MEC Mxolisi Dukwana, during the debate of his 2022/23 budget speech, was accused of interfering in the business of municipalities, in particular the cash-strapped Mangaung Metro in Bloemfontein. 

The EFF's provincial secretary, Malefane Msimanga, accused Dukwana’s department of being in the centre of issues besieging the Metro, amongst other municipalities. This includes the Metsimaholo Municipality.

“You went to Mangaung and implemented the wrong legislation and appointed the municipal manager (MM) using the wrong legislation. The High Court stopped you and advised you that you were using the legislation in an incorrect manner because the Metro should, as an institution, appoint its city manager. Currently, your department intervened and made sure that the 120 ghost workers were paid. At the time your department went there to enforce a financial recovery plan, you are now disrupting the very same recovery plan that you came up with. It’s so sad, really sad. As if it’s not enough, there is democracy in action there, with opposition parties that managed to successfully catch some of your comrades to vote with them. They voted with their conscience and you declare Mangaung as being in a state of crisis when there is no crisis, it's democracy in action - displaying itself in Mangaung,” Msimanga said.

The DA member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL), Leona Kleynhans, lashed out at the political leadership in the province and accused it of condoning the debt of municipalities to service providers such as Eskom, which is owed R16 billion with Matjhabeng, Maluti-A-Phofung and Ngwathe being the biggest contributors to this debt.

It is clear that the political leadership in the Free State have been condoning this non-payment since 2013, when the debts started ballooning. There is simply no other explanation. And the major contributor to this situation is the government itself, which owes a vast amount to municipalities. In fact, financial mismanagement has destroyed the Free State. This Eskom debt, it’s just a symptom of the utter dysfunctionality and devastation of local government, which has been used as a laundromat for 20 years,” she adds.

Meanwhile, the MEC Dukwana has hit back against the criticism and said the accusations were ridiculous because the issues at the metro had to be attended to.

"If this House was expecting the MEC for Cogta not to act in a responsible manner and make sure that the city functions with the head around, then that would be the responsibility of the Legislature. However, I have a responsibility to discharge and I did exactly what I had to do. I did that, knowingly that I did not have the authority or was not the appointing authority but the appointing authority did not act accordingly and it renegaded in its responsibility. Was I expected to fold my arms and not do anything simply because others failed to exercise the authority, the answer, honourable member, is 'No',” Dukwana replied.  

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