The plea was heard during a meeting of the Household Committee on Petitions, chaired by Jafta Mokoena, in the T.S. du Plessis Hall in Welkom on Tuesday (5/11), where locals voiced frustrations over the persistent lack of basic services.

Odendaalsrus resident Liezel Graaff shared her personal struggles, revealing how she had been forced to store water in her bathtub, but eventually had to vacate her home due to prolonged water outages. “For the first three months of last year, I had to use my bath as a reservoir because I didn’t have a borehole,” Graaff explained.

Jafta Mokoena, chaired the Free State Legislature Household Commitee on Petition in Welkom. Photo: Facebook.

She stressed the additional financial burden of attempting to fix recurring sewage problems, an issue requiring more extensive municipal intervention. 

“I care about people, and some of the things that have been happening are a violation of human rights,” she said, noting that these issues affect all residents, regardless of race.

Graaff emphasised the importance of communication and accountability from municipal authorities, expressing frustration over the municipality’s lack of transparency despite her consistent tax and rate payments.

Matjhabeng, which has long faced criticism over poor service delivery, is heavily indebted to Eskom and Vaal Central Water. Its estimated more than R6 billion, water debt has led the Department of Water and Sanitation to request the Treasury to withhold millions in grant funding until a debt settlement plan is agreed upon.

Free State MPL Oupa Khoabane acknowledged the deep-rooted issues in Matjhabeng, tracing them back to the decline of the mining industry, which once generated substantial revenue. 

He cited additional strain caused by the municipality’s expansion, adding that limited resources and the controversial tendering system have further weakened service provision.

Khoabane also raised concerns that individuals within the municipality could be sabotaging infrastructure to create demand for repair contracts, a practice he described as a significant detriment to municipal operations.

Member of the Free State Provincial Legislature, Oupa Khaobane. Photo: Facebook

Mokoena pledged to arrange another session to ensure that Matjhabeng’s mayor and municipal manager, who were absent from Tuesday’s meeting, can directly address residents’ grievances.

The upcoming session would provide an opportunity for residents to demand answers and for the committee to issue actionable recommendations aimed at restoring Matjhabeng’s service capacity, he said.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi mvh