Note to Editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Dr Igor Scheurkogel MP, Afrikaans soundbite by Cllr Thinus Barnard, and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Mahalia Kose
The oversight visit by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) to Nala Local Municipality has confirmed what residents have long suspected: the Section 139 (1)(b) intervention is necessary. Still, it will only help the long-suffering residents if the ANC-led coalition council stops undermining the process and the Administrator.
Since the Free State Government invoked Section 139 (1)(b) to stabilise Nala, provincial officials have been blocked from exercising their authority. The Mayor, Speaker, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Municipal Manager (MM) have allegedly used backdoor deals to hinder the Administrator’s work deliberately.
This political interference makes it impossible to restore basic services, repair infrastructure and stabilise finances. The municipality owes the Vaal Central Water Board R690 million, resulting in a 30% water restriction, and has arrears to Eskom, which causes frequent power outages.
Section 139 interventions often deliver only “limited long-term improvements” because they are reactive and face resistance from municipalities, procedural failures, and political instability. Nala is a textbook example. Instead of supporting the Administrator, the ANC-aligned Mayor and Speaker used an illegitimate council meeting on 6 May 2025 (without a quorum) to reinstate the suspended Mayor, MM and CFO.
This illegal resolution has allowed those accused of financial misconduct to continue controlling municipal finances while obstructing the Administrator appointed to recover them.
Nala’s council consists of 24 seats, of which the ANC holds 12. To retain control, the ANC has entered into a coalition with the Nala Community Forum (NCF), a small party that holds the position of Speaker. This arrangement gives the NCF disproportionate power to determine council outcomes. The DA proposed Threshold Bill would strengthen accountability mechanisms to prevent one- or two-seat parties from dictating council compositions.
The residents of Bothaville, Wesselsbron and surrounding areas deserve stable governance, reliable services and accountable leadership. The Section 139 intervention in Nala is destined to fail as long as the current political actors obstruct the Administrator and prioritise factional interests over community needs.
Parliament must urgently pass legislation that establishes an electoral threshold and regulates coalition agreements, as proposed in the Municipal Threshold Bill and Coalition Bill, to prevent minority parties from determining the fate of municipalities.
Without such reforms and genuine political accountability, Nala will remain trapped in a cycle of interventions, service delivery failures, and financial collapse.