Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba has warned newly elected councillors against using their positions to pursue luxurious lifestyles, saying they should not be buying Gucci and Louis Vuitton while communities struggle for basic services.
Ramathuba said councillors must prioritise service delivery and remain accountable to the communities they represent, warning that the next five years could not be business as usual.
Her warning comes as Limpopo’s municipalities prepare for the new five-year local government term, following the declaration of the 2026 Local Government Elections results by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
The ANC remained the largest party in all 22 of Limpopo’s local municipalities, securing outright majorities in 12.
However, the remaining 10 municipalities have hung councils, leaving political parties to negotiate coalition or minority arrangements to establish governing administrations.
‘The only thank you party is services’
Ramathuba said the provincial government accepted the election results as the sovereign voice of Limpopo’s residents, adding that communities had made their expectations clear.
She identified reliable water, employment, better roads, economic opportunities and consistent communication from elected representatives as among the issues requiring urgent attention.
“The next five years must not be business as usual,” she said.
She cautioned newly elected representatives against becoming preoccupied with their titles and the material benefits they believed came with political office.
“The only thank-you party that you can organise to the people who voted for you is services,” Ramathuba said.
She specifically warned councillors against using their new positions to acquire expensive designer brands while communities continued to struggle with basic services.
“We don’t want to see you in Diamond Walk buying a Gucci and a Louis Vuitton because now you have arrived; you are a councillor,” she said.
Ramathuba challenged councillors to redirect any offers of expensive gifts from businesspeople towards improving conditions in their communities, including cleaning streets, fixing potholes and providing access to water through boreholes.
“If there’s a businessperson who wants to buy you those, tell them to go and help you to clean the streets, fix potholes, drill boreholes, let your people get water,” she said.
Councillors must remain accessible to communities
Emphasising that councillors were elected to serve rather than enjoy status, Ramathuba reminded them that public office came with responsibilities towards the communities they represent.
“Being a councillor is a public servant. Being a councillor is a public servant. You are there to serve,” she said.
She also warned against councillors abandoning the communities that elected them in pursuit of more comfortable lifestyles in towns and cities.
Ramathuba said councillors elected in rural villages had a responsibility to remain connected to those communities and work towards addressing their infrastructure challenges, rather than relocating and leaving their constituencies behind.
She further challenged them to take responsibility for improving road infrastructure and addressing crime in the areas they represented.
The Premier also urged councillors not to change their cellphone numbers after taking office, saying residents needed to retain direct access to their representatives when services were not being delivered.
Ramathuba warned that councillors who ignored her advice risked losing the support of the communities they represented.
She said those who remained accessible and prioritised service delivery would retain the backing of their constituencies throughout their five-year terms.
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Hope Ntanzi
iol.co.za
