Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Hardie Viviers and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Kabelo Moreeng. See attached pictures here, here and here.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has formally escalated the deteriorating state of roads in Wards 6 and 8 of Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (MMM) by submitting a petition to the Section 79 Petitions Committee and by preparing to refer the matter to DA public representatives in the Free State Legislature to secure urgent intervention.
The roads in Wards 6 and 8 in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (MMM) are appalling.
The Dewetsdorp road from Lemo Mall is riddled with potholes. The road from Meadows Street leading to Grassland Primary School turned from a tarred Road into a gravel road.
The road leading to Matshepo Child Care looks like the surface of the moon, and there are many more examples of the poor condition of roads in these two wards. Residents of the wards use these roads to commute to work and other destinations.
Vehicles and taxis frequently break down due to poor road conditions, which only raises transport costs for residents of Wards 6 and 8.
We call on the MMM to urgently review the existing Integrated Development Plan (IDP) to allocate additional funding for road maintenance and resurfacing in Wards 6 and 8.
The current road maintenance budget must be fully utilised to support the upkeep and rejuvenation of these crucial infrastructure elements.
The DA has delivered a petition to the Section 79 Petitions Committee of MMM, with 497 signatures, regarding this request (see attached).
We will monitor the Committee’s progress. Still, we will refer the matter to our Public Representatives in the Free State Legislature serving on COGTA to escalate it, as we are aware that the MMM Petitions Committee rarely meets.
The Residence of MMM deserves more and will have the opportunity, by the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027, to change the political regime under which they currently live.