By Staff Reporter
The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) has painted a grim picture of municipal governance and finances in the Free State during its oversight visit this week.
Acting Chairperson Dikeledi Direko outlined the province’s deep-rooted issues, including the failure of any municipality to secure a clean audit.
Several Free State municipalities are in a deep financial crisis, with none securing clean audits and many drowning in debt, especially unpaid water bills to bulk suppliers like Vaal Central Water.
Key struggling municipalities include Matjhabeng, Kopanong, Mangaung Metro, Nala, and Mantsopa, with Matjhabeng facing the heaviest burden at over R6.9 billion.
“The Free State is one of the provinces where no municipality received a clean audit,” said Direko.
She also highlighted the debt municipalities owed Eskom and the water boards.
Municipalities in the Free State are currently drowning in debt, owing billions to Eskom and water
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