The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality welcomes the resignation of Ms Motlalepula Mphachoe as Senior Manager: Technical Services of the struggling municipality. We will continue to hold Mayor Malatji and the ANC responsible for the municipality’s worsening governance and service delivery crisis.
The Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality is in a state of crisis. Years of ANC-led bad and irresponsible governance by both the Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality and Mopani District Municipality have resulted in the steady collapse of municipal infrastructure and service delivery.
By the time the January 2026 rains and floods struck north-eastern Limpopo, the municipality was already in crisis and its infrastructure so depleted that it offered little resilience against the disaster.
The rain and flooding did not create the crisis in Ba-Phalaborwa, it merely exposed the consequences of years of ANC mismanagement and collapsing municipal infrastructure.
Today the municipality faces multiple crises, with basic services including water, sewage, electricity, and roads approaching total collapse. At the centre of this crisis lies the ANC.
The resignation of Ms Mphachoe must be viewed within the broader context of an ongoing ANC-inspired malaise and the continued collapse of municipal governance, infrastructure, and service delivery.
Ms Mphachoe joined the municipality in July 2023, having previously served as Acting General Manager at Lepelle Northern Water, Limpopo’s bulk water utility. Lepelle itself continues to face serious scrutiny and is currently the subject of Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigations into failed projects and allegations of widespread corruption.
In March 2025 she was questionably appointed as Acting Municipal Manager following the ousting of Dr Pilusa, who left the municipality by mutual agreement after an acrimonious and politically ANC-charged suspension and disciplinary process.
The DA strongly opposed Mphachoe’s acting appointment and formally wrote to the COGHSTA MEC, Mr Basikopo Makamu. In our view she did not meet the minimum competencies required for the post and had already failed in her permanent role as Senior Manager: Technical Services, as evidenced by the continued collapse of municipal infrastructure and service delivery.
The DA was ultimately vindicated when MEC Makamu issued a formal objection (non-concurrence) in April 2025, stating that Ms Mphachoe did not meet the minimum requirements for appointment as Acting Municipal Manager.
What was particularly disturbing was that Mayor Merriam Malatji delayed tabling the MEC’s objection before Council. This was the second occasion on which the mayor ignored such communication.
The resignation of Ms Mphachoe does not resolve the deep governance failures facing Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality. The people of Ba-Phalaborwa deserve ethical and competent governance that serves the community, not the ANC.