By 
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Free State has expressed unhappiness with the speech of the Free State Premier Ms MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae during her State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Friday, 21 February 2025, saying it was full of empty promises.
The DA says the speech was no different compared to other speeches made before, selling people false hope rather than real solution that will address the challenges of the people of the Free State.
According to the Provincial Leader Dr Roy Jankielsohn, the DA is disappointed by Premier Letsoha-Mathae’s 2025 State of the Province Address. He says rather than offering real solutions to the deep systemic issues that continue to plague the province, the Premier resorted to the same tired narrative of hope and optimism, devoid of concrete action.
“It is clear that the ANC government has abandoned its duty to serve the people of this province. Instead of addressing critical challenges such as corruption, the decaying state of infrastructure, collapsing health institutions, and appalling financial mismanagement across departments and municipalities, Premier Mathae offered only isolated successes and vague plans without time frames and that fail to tackle these systemic problems head-on.
It appears that the premier exists in a reality that differs from the reality of many impoverished, unemployed and desperate residents in the province,” said Jankielsohn.
Roy Jankielsohn says the DA refuses to accept the ANC’s complacency in forcing residents to accept substandard services and diminishing expectations. He said the people of this province deserve more than promises. They deserve tangible actions and a government willing to make the tough decisions needed to bring about lasting change.
“The premier was right about one thing. They need to change their ways. The DA will continue to hold this government accountable and advocate for the bold changes needed to create a prosperous future for all residents our province,” concluded the DA Leader Dr Roy Jankielsohn.
