Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Paul Kotzé and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Kabelo Moreeng. See attached pictures here, here, and here.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will urgently engage the relevant Head of Department (HOD), Dr Thabang Thinda, in the Mangaung Metro Municipality to demand accountability for the persistent failure of refuse collection across the metro. We will insist on a written response outlining when regular services will resume and what contingency measures will be implemented to prevent such failures in the future.
Refuse collection in Mangaung has collapsed to shocking levels, with many areas left without municipal waste removal for weeks. This failure has created an environmental and health disaster for residents. One striking example is Thaba Nchu, where refuse has not been collected for an extended period due to the breakdown of refuse trucks. Streets are littered with plastics, nappies, and rotting waste, turning neighbourhoods into unhygienic dumping grounds.
The windy season has exacerbated the situation, scattering rubbish across residential areas and blocking stormwater drains. Illegal dumping has surged as residents, left without alternatives, seek ways to cope with the mounting piles of waste. Others have resorted to burning rubbish in their backyards, producing harmful smoke that poses severe health risks, particularly to vulnerable residents such as children and the elderly.
This breakdown in basic service delivery has eroded community morale. Many residents have begun to accept this unacceptable state of decay as usual. Such neglect is the direct result of a municipality that has failed in its constitutional duty to provide reliable and dignified services to its citizens. A clean and safe environment is not a privilege – it is a right, and the current government’s incompetence is denying that right to the people of Mangaung.
The DA will not allow this crisis to continue unchecked. We will apply pressure for urgent intervention and ensure that the community is kept informed of developments. Furthermore, we will advocate for the proper management and maintenance of the municipal refuse collection fleet to ensure consistent and sustainable service delivery throughout Mangaung.
Mangaung residents deserve better than filth and neglect. We remain committed to holding this failing municipality accountable and restoring dignity and hope to our communities.