During his second budget speech for the 2022/23 financial year in the Legislature, MEC Mxolisi Dukwana said those opposed to winds of change, who are obstructing the department's efforts to intervene on behalf of citizens, have no future in municipalities. His statement comes after several municipalities, including Mangaung, Kopanong, Matjhabeng, and Maluti-A-Phofung, were exposed for their lack or failure to deliver the most basic services to residents. Dukwana says his department has joined hands with municipalities to address issues and challenges of service delivery and efforts to turn around the situation.

“We have no difficulty admitting that service delivery in its current form is extremely poor. Potholes adorn most parts of our province, [as do] rubbish piles, and overflows and sewage run through every community. However, there are bold efforts in many municipalities to break from the downward spiral and turn the situation around,” he adds.

Most of the municipalities, like the Welkom-based Matjhabeng Municipality, are heavily indebted to service provinces such as Eskom and the Sedibeng Water Board, with millions of rands owed to them.

On Monday, three ailing municipalities appeared before the National Council of Provinces' (NCOP) Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Water and Sanitation and Human Settlements, that is in the Free State on an oversight visit.

These municipalities include the Mangaung Metro, Masilonyana Municipality, and Kopanong Municipality. They made presentations to members of this select committee at the Provincial Legislature's Fourth Raadsaal in Bloemfontein.

Also read: Ailing Free State municipalities appear before NCOP

Whilst addressing members of the Legislature and guests at the budget speech on Thursday, Dukwana hailed officials who continue to show up at work to do their respective jobs.

He says some courageous men and women wake up every day to reimagine their municipalities and strive to seek and find the determination and energy to improve the quality of service delivery to the people.

“Our hope that tomorrow shall be better, is inspired by such people and it is precisely for this reason that we are encouraged to work extraordinarily harder to turn the situation around as the department.

Dukwana previously petitioned the Free State High Court and successfully interdicted the newly elected, acting City Manager (CM) or Municipal Manager (MM), Teboho Maine, from assuming office at the Bloemfontein-based Mangaung Metro Municipality after the former MM, Sello More, was ousted by the metro’s council.

Also read: New appointment of acting city manager interdicted

“Anybody who stands diametrically opposed to the sound of change will have to step aside. We owe it to hundreds of thousands of citizens of the Free State to do nothing to detract from what they have mandated us to do, to constantly strive to secure their wellbeing,” Dukwana further added.

On Monday he told members of the NCOP that their efforts in municipalities were hamstrung by the personal interests of individuals. Dukwana said these personal interests are standing in the way of service delivery.

Also read: Personal interests standing in the way of service delivery

OFM News