The pressure group, Mangaung Concerned Community (MCC) released a media statement late on Monday expressing their concerns over how the budget does not include the community’s input.

The media statement further reads the metro must postpone the council sitting and allow residents to gather in their different towns to give input. The budget vote was set to be delivered by the Metro’s executive Mayor, Mxolisi Siyonzana.  

The pressure group would like Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to intervene and ensure that the council's alleged culture of non-compliance with legislation stops with immediate effect. The metro has recently been in the spotlight for allegations of not having paid Public Employment Programme (PEP) employees since the commencement of their employment.

ALSO READ: “Mangaung council is toxic”

The Metro’s spokesperson, Qondile Khedama, has expressed the hopes that the Metro has in the intervention by the national government – which they believe it will steer the Metro in the right direction. Allegations have surfaced of how the Metro council has become "toxic and rendered useless" by constant squabbles amongst council members.

ALSO READ: Mangaung leadership at loggerheads

The leadership of the metro being at loggerheads began at the beginning of the year when the metro’s acting City Manager, Sello More was removed. His More was explained to have happened in an unusual manner. The Metro has had at least four acting city managers in the year 2022, with the latest being Tebogo Motlashuping.

ALSO READ: Mangaung Metro under scrutiny over alleged late-payments

Allegations have previously surfaced that there is R500 000 meant for a diesel purchase to service the Metro fleet that has gone missing. Motlashuping did confirm to leader of the DA caucus, Johan Pretorius, that he had approved the payment of R500 000 to buy diesel. However, by Friday the diesel and the money were gone.

ALSO READ: #BreakingNews: Mangaung stripped of its powers by national government

During the Presidential Imbizo that was held in Mangaung by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, requested a forensic audit report of the controversial multimillion-rand Integrated Public Transport Network (IPTN) Hauweng project.

The request follows allegations of massive fraud and corruption in the project with further allegations that ten buses were procured through a lease contract and facilitation process that involved a middle man who scored a facilitation fee of about R20 million.

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