This is a letter addressed to the premier of the Free State, Mxolisi Dukwana, written by Jaco Grobbelaar, district head of AfriForum in the central district:
AfriForum is a civil rights organisation with the main purpose of protecting the constitutional rights of its members and their communities.
We are acting on behalf of our members in Welkom and surrounding areas who gave us a mandate to address local service delivery issues in the Matjhabeng Local Municipality.
It has come to our attention that Matjhabeng Local Municipality is currently facing a critical financial challenge, owing tenders amounting to R270 000 000.
As a result, the municipality has resorted to utilising its assets to compensate contractors, jeopardising the municipality’s ability to provide essential public services.
On Wednesday 20 September it came to our attention that contractors obtained a court order to seize municipal assets, which they have already done. Companies that obtained this court order include MC Security, Puseletso and Motse Warona.
According to our knowledge, trucks that are supposed to deliver services such as refuse removal, fixing of water leaks, sewerage trucks, etc. have already been impounded by the contractors to pay the outstanding debt.
A summons was also served upon the municipality on 10 July, which expired on 7 August, to pay the outstanding debt, but the municipality didn’t even bother to show up for the court case.
In other words they don’t care about the outstanding payment or defending it in court. The implications of this situation are dire.
If the municipality continues to use its assets to settle the outstanding tenders, it will be unable to deliver essential services to the public.
Basic services such as waste management, water leak repairs, payment to Bloem Water, and settlement of debts with Eskom are at risk, potentially leading to a decline in the quality of life for the residents of Matjhabeng.
In light of the above, we earnestly request your immediate attention and assistance in securing funds from the provincial government to settle the outstanding tenders and relieve the financial burden currently crippling the municipality.
Allocating funds to pay the contractors will safeguard the assets of the municipality, ensuring its capacity to continue delivering basic services to the public.
We urge you to consider the urgency and gravity of this situation and take prompt action to prevent the deterioration of public services within Matjhabeng Local Municipality.
Your intervention is pivotal in preserving the well-being of our community and upholding the principles of good governance and public service.
AfriForum would also like some answers from the mayor as to why the municipality did not bother to defend the summons.
It is not the municipality’s money they are throwing away. It is the taxpayers’ money who pay their taxes and service delivery accounts every month.
If they take more assets to cover the outstanding balance it will definitely bring the municipality to a standstill.
The municipality is already on its knees and this will be the final nail in the coffin.
If service delivery stops, the community will also stop paying for services because no services are being rendered. Therefore we request that you intervene and stop this from happening.