Maimane is tomorrow (Saturday) expected to engage the residents of Tumahole in Parys and share the party’s agenda for change ahead of the May 8 elections. Joined by the party’s provincial leader, Patricia Kopane, they are expected to address questions regarding lack of service delivery, crime and the high unemployment rate in the area, amongst others. Their visit to the former Free State premier Ace Magashule’s home town will come just days after the DA marched to the office of the Free State premier to hand over a memorandum of demands. The march, primarily aimed at highlighting the plight faced by people in rural areas living without basic services such as running water, drew much attention. DA members, supporters and members of the public marched to the premier’s office with empty buckets to highlight poor service delivery by many municipalities across the province and their failure to provide basic services.

Ngwathe is one of the municipalities highly indebted to Eskom. It owes the power utility almost R 1 billion. The municipality, which includes the towns of Edenville, Heilbron, Koppies, Parys, and Vredefort, is listed in the latest Auditor-General (AG) report amongst the 18 Free State municipalities needing urgent intervention. Municipalities in the province collectively owe Eskom more than R7.8 billion, making it a province with the highest debt and defaulting municipalities.

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