According to the DA in the province, interventions in the metro has not yielded results as residents are still subjected to poor water and electricity supply. 

Briefing the media outside the municipal building on Wednesday, party leader Roy Jankielsohn said the municipality is still plagued by allegations of maladministration and corruption. This, despite the metro having been placed under administration in December 2019. The party’s Chairperson in Mangaung, David Masoeu, together with Caucus Leader Hardie Viviers, highlighted how there remains a need for investigations into the Municipal Manager’s conduct as services continue to collapse.

Masoeu said several Committees fails to deliberate on matters that affect the running of the municipality and its ability to deliver services due to political infights within the metro. He said the DA has requested the Acting Executive Mayor to institute a formal investigation into the conduct of Tankiso Mea who is the MM, for failing to carry out his duties with due diligence.

Despite previous unsuccessful motions of no confidence, the party would still like to have Mea removed from this position. “We hope he will be held accountable and taxpayers' money [will be] put to good use,” explained Masoeu.

Viviers added that Mea has dismally failed to ensure reliable basic services to residents in Mangaung and must vacate office.

“He has failed to ensure that service delivery line managers perform their tasks adequately. This includes failure to ensure budgetary controls and to pay contractors on time. He has failed to table the annual report on time, which has caused the collapse of the integrated plan of the Mangaung Metro, as well as failed to reduce irregular spending,” said Viviers.

Viviers and Masoeu have further highlighted how the metro continuously fails to pay service providers such as Bloem Water, how the municipality also fails to spend its infrastructure budget adequately.

The party said it plans to forward these concerns to the office of the Auditor-General and the Public Protector, should the Acting Executive Mayor fail to act.

OFM News