According to the DA, which is the official opposition in the province, this is highly unacceptable and indicative of a government not serious about service delivery nor the needs of its citizens. Briefing the media on the state of the municipality and what led to it being placed under administration, the party’s Caucus Leader in the metro, Hardie Viviers, said it is appalling that the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Thembeni Nxangisa, has failed to bring stability to this municipality after they placed it under administration nor when it was downgraded by Moody’s Investors Services back in August 2019. Echoing Viviers’ words, Chief Whip in the Legislature, David van Vuuren, said it is worrisome that there is still a lack of consequence management and no-one held accountable for the municipality’s financial rut.

Van Vuuren has alleged the legacy of former Premier Ace Magashule and the now ANC Secretary-General, still continues in this municipality and many others in the province.

“If there is no political will and intervention in Mangaung it will be impossible to turn around the situation. The governing party also has a lot of factionalism,” said Van Vuuren.

The party says the state of service delivery in the Mangaung jurisdiction has regressed under the leadership of Executive Mayor Olly Mlamleli, and City Manager Tankiso Mea, with the municipality failing to attend to basic services such as refuse collection, sewerage, and road maintenance.

The party’s David Masoeu and Johan Pretorius further highlighted that a financial plan that was drafted in 2018 has to date never been implemented despite the DA having encouraged the ANC on several occasions to implement it in its Council.

MPL James Letuka added that placing a municipality under administration does not automatically mean the ship won’t sink as the troubled Maluti-A-Phofung, Mafube and Masilonyana are still not better off despite being placed under administration years ago. 

Letuka alluded that the dissolution of the municipality and early elections might be the answer as “the administrators deployed by the provincial government often go to these municipalities to protect ANC’s interests rather than to serve the residents”. 

The Mangaung Metro Municipality’s spokesperson, Qondile Khedama, has not yet responded to OFM News’ set of questions that were sent to him on 21 January regarding the municipality’s current state of affairs.

OFM News/Katleho Morapela and Leatile Leiee