Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Dirk Kotze and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Kabelo Moreeng
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will formally engage the CEO and Board of Centlec through oversight questions to demand urgent accountability and corrective action regarding the utility’s R1.1 billion debt crisis, which continues to drive power outages and infrastructure decline in Mangaung.
The DA is alarmed that Centlec’s debt, including R158 million owed by government departments, has placed severe strain on electricity infrastructure and reliability. As a result, paying households and businesses are unfairly penalised through recurring outages and deteriorating service, while state non-payment goes largely unchecked.
The DA notes Centlec’s 60-day amnesty for meter tampering and illegal connections, provided it does not excuse unlawful conduct or cancel legitimate debt. Electricity used lawfully must still be paid for, and the amnesty must exclude government departments and major defaulters. Once the period ends, strict enforcement must follow to restore payment discipline and protect compliant users.
As the official opposition, the DA will seek clarity on how the amnesty will be implemented, how outstanding government debt will be recovered, what plans exist to upgrade ageing infrastructure, and what immediate steps are being taken to reduce power failures. Paying residents deserve transparency and protection from the consequences of institutional failure.
Centlec has confirmed that large government departments and major debtors were allowed to accumulate significant arrears over many years before firm action was taken. This failure weakened cash flow, delayed critical upgrades, and shifted costs onto paying residents through unreliable supply and rising tariffs. Daily cable theft and vandalism further reflect a breakdown in governance and law enforcement, allowing infrastructure to deteriorate with little consequence for offenders.
The impact on communities is severe. Unreliable electricity disrupts households, harms small businesses, and discourages investment, while honest residents carry the cost of mismanagement. This crisis is the predictable outcome of sustained ANC failure.
The solution is political change. A DA-led government would enforce payment discipline across all users, including the state, invest in infrastructure, and protect paying residents. Mangaung can work, but only with a new government, and residents are encouraged to register for the 2026 Local Government Elections.