SIBU and the crisis of water service delivery in Sannieshof, North West Province
Date
2010Author
Gouws, C
Moeketsi, I
Motloung, S
Tempelhoff, J W N
Van Greuning, G
Van Zyl, L
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
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.