Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites by Cllr Tim Mpakathe.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Mantsopa Local Municipality will write to the Speaker of the Council to ensure that the recently released Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) report on the illegal lease of municipal land is tabled in the next council sitting and that all recommendations are fully implemented.
A 20-page report with recommendations was delivered by CoGTA Free State on Friday, 10 October 2025, following a lengthy investigation into the illegal lease of Erf 546 in Excelsior.
On 23 April 2025, we requested that CoGTA investigate the alleged unfair and unlawful processes involved in leasing municipal land to a former ANC councillor in Excelsior.
The report vindicates our concerns. It found that the Municipal Manager entered into a 24-year lease agreement without proper authorisation, without following the required legislative and procedural frameworks, and without any council resolution.
This was in direct violation of the Municipal Finance Management Act, the Systems Act, the Mantsopa Asset Management Policy, and the Mantsopa Supply Chain Management Policy.
Furthermore, the report recommends that the unlawful lease agreement be declared null and void, that immediate steps be taken to recover and secure the municipal land, and that disciplinary measures be instituted against the Municipal Manager.
The municipality also lost potential revenue because no fair market value was determined for the property before it was leased. To make matters worse, no rental revenue has been collected from the lessee since 2024.
This means that the municipality not only lost a valuable asset but also missed an opportunity to generate much-needed income for community development.
The lease primarily benefited a former ANC councillor, who obtained business land without following due legislative processes. It must be noted, however, that no other municipal officials or councillors were implicated in the report.
The DA will continue to fight for fairness, transparency, and accountability in the Mantsopa Local Municipality. We remain committed to ensuring that municipal assets are managed in the best interests of residents, not for the benefit of the politically connected few.