SIBU and the Crisis of Water Service Delivery in Sannieshof, North West Province
SIBU and the crisis of water service delivery in Sannieshof, North West Province C GOUWS, I MOEKETSI, S MOTLOUNG, J TEMPELHOFF, G VAN GREUNING AND L VAN ZYL* Abstract In 2007 the residents of the town of Sannieshof in North West Province declared a dispute with the Tswaing Local Municipality on the grounds that the state of local service delivery left much to be desired. The ratepayers then formed the Sannieshof Inwoners Belastingbetalers Unie (SIBU) which literally took over the functions of local government of the town, functioning as a local government within a local government. This article provides a historical narrative of the conflict between SIBU and Tswaing Local Municipality, a dispute which was taken as far as the provincial High Court. Then follows an outline of conditions in Sannieshof and the townships of Agisanang and Phelindaba. Attention is given to the perceptions of local residents on the prevalent conditions, specifically in respect of water supply and sanitation service delivery. In the third section there are some theoretical perspectives on political culture, socialisation and happiness. A debate is provided on how these phenomena manifest under existing conditions in Sannieshof, and more particularly, in its adjacent townships of Agisanang and Phelindaba. Keywords: Sannieshof Inwoners Belastingbetalers Unie (SIBU), North West Province, service delivery, water supply, sanitation, Tswaing Local Municipality. Disciplines: History, Political Science, Tourism Studies and Public Management and Administration, Industrial Psychology and Wellness Studies. Introduction In November 2007, irate ratepayers of the towns Sannieshof, Ottosdal and Delareyville in South Africa’s North West Province, declared a dispute with Tswaing Local Municipality, the local authority responsible for their municipal services.1 Using the Municipal Finance (Management) Act, 56 of 2003,2 the Municipal Structures Act, 117 of 1998,3 and the Municipal Systems Act, 32 * Research Niche Area for the Cultural Dynamics of Water (CuDyWat).
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