Community members of both Potchefstroom and Ventersdorp has called for a split of J.B. Marks Municipality into the former Tlokwe and Ventersdorp municipalities.

They voiced their concerns this past Saturday, 19 August, during the parliamentary public hearings on the Independent Municipal Demarcation Authority (IMDA) Bill that was held at the Madiba Banquet Hall in Potchefstroom.

The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs conducted public hearings regarding the Bill, but residents were keen to inform the Committee on their various grievances regarding the amalgamation.

According to the residents, service delivery has been a major concern since the amalgamation between Tlokwe and Ventersdorp municipalities took place in 2017.

Residents claim that the merger was only part of a political agenda. They also argued that before the merger Tlokwe Local Municipality was functioning effectively.

DA ward councillor, Heinricha Hodgson, was one of numerous public participants who voiced their concerns in respect to the amalgamation.

“The municipality gets cash-strapped by the day, because one part of the municipality is carrying another part. It doesn’t work if one municipality distributes resources to another municipality,” stated Hodgson.

Residents also hoped the provision for more extensive public participation and stakeholder consultation during demarcation of municipal boundaries will help avoid situations such as Tlokwe and Ventersdorp merger.

The CEO of the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB), Manye Moroka, mentioned that there will be a public participation process from August to October where residents can voice their concerns to the MDB.

“The investigation regarding the JB Marks Municipality will reveal any shortcomings of the merger. The investigations are happening from August to October. The issues that you are raising should be presented there,” he told the residents in attendance.

DA councillor in JB Marks, Hans-Jurie Moolman, commented that the community’s reaction is a clear indication of how the amalgamation has affective both Potch and Ventersdorp.

“It is very clear that the community experiences the consequences of the amalgamation for the past few years. It is also very clear that the community realises that the goal of the amalgamation was not to improve service delivery. We can only hope that the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) will listen to the portfolio committee with regards to the feedback given during the public hearing and also to continue the intention of separating the municipalities of Potchefstroom and Ventersdorp.”