By Tim Mpakathe | DA Councillor Mantsopa Municipality
Note to editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites by Cllr Tim Mpakathe.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Mantsopa Local Municipality will take urgent action to hold the council accountable for its failure to implement the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) recommendations.
In November 2024, the SAHRC released its report on the state of service delivery in Free State municipalities. The report contained findings and recommendations for each municipality, including Mantsopa, which now has less than a month to submit a council-approved plan.
This plan must outline how water will be supplied to households in high-lying areas, how sewage spills in the Caledon River will be addressed, and how issues raised in the 2023 Blue Drop Report will be resolved.
On 19 December 2024, the DA caucus in the Mantsopa Local Municipality formally wrote to the Speaker of the Council, Mr Mvuyo Ncwada, and the Municipal Manager, Ms. Matiro Mogopudi, requesting an urgent council meeting to address the SAHRC recommendations.
However, both offices failed to acknowledge receipt of the letter, further proving that the ANC-led municipality is unwilling to resolve the service delivery challenges that continue to affect residents.
The DA views this disregard as contempt for a Chapter 9 institution of the South African Constitution. Ignoring the SAHRC’s findings not only violates constitutional obligations but also directly endangers the well-being of Mantsopa’s residents by prolonging water shortages and environmental hazards.
The DA will escalate this matter to provincial and national structures to ensure that accountability is enforced. We will not allow the ANC-led municipality to neglect its duty to provide essential services.
The people of Mantsopa deserve better, and the DA will fight to ensure that their constitutional rights are upheld.