By Teboho Moloi
QWAQWA — Newly elected Maluti-a-Phofung Executive Mayor Paratlane Motloung has launched a scathing attack on rival politicians, accusing them of abusing the courts to fight political battles and derail service delivery.
In a strongly worded rebuke, Motloung said council disputes must be resolved within political structures — not in courtrooms — warning that the growing trend of litigation is paralysing governance in the troubled municipality.
His remarks come in the wake of a failed legal bid by ousted mayor Malekula Melato to interdict a special council sitting convened to debate a motion of no confidence against her.
The motion was tabled by South African Royal Kingdom Organisation (SARKO) chief whip Napo Letlala.
The municipality has increasingly been mired in legal battles, with political factions turning to the courts to block council processes.
In a similar episode, council chief whip Moeketsi Lebesa previously secured a court interdict to halt proceedings against him — further deepening the governance crisis.
Motloung did not mince his words.
“Council is a political platform. Political issues must be resolved politically, guided by rules and standing orders — not through the courts,” he said.
He described the use of litigation as a deliberate tactic to stall progress, accusing some leaders of putting personal survival ahead of the municipality’s urgent service delivery needs.
“The reality is that while politicians fight in court, residents suffer. Service delivery is delayed, and communities are left stranded,” Motloung said.
He warned that continued legal interference in council affairs risks crippling already fragile municipal operations, urging councillors to prioritize governance over factional battles.
Motloung’s comments signal a hardening stance as he takes charge of a municipality long plagued by instability, infighting and collapsing service delivery — with political tensions now threatening to spill even further into the courts.
His message was blunt: the courtroom is no place for political warfare.
