Note to editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Eleanor Quinta and Sesotho by Cllr Moshe Lefuma.
The Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality, under ANC leadership, continues its dismal track record as the most negligent and indifferent authority in the Free State. As highlighted by the Auditor General’s 2023 report, this municipality not only fails its residents but also inflicts severe damage on the environment. This is very evident in the relentless plundering of trees within the Platberg Nature Reserve. The Nature Reserve is registered at a national level, but it is the responsibility of the municipality.
Centuries-old oak trees, vital to the reserve’s ecosystem, are mercilessly felled for firewood by illegal loggers. Truckloads of stolen timber are brazenly trafficked out of the reserve, exacerbating environmental degradation and endangering resident wildlife. The once lush reserve is rapidly transforming into a barren wasteland, a stark consequence of unchecked exploitation.
Despite the Democratic Alliance’s efforts to bring attention to this crisis, the municipality’s incompetence and apathy persist, thwarting any meaningful intervention. As elections approach, the ANC’s priorities lie elsewhere, neglecting their duty to safeguard our natural heritage.
In response, we pledge to escalate awareness and action at every available opportunity in the council and Provincial Legislature. We implore all residents to exercise their civic duty and vote in the 2024 elections on 29 May 2024 to effect the change our environment desperately needs.