Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Suzette Steyn and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Fako Tsotetsi. See attached pictures here, here, and here.
– DA will investigate Mafube municipal neglect.
– Abandoned sites fuel crime and vandalism.
– Security failures worsen public safety conditions.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will table enquiries with Mafube Local Municipality, conduct follow-up oversight inspections, and engage municipal management to secure urgent interventions at neglected public facilities and abandoned municipal properties that have become centres of criminal activity, substance abuse, vandalism, and illegal dumping.
Municipal neglect has created unsafe environments for residents, commuters, businesses, and workers, while contributing to a decline in public safety and quality of life across affected communities.
Recent DA oversight visit highlighted several neglected public spaces in Frankfort and Villiers, including abandoned train stations and municipal facilities that have become hotspots for criminal activity, substance abuse, illegal dumping, and vandalism.
The abandoned train station in Villiers serves as a daily route for workers commuting to and from work. However, inadequate lighting and overgrown vegetation have rendered the area unsafe. Both train stations in Villiers and Frankfort became a gathering place for drug users, including individuals abusing crystal meth and nyaope, while scrap metal thieves continue to strip abandoned infrastructure and buildings.
In Frankfort, the condition of the municipal taxi rank toilets remains a serious concern. The DA has repeatedly raised this issue with municipal management over several years. During the tenure of former Municipal Manager Adv. Lepheana, the DA, facilitated an offer from a neighbouring business owner to assist with constructing a perimeter wall around the facility.
Following an oversight visit, this proposal was accepted, and the wall was erected.
However, the municipality failed to fulfil its commitment to provide 24-hour security to protect the infrastructure and prevent unlawful occupation of the site. This is despite the municipality spending approximately R5.7 million on private security services.
As a result, the facility has deteriorated further. The toilets are damaged and non-functional, creating a persistent stench, causing sewage blockages, and negatively impacting the quality of life of nearby residents and business owners.
Vagrants and drug users continue to gain access to the premises, particularly at night. Residents have reported incidents of fighting and robbery in the area, while two people tragically lost their lives in a stabbing incident linked to activity around the site.