By Thapelo Molefe
Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae has vowed to crackdown on the culture of impunity in the province’s municipalities following years of poor service delivery and widespread mismanagement.
Addressing a high-level meeting with Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke this week at the OR Tambo House in Bloemfontein, Letsoha-Mathae pledged her administration to take firm action against corruption and misgovernance at the local government level.
The meeting, attended by Speaker of the Free State Legislature Mxolisi Dukwana and Members of the Executive Council, focused on the persistent governance failures afflicting many municipalities across the province.
The meeting further served as a critical platform for mobilising stakeholders responsible for oversight and executive functions in the province, as part of preparations for the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) general report set to be tabled in May 2025.
Maluleke stressed the urgent need for decisive action to improve the audit outcomes of the Free State’s municipalities.
The Auditor-General was also unequivocal in her review of the performance of municipalities across the Free State, saying that the failure to hold corrupt officials accountable fosters a culture of wrongdoing, exacerbating challenges for already vulnerable communities.
Letsoha-Mathae acknowledged the failings, stating that the failure to act against corrupt individuals had allowed dysfunction to thrive.
She vowed to create a new era of accountability.
“The state of our municipalities is a serious cause for concern. Our people are living in squalor and cannot get basic services in some instances because of some corrupt officials. We are not going to allow thieving officials to stop us from fulfilling our promises,” said Letsoha-Mathae.
She added that decisive leadership was required at municipal level, even if it meant taking unpopular decisions, for the benefit of citizens.
Free State municipalities have long been under scrutiny for financial mismanagement, lack of service delivery, and rampant corruption.
Several audits over the past decade have consistently painted a bleak picture – municipalities burdened by unauthorised expenditure, critical skills shortages, and lack of proper oversight mechanisms.
The Auditor-General’s office has repeatedly flagged systemic weaknesses, yet few meaningful interventions have been seen until now.
Dukwana echoed the Premier’s position, announcing that the provincial legislature would ramp up its oversight efforts.
“We will intensify our work through our various committees to monitor performance improvement,” said Dukwana.
Meanwhile, Free State Finance MEC Ketso Makume pointed to structural issues, such as inadequate staffing and lack of qualified personnel in municipalities.
He assured the public that his department, in collaboration with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, will prioritise the appointment of skilled individuals to critical roles.
The Premier’s commitment comes on the heels of significant political changes within the Free State’s municipal leadership.
Just this week, the ANC removed Zingiswa Mgawuli from her position as Executive Mayor of the Mohokare Local Municipality.
This decision was met with approval from the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU), which viewed it as a necessary step toward ethical governance and improved service delivery in a municipality long plagued by dysfunction.
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