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Free State municipalities have come under the spotlight due to their lack of service delivery and growing concern of weak financial management, with eight of them being under Section 139 of the Constitution including Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality.
The Free State Provincial Government (FSPG) has taken a stance this year to fix its municipalities, to ensure stability and functioning municipalities. To achieve this, the Free State MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism Mr Ketso Makume said it is not an overnight project but the province is at pains to turn the corner.
In a number of municipalities across the Free State, one is confronted by a sore sight of sewer spillages, uncollected waste, incomplete housing projects and potholes amongst other service delivery challenges. Makume said the Provincial Government is aware of all these challenges and they are not standing idle.
“We remain firmly committed to stabilising and strengthening local government through coordinated interventions led by the Office of the Premier, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), and the Provincial Treasury.
In this regard, we are currently intervening in eight (8) municipalities including Mangaung Metro in terms of Section 139 of the Constitution. While we recognise that the results of these interventions may not be immediate, we are confident that we are on the right path towards turning around the state of local government in our province.
To that extent the province has deployed intervention team to these various municipalities to assist with financial, institutional, governance and service delivery matters,” said MEC Ketso Makume.
Makume said, out of 23 municipalities in the province, only eight were able to submitted funded budgets for the 2025 financial year; he said this was concerning as funded budgets are fundamental for sound financial management and sustainable delivery of services.
“Municipalities that submitted unfunded budgets were therefore required to develop and submit Budget Funding Plans. The purpose of these plans is to address the underlying financial challenges and place municipal finances on a more credible and sustainable footing.
We are pleased to report that the Provincial Treasury continues to provide technical support and guidance to these municipalities. This support is aimed at ensuring that the requirements of credible Budget Funding Plans are properly met and that municipalities are assisted in implementing practical and sustainable solutions to their financial constraints,” said the MEC.
“Our focus is clear. We are supporting municipalities to restore financial stability, achieve funded budgets, and strengthen financial management. This work matters. It is essential for better governance and for ensuring reliable, sustainable services for our communities.
We have also concluded a process aimed at reducing unwanted expenditure within the local government sphere. This initiative demonstrates the province’s firm resolve to take decisive action in addressing the financial challenges facing municipalities. Through these measures, we seek to promote greater financial discipline, improve the efficient use of public resources, and strengthen the overall sustainability of local government institutions,” he concluded.
