Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Dirk Kotze and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Kabelo Moreeng with images here, and here
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will demand immediate accountability from the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality. We will submit a formal letter to the Executive Mayor. Additionally, we will send a Rule 38 question to the City Manager, compelling urgent action to address the deepening collapse of basic service delivery across the Metro.
The worsening failure of service delivery in Mangaung is no longer merely an inconvenience. It has become a humanitarian and governance crisis affecting thousands of residents in Bloemfontein, Botshabelo, and Thaba Nchu. Daily water shortages leave households without reliable access to one of life’s most necessary resources. Burst pipes and neglected reservoirs remain unrepaired for weeks. As a result, entire communities depend on water tankers. This creates uncertainty, frustration, and unacceptable hardship for families, schools, clinics, and businesses.
Sanitation systems are deteriorating, exposing residents to serious health risks and stripping communities of dignity. Refuse collection has collapsed in many areas, with rubbish accumulating in streets and open spaces, contributing to illegal dumping, environmental degradation, and the creation of breeding grounds for disease.
At the same time, roads across the metro are riddled with potholes that damage vehicles, increase transport costs, and hinder economic activity, directly affecting job creation and discouraging investment in local communities. Broken streetlights leave neighbourhoods in darkness, increasing the risk of crime and making residents feel unsafe in their own communities.
This collapse is not caused by residents; it is the direct consequence of years of poor governance, weak oversight, maladministration, and corruption under the current administration. Mismanaged budgets and a lack of maintenance planning have eroded the municipality’s ability to deliver reliable basic services. Public assets, such as the underutilised Thaba Nchu Airport, serve as visible reminders of wasted economic potential that could otherwise contribute to growth and employment in Mangaung.
While the DA serves in opposition in Mangaung, we are committed to using every oversight mechanism available to hold those in power accountable. When elected to govern, the DA will prioritise reliable basic services. We will root out corruption that diverts public funds, restore infrastructure maintenance programmes, and ensure transparent performance monitoring. Our goal is that residents receive the services they pay for.
Mangaung deserves a municipality that works with urgency, dignity, and fairness. The DA will continue to fight for clean streets, safe roads, functioning infrastructure, and a metro that supports safer communities and economic opportunity for all.