During a council meeting on Thursday (7/11), it was announced that the Kimberley-based local authority has been downgraded to a level 4 municipality. South Africa has eight metros, including Mangaung, Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay.

“Despite experiencing a population increase, the municipality has failed to improve revenue collection to stave off the downgrade sufficiently,” said DA Cllr Chris Phiri.

'Kimberley is a deteriorating city'

This change will have a detrimental influence on municipal staff and officials’ salaries, and a ripple effect on the funding the municipality will be receiving from external companies and the government.

“The sad reality is that Kimberley is a deteriorating city with a shrinking economy, and if there is not a change in the political leadership of this municipality soon, its lights may go out forever,” added Phiri.

The downgrade can be seen as a major setback for the premier who has said the city would not deteriorate under his leadership.

“The downgrading of Sol Plaatje to a category 4 municipality has dashed hopes that the municipality would eventually evolve into a metro, and must be an urgent wake-up call to political and municipal management about the dire state of the municipality.”

The DA said the cause for this could be due to inadequacies, political bias and the municipality’s failure over the past two decades to upgrade bulk infrastructure, and having many job-creating developments have been turned down.

Ways forward and strategies will be released in the coming week for the public.

OFM News/Casey-Lee Anthony