Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Rudi Maartens and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Kabelo Moreeng. Social media post links here and here
The DA notes with concern the Executive Mayor’s recent Facebook and social media posts, which parade routine service-delivery actions as extraordinary achievements. For the ANC, it may indeed feel like a “huge achievement”, but only because they have bankrupted Mangaung Municipality to the same depth as their own moral bankruptcy.
Fixing potholes, collecting refuse, or repairing water leaks are not milestones; they are the bare minimum of municipal responsibility. Residents are no longer buying into this charade. It is too little, too late. Communities have endured years of collapse, corruption, and neglect, and they will not be fooled by publicity stunts that dress up normal duties as triumphs.
Furthermore, given the proximity to the elections, one must seriously question the timing of these posts: is this not campaigning? Clause 20.1 of Mangaung’s Cost Containment Policy strictly condemns and prohibits such activities, explicitly stating that the City may not use its resources to fund election or campaign activities, including promotional materials and publicising during election periods.
In Midvaal, service delivery is treated as a matter of fact, as it should be. Roads are maintained, refuse is collected, and water flows without fanfare or headlines. That is the standard Mangaung residents deserve: reliable, consistent, professional service delivery taken for granted, not celebrated as a rarity.
The reality is that the current ANC mayor is not leading Mangaung forward; he is merely busy controlling the crisis and patching over his own administration’s failures. By contrast, incoming DA Mayor Werner Pretorius has set out five clear pledges to restore dignity and progress in Mangaung:
- Fix the City’s finances — restore strict financial discipline, root out corruption, and end wasteful or irregular expenditure.
- Stabilise basic services — prioritise consistent, reliable access to essential water, sanitation, and electricity.
- Improve safety and cleanliness — clean up public areas, enhance refuse collection, and improve community safety.
- Repair road infrastructure — focus on fixing widespread potholes and addressing structural backlogs.
- Grow the local economy — create a business-friendly environment to drive job creation and local opportunities.
When the DA comes into power after 4 November, these pledges will become Mangaung’s new standard. Basic services will be the norm, not a luxury.
Mangaung residents are urged to join the DA by voting us into power to end political trickery and restore effective, accountable governance to our municipality.