Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Pieter Lotriet and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Kabelo Moreeng.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mangaung raises serious concern over the continued failure of the ANC-led administration to comply with Rule 38 of the Standing Rules and Orders of Council.
Rule 38 is a critical accountability tool designed to ensure transparency, oversight, and responsiveness in service delivery. However, this mechanism is being systematically undermined.
The Standing Rules and Orders, as gazetted in November 2025, clearly state that the Municipal Manager is responsible for ensuring that all Rule 38 questions are answered within 14 days of acceptance.
The facts paint a damning picture:
- 65 Rule 38 questions currently outstanding
- 2026: 15 unanswered
- 2025: 33 unanswered
- 2024 and older: 17 unanswered
This is not administrative backlog, it is a sustained failure to comply with Council rules.
DA councillors are experiencing:
- Delayed responses far beyond prescribed timeframes.
- Incomplete or evasive answers lacking factual substance.
- In some instances, no response at all.
Each unanswered question represents a resident left without answers, a service delivery issue unresolved, and a breakdown in governance.
The offices of the Speaker, Executive Mayor, and Municipal Manager are failing to uphold both the Standing Rules and the constitutional principles of accountability, responsiveness, and openness as set out in the Constitution of South Africa.
As a result, DA councillors are increasingly forced to track service delivery failures, follow up on unresolved cases, and report back to communities, functions that should be performed by a capable and responsive administration.
This situation is unsustainable.
The DA will:
- Escalate this matter within Council structures.
- Approach the Free State Provincial Legislature for oversight intervention.
- Engage the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) regarding non-
compliance.
- Governance is not optional, it is a legal and constitutional obligation.
With the 2026 Local Government Elections approaching, residents face a clear choice: Continued collapse under an administration that ignores oversight or a government that respects the rules, answers to the public, and delivers services effectively.
The DA remains committed to restoring accountability, transparency, and proper governance in Mangaung.