Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Werner Pretorius MPL and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL and images here, here and here
The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes the ANC Free State’s decision to host its January 8th Celebrations in Trompsburg, Xhariep District.
As stages are being erected and speeches prepared, communities remain burdened by failing basic service delivery, collapsing infrastructure, rife unemployment and years of continued hardship in the Xhariep District.
Projects across the Xhariep speak to the failures of the ANC in government, both at the local and provincial levels. The ANC-governed local and district municipalities are textbook cases of failed governments, with several towns facing regular water shedding, dry taps, pothole-ridden roads and crumbling basic infrastructure. On a provincial level, the unused R89 million Oranjekrag Hostel in Gariepdam, the stalled R56 million indoor sports centre in Smithfield, the incomplete special needs school in Trompsburg, failed MIG projects and chronic sewerage leaks in towns such as Bethulie, Gariepdam, and Philippolis, attest to the failures of the ANC in government.
While the ANC gathers to celebrate, the destruction its poor service delivery has left behind is felt by residents of the district. The poor track record of service delivery by the ANC in the Free State has and continues to hinder the creation of jobs, economic growth and social development in the region.
We remain steadfast that with clean, good DA governance and ethical leadership, the Xhariep District has immense potential for economic growth and social development. We call on residents to unite behind a party with a proven track record of service delivery, and opportunity in the upcoming 2026 local