The DA’s ward 6 councillor Thabo Nthapo says the ANC councillor has been avoiding contact with him regarding the matter. He says, in a council meeting held on Tuesday 31 January 2023, they raised the issue of the ruling party not hosting quarterly council meetings to attend to community issues. However, the mayor did not respond to this plea.

“This is the problem we have. That is why we have so many challenges regarding service delivery. It’s because of the reluctance of the councillors in Petrusburg, who are not even fulfilling their duties or prioritising their mandate to hold community meetings.”

Nthapo alleged the ruling party is concentrating on infighting in the party, instead of the issues plaguing the citizens of Letsemeng.

According to Nthapo, Petrusburg has been struggling with water issues for years. Residents in the town have been calling for a permanent solution to the problem, which has worsened due to load-shedding and load-reduction over the years.

OFM News reported that residents protested against the poor quality of service delivery. The town was barricaded with rocks and glass in an attempt to get the municipality's response. A local resident even complained about the Jojo tanks that are poorly maintained and filled with unclean water.

ALSO READ: Trouble arises in small Free State town

Ntapo added some sections of Bolokanang are relatively new as the land was given to residents over three years ago. The municipality failed to provide residents with access to electricity and clean water. He said the mayor promised to address these issues, but they still remain.

“They are supplied with water in Jojo’s but these Jojo’s are not maintained at all. They are not clean. We raised this with the mayor and she promised us... but the situation is deteriorating as we speak,” Ntapo said.

Meanwhile, the Hawks are still investigating allegations of fraud and corruption at the Letsemeng Municipality. The Free State Hawks’ Fikiswa Matoti said the raid followed a whistle-blower informing them of a R40 million tender awarded to a company in Bloemfontein, for the upgrading of the bulk water infrastructure at Koffiefontein and Dithake Township.

ALSO READ: Free State Hawks raid municipality over alleged tender fraud

OFM News