Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Linda Louwrens and Sesotho soundbite by David Masoeu MPL.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Moqhaka is raising serious concerns about the continued deterioration of basic service delivery under newly appointed Mayor, Cllr Tau, as the municipality enters the final stretch before the 2026 Local Government Elections.
Despite promises of renewed leadership and improved service delivery, residents continue to face the same failures, with many problems getting worse.
More than 80 reported water leaks have remained unresolved for longer than six months. More than 200 water meters have also reportedly been stolen from direct lines, with some cases unresolved for almost 18 months.
Thousands of litres of treated water are being lost while residents face unreliable water services and the municipality fails to protect its infrastructure.
Moqhaka’s roads are arguably in their worst condition in years, while numerous streetlights remain non-functional. Poor roads affect residents, businesses, emergency services and public safety, while broken streetlights contribute to an environment where residents increasingly feel unsafe.
Mayor Tau has now had approximately 100 days in office, yet residents have seen little evidence of a meaningful turnaround in service delivery.
The Mayor has barely made his presence felt in Kroonstad, despite it being one of the municipality’s largest communities and facing significant service delivery challenges. Residents deserve visible, accessible leadership that addresses problems on the ground.
September will mark the third consecutive month in which many residents have not received their municipal accounts.
Residents cannot be expected to manage their municipal finances responsibly when the municipality fails to provide accounts on time. The municipality must urgently resolve the administrative and financial problems behind this failure.
Refuse removal is also deteriorating rapidly, with some areas going up to two weeks without collection. The municipality has cited a shortage of operational trucks and the cutting of overtime.
Accumulating refuse is no longer simply an inconvenience, it is becoming a potential public health and environmental risk.
The DA believes Moqhaka cannot afford another period of political promises while basic municipal services continue to collapse. A written request has already been submitted to the newly appointed Acting Municipal Manager, calling for urgent intervention.
The DA calls on the Acting Municipal Manager and municipal administration to:
- Immediately address outstanding water leaks;
- Replace stolen water meters and secure vulnerable infrastructure;
- Prioritise the repair of critical roads and restore non-functional streetlights;
- Ensure municipal accounts are delivered to residents without further delay;
- Implement an emergency plan to restore refuse collection and ensure adequate trucks and personnel; and
- Provide residents and Council with clear progress reports on these interventions.
These failures directly affect voters through unreliable services, unsafe roads, poor infrastructure and deteriorating living conditions.
With the 2026 elections approaching, voters will ultimately decide whether they are satisfied with the direction in which Moqhaka is heading.
Moqhaka needs leadership that delivers, not excuses.