By Fako Tsotetsi | DA Councillor Mafube Local Municipality
Note to editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites by Cllr Fako Tsotetsi. Please see the pictures here, here, and here.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mafube Local Municipality has taken action to address the serious safety concerns surrounding an abandoned mortuary building in Qalabotjha-Villiers.
The building in Extension 3 has been vandalised and turned into a haven for drug users, with coffins scattered inside, some even being used as makeshift beds.
In February 2023, the DA wrote to the Speaker of the Council after receiving multiple complaints and conducting an oversight visit. The letter raised urgent concerns and posed critical questions, including:
1. What measures have been taken by the municipality to engage with the owner?
2. Is the municipality aware of the drug-related activities taking place in the building, and if so, what actions have been taken?
3. Has the municipality engaged local law enforcement agencies to improve public safety and support youth struggling with drug addiction?
As has become the norm, the speaker failed to respond to these written questions. In the absence of municipal intervention, the DA councillor for the area took the initiative to meet with the property owner to highlight the safety risks. The owner has since taken steps to address the issue—installing new doors to prevent unauthorised access and thoroughly cleaning the premises.
The DA in Mafube remains committed to ensuring the safety of Qalabotjha residents, particularly as the community continues to grapple with the tragic discovery of a woman and her baby found dead and buried in a shack on 13 January 2025.
The DA will continue to fight for safer communities and hold the municipality accountable for its responsibilities.