the municipal system to the villages in rural areas. A closer look shows that 32% of  functional municipalities are those in cities and towns.

So, what’s the point of creating municipalities in villages, where there are no revenue prospects as there are no services to render? There are mayors, councilors and municipal workers but where does the money for their salaries come from?

The water supply is often dysfuctional and unmetered, and for that reason many villagers in Limpopo for example buy water from private suppliers while many others have boreholes on their properties. Electricity is bought directly from Eskom, so what’s the point of rural municipalities?

Amos Motloding, Jamela Village