Thabazimbi, an iron-ore and platinum town in Limpopo's Waterberg, held a hung council after the November 2021 election. A DA-led coalition took office; the ANC caucus refused to accept the outcome. For three years two councils operated in parallel, each with its own mayor, speaker, municipal manager and chief financial officer, and each litigating the other's legitimacy through the courts to the Constitutional Court.
The NCOP Select Committee's oversight report of 2 October 2024 (ATC241002) recorded the result: no 2024/25 budget, non-quorate meetings, an expired audit committee, three qualified audits, staff unpaid for three months, thirteen municipal managers in twelve years, collapsed water infrastructure and zero engagement with the Green Drop programme, R304 million owed to Eskom, R198 million to Magalies Water, and R29.256 million seized from the municipal bank account under an ABSA warrant of execution. Served with a seven-day notice, the council sought an interdict instead of responding. The NCOP approved dissolution under s139(1)(c) unanimously on 3 October 2024; a by-election followed on 4 December 2024.
Premier Phophi Ramathuba: "Instead of working together with us... they took us to court, fighting to stay in power." The DA's Desiree van der Walt: "the ANC in Thabazimbi never accepted that democratic outcome." Municipal manager Gladwin Tloubatla cited an "irregular fraudulent magistrate court order" for not responding.