North West dissolves council responsible for ‘whites-only vaccine’ fiasco

An ANC-run municipality in North West, which has essentially slipped into chaos, has had its council dissolved following a tumultuous six months or so. Tswaing will now elect members to its local government after the 2021 Elections – and that’s when we expect a report into the region’s bizarre vaccine regime to be made public.

Whites-only vaccine controversy: Report release delayed

Controversy erupted in August, when it was reported that local health authorities in the farming town of Delareyville prioritised white people for the vaccine over all other South Africans. It’s alleged that whites were encouraged to come forward for their jabs, at the same time all other citizens were told that vaccine supplies had run out.

Three senior officials from the North West Department of Health were suspended in the aftermath.

Departmental spokesperson Tebogo Lekgethwane has since revealed that a report into the matter has been finalised, but cannot yet be released, as it forms part of an impending disciplinary hearing.

“We are still within our 90-days timeframe to complete the disciplinary process against the officials. The investigation is complete but will be used as part of the disciplinary proceedings, hence the report cannot be made public until the process has been completed.”

North West: Council in Tswaing dissolved following ‘bedlam’

Tswaing has been governed in an almost comical fashion throughout most of 2021. Olaotswe Makalela was voted mayor by councillors in April, but Lydia Malwane is refuting the legitimacy of the process. That has led to two separate regional leaders trying to run the municipality, and very little in terms of public governance has actually been achieved.

Therefore, the decision to dissolve the council proved to be a no-brainer, as one NW COGTA source told EWN:

“Literally, you can’t trace at the level of government whether there’s work done by the municipality. The municipality is in serious financial distress, the municipality cannot do anything.” | Lenah Miga