Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Dirk Kotze and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) expresses deep concern over the reappointment of Cllr Lulama Titi-Odili as Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for finance in the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (MMM). This reckless decision reflects the ANC’s continued disregard for accountability and sound financial management in a metro crippled by corruption, irregular expenditure, and service delivery collapse.
The DA will refer the matter to the Free State Provincial Legislature to investigate all financial failures during Cllr Titi-Odili’s tenure in Mangaung from 2016 to 2021 and her six-month term in 2023.
Under her leadership as MMC for Finance and later as Deputy Mayor, Mangaung has been plagued by persistent financial mismanagement and governance failures, including:
- Provincial intervention: Due to ongoing financial instability and service delivery collapse, the municipality was placed under provincial administration in December 2019 under Section 139 of the Constitution.
- Auditor-General findings: In 2017/2018, the Auditor-General reported over R4.5 billion in unauthorised expenditure and more than R500 million in irregular and wasteful spending.
- Hawks investigation: A criminal probe is underway into a R4.2 million payment to Maine Management and Chartered Accountants for services never rendered. Internal records suggest forged signatures and Cllr Titi-Odili’s awareness of the irregular payment without action.
- Wasteful expenditure: The 2023/2024 Annual Report revealed over R5.5 million in wasted funds on incomplete projects, with no disciplinary consequences.
- Persistent audit failures: Mangaung continues to receive qualified or adverse audit opinions for serious financial and supply chain irregularities.
- Grant mismanagement: Repeated failures to utilise conditional grants have led to underspending, withheld funds, and lost service delivery opportunities.
- Poor financial controls: Non-recovery of municipal debt, delayed creditor payments, and growing infrastructure backlogs highlight systemic mismanagement.
- Infrastructure failures: Numerous delayed or incomplete projects have resulted in wasteful expenditure and little tangible progress.
These failures have eroded public trust, disrupted essential services, and deepened Mangaung’s financial crisis.
The DA reiterates that Mangaung deserves competent, transparent, and ethical leadership, not recycled cadres linked to corruption and financial misconduct.
Residents continue to suffer from failing infrastructure, erratic water supply, collapsing roads, and worsening service delivery due to the ANC’s mismanagement.