By 
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Free State has issued a stark warning regarding the state of local governance in the province, pointing to newly released data that highlights widespread municipal failure.
Addressing the media following the publication of the FW de Klerk Foundation’s Local Government Report Card 2026, DA Free State Leader Roy Jankielsohn stated that the findings merely confirm the daily realities already faced by local residents. The report evaluated 50 municipalities across South Africa, delivering grim assessments for every Free State municipality included in the sample.
According to the report card, all five evaluated Free State municipalities—Maluti-a-Phofung, Matjhabeng, Mangaung, Metsimaholo, and Dihlabeng—ranked among the worst-performing local governments in the country. Maluti-a-Phofung placed last overall, occupying the 50th spot on the nation-wide index.
Jankielsohn emphasized that the poor ratings reflect severe systemic breakdowns on the ground, citing crumbling road infrastructure, frequent water and electricity disruptions, and failing sanitation networks. He noted that the inability of these local councils to maintain basic services directly stifles regional economic growth and job creation.
However, the DA leader argued that administrative collapse is not an inevitable outcome for local councils. Pointing to the performance of DA-governed councils highlighted in the same report, Jankielsohn argued that accountable management yields significantly different results. He cited the uMngeni Municipality as a key example, noting its rise into the top tier of national performers within a single term following a change in political leadership.
With South Africa’s Local Government Elections set for November 4, 2026, the opposition party is positioning municipal governance as a central issue for the upcoming ballot. Framing the election as a choice between continued infrastructure decline and operational reform, Jankielsohn urged Free State voters to use their ballots to change the trajectory of their local councils.
