ANC infighting in the Free State Capital continues to push the metro into further disarray and the residents have to shoulder the burden of poor service delivery. That the municipality is not under administration beggars’ belief. 

ActionSA has been calling for the dissolution of Council since the resignation of the Mayor and fresh elections to be held because it is obvious that the ANC-led coalition government is in dereliction of its duty to the residents.

It is worrisome that the municipality is effectively without leadership. At present the metro municipality is without an Executive Mayor, Speaker or permanent City Manager.

Mangaung is on autopilot whilst ANC continues to self-cannibalise. The municipality has failed to adopt its 2022/23 budget on two occasions due to infighting within the ANC. The MEC needs to intervene for without an approved budget service delivery in the city will come to a complete standstill and collapse will be a certainty.

Mangaung is increasingly overrun with raw sewage due to drain blockages, blocked storm water inlets that need urgent repairs, water leaks leading to water cuts, dilapidated roads filled with potholes and filth all over Mangaung due to no refuse removal. 

Recently the city experienced severe water cuts to what is alleged to be the huge debt owed by the Metro to Bloem Water, a plan needs to be devised to pay this long outstanding debt, starting with government departments that owe the metro huge amounts, this needs to be recovered immediately and the services should be halted.

Management of the City’s basic service delivery functions is in complete disarray with refuse dumped on every street corner which inconveniences street vendors because it is difficult for them to make a living due to the flies and foul smell emanating from the dumped refuse. 

Water cuts and loadshedding continue hamper the growth of small businesses obviating the need for an urgent strategy to rescue the township economy which includes car washes, tshisanyama etc.

ActionSA will keep fighting for the rights of our residents in Mangaung Metro Municipality and to keep ANC and its officials accountable for their failure to improve the most basic services. 

However, it remains the responsibility of the residents of Mangaung to bring real change that can only be achieved by voting ActionSA into government. That is the reason we are on a campaign of ensuring that every eligible voter is registered to vote.

It is only when the ActionSA is governing that the residents will receive proper services, maladministration and corruption will be curbed.

 

Issued by ActionSA Chairperson Patricia Kopane