Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) has raised serious concerns over maladministration in the Lejweleputswa District Municipality in the Free State, calling for urgent intervention.
The committee highlighted unsustainable salary expenditures, illegal dumping near critical water sources, and failing infrastructure as key issues plaguing the municipality. Local officials have expressed frustration over the lack of action from provincial authorities despite repeated complaints.
Budget Shortfalls and Financial Mismanagement
Reports indicate that the municipality’s salary payments have exceeded budget allocations, leading to severe financial shortfalls. This mismanagement has left essential services underfunded, exacerbating challenges in a region known as South Africa’s maize capital.
Illegal Dumping Threatens Agriculture and Water Supply
Councillors in the Nala Municipality, which falls under Lejweleputswa, revealed that illegal dumping sites are contaminating agricultural land and posing risks to nearby water reservoirs. A local councillor, who spoke on camera, disclosed that a criminal case was opened in April against the municipality for operating an unlicensed dump site, yet no action has been taken.
“We are the maize capital of South Africa, yet we have dead cows on dumping sites and polluted water running from leaking reservoirs,” the councillor said. “The police and provincial officials have failed to act.”
Leaking Infrastructure and Lack of Accountability
Residents and officials also raised alarms over a leaking water reservoir, which has led to significant water wastage. The councillor attributed the problem to “poor management” but expressed helplessness in resolving it without provincial support.
Call for Government Intervention
Frustrated by inaction, local leaders have urged Cooperative Governance MEC to visit the area and assess the situation firsthand. “They must come to the ground instead of sitting in Bloemfontein,” the councillor demanded. “The community is suffering, and no one is listening.”
The CoGTA committee’s findings have placed the Free State’s municipal governance under sharp scrutiny, with growing calls for immediate corrective measures to prevent further deterioration of services and environmental damage.
