The ANC demarcates for political allies, while it throws the book at rivals. The tales of Matatiele and Malamulele, in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo respectively, paint a picture of a governing party at odds with governance principles and processes, and one that is a comfortable bedfellow with expediency to achieve a political end. Matatiele and Malamulele are both peri-urban towns located in desperately poor provinces. Their residents share a common aspiration: that their towns’ demarcations be reversed to factor in service provision and economic opportunities. Last week, Matatiele got its wish — on paper at least — when Communications Minister Ayanda Dlodlo said in a Cabinet statement that the reincorporation of the Eastern Cape town into KwaZulu-Natal would get under way.Motsoaledi Local Municipality and Marble Hall Local Municipality were also thrown a demarcation bone. No such luck for Malamulele, whose frustrated residents burnt down schools and mounted weeks-long protests to v...
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