The Office of the Premier in the Free State has announced plans to establish a team that, working with the municipality, will aim to build capacity in the embattled Mafube local municipality in Frankfort.
Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae made this announcement during a meeting of the Free State Executive Council with the council of Mafube local municipality in Frankfort.
“The Auditor-General raised a number of issues regarding Mafube local municipality, one of them being whether people appointed have the necessary capacity to execute their duties. The team that will be established by the Office of the Premier will therefore help to build capacity,” said Letsoha-Mathae.
She pointed out that the intervention by the provincial government should not be viewed as interference but as assistance.
“This is one of the municipalities facing challenges. During a recent meeting with the Auditor General, she raised concerns about the state of this municipality and as the Free State Provincial Government, we are reiterating our commitment to assist your municipality,” said Letsoha-Mathae.
“It is not interference and should not be seen as such. It is intervention to help the municipality get back on its feet.”
At a meeting with Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality on March 31, 2025, Letsoha-Mathae vowed that the Free State Provincial Government will assist ailing municipalities where needed.
She stressed that the provincial government will not interfere in municipal affairs but will offer assistance amid challenges that hinder service delivery.
The state of municipalities in the province has been a cause for concern for the Premier.
During the State of the Province Address on February 21, she stated, “We are deeply concerned about the state of some of our municipalities. Their failure to provide services such as water, electricity, and refuse removal is worrying. Water treatment plants are not maintained. Electricity infrastructure is collapsing. Taps are dry. Streets are littered with garbage. Work to improve the state of our municipalities is continuing. We want to get the basics right and improve service delivery to our people.”
Mafube local municipality, in particular, faces significant financial challenges, with a debtors’ book totaling R861,725,443.10 in the past financial year.
Given the period of prescription, the municipality may not be able to collect 66.54% of this debt.
Community dissatisfaction has led to service delivery protests, citing poor refuse collection, road maintenance, and water quality issues that contribute to unpaid bills.
Moreover, the municipality has struggled to settle employee pension contributions, affecting 40 employees due for retirement.
Pension arrears amount to R64,008,301.01 for MWRF Pension Fund and R104,647,350.72 for SALA.
Despite initiating payment arrangements with some creditors, the municipality has failed to honor them, resulting in legal actions and court orders.
Letsoha-Mathae reminded councillors of their duty to serve the community.
“It is not about us, but about the people we serve. Our people are faced with various challenges that require us all to work together to resolve them,” she said.
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