PHUTHADITJHABA, Free State — The Dikwankwetla Party of South Africa (DPSA) has officially launched its political manifesto in Phuthaditjhaba, setting its strategic sights on the upcoming local government elections in the Maluti-a-Phofung municipality. Party leader Moeketsi Lebesa addressed supporters at the Phuthaditjhaba Multi-purpose Hall, outlining a comprehensive, implementable strategy to contest council seats and restore the region’s critical infrastructure ahead of the November 4 elections.
Founded in 1974, the Dikwankwetla Party is one of the oldest political organizations in the Maluti-a-Phofung area, having played a prominent leadership role during the homelands era. Addressing a dedicated turnout at the manifesto launch, Lebesa appealed to residents to vote for the party, promising to return Qwaqwa to its “former glory” and reclaim its historical reputation as the “little Switzerland of South Africa.”
Tackling the Water Paradox
A central pillar of the newly launched manifesto is the resolution of the region’s severe water and sanitation crises. Lebesa highlighted the stark paradox facing the municipality: despite the region being the primary water source for the country—feeding both the Atlantic and Indian Ocean catchments, boasting the tallest waterfalls, and housing the country’s third-largest dam with a 2.6 billion cubic-meter storage capacity—residents are left without running water.
“All dams are full, but taps are dry,” Lebesa noted, emphasizing that the party’s manifesto provides a timelined, three-point solution to the water crisis:
- Resuscitating the Haram Pipeline: The party plans to complete the Haram pipeline project, which was initially funded and launched in 2020 but was ultimately abandoned due to the misappropriation of funds.
- The 100-Day UFS Reversal Project: Lebesa pledged to complete the University of Free State water reversal project from Sterkfontein within the first 100 days of taking power. This project, originally funded by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), was similarly abandoned after funds were stolen.
- Upgrading the Sterkfontein Treatment Plant: The manifesto proposes increasing the capacity of the local water treatment plant from 10 megaliters to 60 megaliters. Lebesa criticized the current 10-megaliter setup as inadequate for a population exceeding 600,000 people, noting that the undersized plant forces water rationing across surrounding areas, including Thaba Nchu and Mahulu.
Pioneering Green Energy Solutions
Beyond water infrastructure, the Dikwankwetla Party’s manifesto places a heavy emphasis on exploiting alternative, green energy sources to solve the municipality’s electricity shortages.
Lebesa outlined a multi-tiered renewable energy strategy tailored to the region’s unique geography:
- Wind and Solar Power: Utilizing the region’s mountainous terrain for wind turbines and deploying large-scale solar plant farms.
- Hydroelectric Power: Harnessing the massive 2.6 billion cubic-meter dam facility to generate hydroelectricity.
- Methane Gas Extraction: Capturing methane gas from the large landfill sites in Harrismith and Qwaqwa to generate sustainable electricity.
Addressing Past Governance
During the launch, the party leadership was also pressed on its current political footprint, specifically why these infrastructure solutions had not been implemented given the party’s existing presence and participation in the Maluti-a-Phofung municipal council.
In response, Lebesa clarified the party’s current operational dynamics, explaining that while the Dikwankwetla Party is historically old, its active, localized campaigning and structural footprint in Phuthaditjhaba and the broader Maluti-a-Phofung municipality in the Free State is relatively young. The party maintains that it is currently tracking the broader campaign trail across South Africa to build a stronger, more effective local governance structure to finally execute these long-overdue developmental projects.
