The Free State's only metro municipality was put under administration in April 2022, with the council stripped of its powers by the National Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta).

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

On Thursday, 28 October 2022, the Acting Municipality Manager, Tebogo Motlashuping, revealed that the decaying infrastructure which was neglected for years has since led to, among others, massive sewage spillages across towns in the Metro.

Motlashuping says the recently-adopted budget, announced during the mayoral budget speech by Mayor Mxolisi Siyonzana, will address infrastructure issues across the metro.

“When you look at the maintenance budget of the municipality, that is also dependent on how much is being collected by the Metro. Because if you are having an infrastructure and over the years the infrastructure has not been maintained you are running a risk of having a crisis that we are having to date.

"And all municipalities in the country, not only Mangaung, have a problem in relation to budgeting on maintenance because we cannot pump billions of money on infrastructure but you do not maintain it,” Motlashuping adds.

During President Cyril Ramaphosa's Imbizo held in Bloemfontein in April 2022, the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, revealed that the troubled Metro is losing about 46% of its water - that could have been supplied to residents. Mchunu said this was due to water pipe leakages which were neglected for years and not maintained or repaired.

ALSO READ:'Mangaung loses 46% of its water due to leakages'

In June 2022 the Auditor-General, Tsakani Maluleke, said the Metro spent less than 2% of its infrastructure budget on repairs and maintenance.

ALSO READ: AG exposes Mangaung’s failed infrastructure maintenance

“Unmetered consumption, theft and a lack of maintenance resulted in average water losses of 49% and electricity distribution losses of 20%. Service delivery protests increased as residents grew increasingly dissatisfied with pothole-riddled roads, having to go for days without water, and refuse sometimes not being collected for weeks.

“Since projects were not completed, the communities’ needs were not addressed, which negatively affected their lives. We continued to identify and report material findings on compliance with legislation at all auditees, including in the area of procurement and contract management,” Maluleke added.

OFM News