Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Roy Jankielsohn MPL and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL. Please see attached picture of Waaihoek Wesleyan Church infrastructure challenges here.
The march by the Free State Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae and Mangaung Mayor Gregory Nthatisi is significant because their destination, the Waaihoek Wesleyan Church mirrors the current ANC.
The world heritage Waaihoek Wesleyan Mission Church where the ANC was founded is an empty shell surrounded by hotspots of crime such as drug dealing and prostitution.
During an oversight to this site in July 2025, the Free State Legislature was informed by the Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation that the buildings experienced serious maintenance issues such as water leaks, damaged wooden floors, overall poor maintenance and lack of security. The museum and church are empty shells with only some kitchen equipment in the kitchen of the museum. The members of the legislature were informed that the surrounding areas are hotspots of criminal activities such as drug dealing and police regularly visit the area to collect bribes. The roads leading to the church are dangerously potholed, sidewalks are littered with refuse and dirt and surrounding buildings are neglected and vandalised.
It is therefore apt that a Manguang Media release advertising the march indicates that this site is a “moral and historical anchor” since the current state of the Waaihoek Wesleyan Church and its surrounding area signifies everything that the ANC has become and what residents of Mangaung and other municipalities in the Free State have been subjected to.
The ANC is a moral empty shell and has infected our municipalities with crime, corruption and poor services such as serious water issues, lack of infrastructure maintenance, potholed roads and filthy communities.
On 8 January 2026, the residents of the Free State have very little to celebrate under decades of ANC-run local and provincial governments. After some progress after 1994, the last two decades in the Free State have seen a significant decline of services, unabated crime and corruption and infrastructure decay.
The DA is also concerned that municipal and provincial resources are abused during a march on 8 January that is a day celebrated by the ANC as a political party under the guise of a community event.
With a proven track record of sound governance and improved service delivery, the DA will continue to provide the residents of the Free State with a viable alternative in the 2026 local government elections.