Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Corize van Rensburg and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL and images here, here, here, here, and here
The DA will submit questions to the City Manager and relevant officials to demand formal explanations for the Metro’s continued failure to maintain infrastructure and deliver on its constitutional obligations. Accountability must follow negligence.
As the rainy season continues, residents and businesses in Mangaung are once again bearing the brunt of an ANC-run Metro’s chronic neglect. Flooded roads, blocked stormwater drains, overflowing sewage, and the eroded canal are no longer occasional inconveniences; they are daily obstacles that disrupt lives, endanger health, and threaten livelihoods.
For businesses, every flooded street or pothole-riddled road means delayed deliveries, reduced customers, and higher operating costs. For residents, poor infrastructure limits access to workplaces, schools, and essential services, while also decreasing property values and discouraging new investment in the city.
The Auditor-General’s latest report exposes why Mangaung continues to suffer:
· R1.34 billion in unauthorised expenditure and R122 million in wasteful spending.
· Only 2% of the infrastructure budget was spent on maintenance, far below the recommended 8%.
· R194 million in conditional grants left unspent, and R297 million withheld by National Treasury due to failed project implementation.
· Over 60% of Mangaung’s roads are in poor condition, with a R7.5 billion rehabilitation backlog.
· The Metro achieved only 45% of service delivery targets in 2023/24, despite overspending by 11%.
This is not just a governance failure, it’s an economic disaster. Every rand spent poorly, every neglected road, every blocked drain, translates into higher costs for residents and lost revenue for businesses.
Communities are stepping up, but it shouldn’t be their burden, and DA councillors are working alongside residents to fill the Metro’s void:
· Partnering with community and street groups to maintain parks and public spaces.
· Supporting neighbourhood initiatives to restore safety and accessibility on our roads.
Despite residents faithfully paying their rates and taxes, they see minimal return on their contributions an unfair burden that stifles economic growth and undermines confidence in Mangaung as a place to live and do business.
The rainy season has laid bare the cost of neglect.
Ward 20 residents have shown resilience and unity, proving what’s possible when communities come together. Now it’s time for the Metro to step up, safeguard livelihoods, and restore Mangaung as a city that works for both its people and its businesses.