Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Jan-Hendrik Cronje and Sesotho soundbite by David Masoeu MPL.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has raised serious concerns about the growing gap between reported performance and residents’ lived reality in Mangaung, following the tabling of the municipality’s second-quarter Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan (SDBIP) performance report.
Under Sections 52 and 72 of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), the municipality reported that 126 of 143 projects (nearly 88%) were scheduled for implementation in the second quarter. However, actual performance stands at only 69%, reflecting a 19-percentage-point shortfall halfway through the financial year.
This gap already places Mangaung off track to meet its annual (Integrated Development Plan) IDP and SDBIP commitments. This is not a technical reporting issue; it is a clear service delivery failure.
A closer analysis of the report reveals further cause for concern:
- 40 projects are below acceptable performance levels, failing to meet their quarterly targets;
- 15 projects scored between 0% and 49%, indicating severe delays or non-implementation;
- 25 projects scored between 50% and 99%, meaning targets were not fully achieved.
These figures confirm that projects intended to improve residents’ lives are not being completed, largely because the municipality cannot meet legislated planning, procurement, and implementation timelines.
This chronic failure to execute within legal frameworks undermines service delivery and exposes the municipality to rollovers, underspending, and last-minute, rushed expenditure.
We warned that these failures are directly translating into worsening conditions across the city.
Residents are currently experiencing:
- Ongoing refuse removal backlogs, with some areas going weeks without collection, posing serious health and environmental risks;
- Discoloured and unsafe water, raising concerns about water treatment, infrastructure maintenance, and transparency;
- Rapidly deteriorating roads, with potholes increasingly being repaired by private companies, community organisations, and residents themselves rather than the municipality.
While community intervention is commendable, it is not something to celebrate. It is an indictment of a municipality failing in its basic mandate.
Of particular concern is the municipality’s own Risk Committee, which continues to flag that almost 50% of all treated water in Mangaung is lost through leaks and non-revenue water. This alarming figure directly contradicts reported performance. It highlights a failure to prioritise infrastructure maintenance, leak repairs, and effective project execution in one of the city’s most critical service areas.
The deepening service delivery crisis is the direct result of weak SDBIP implementation, poor monitoring, and the complete absence of consequence management. Persistent underperformance without accountability has become normalised, and residents are paying the price.
The DA has formally raised critical questions with the City Manager and Chief Financial Officer.
The DA is calling for:
- Project-level reporting instead of averages that mask failure;
- Urgent recovery plans for waste removal, water services, and road maintenance;
- Firm, visible consequence management for non-performance;
- Realistic planning aligned with the municipality’s actual operational capacity.
Mangaung does not need better excuses; it needs better execution. The DA will continue to exercise rigorous oversight and hold this administration accountable until residents see real, measurable improvements in service delivery.