As one enters Thabong through Constantia Road, just past the police station, the reality hits with force.
The road is partly destroyed, flooded by a river of raw sewage. The stench clings to the air. But this is not just about one section of town. In Bronville, children at Bronville Primary School jump over sewer water at the school gate every day. In C Hostel, Thabong Extension 1, residents endure even worse conditions. They are surrounded by the foulest of smells, with no intervention in sight. One can only wonder how this affects the elderly, the sick, and young children, those most vulnerable to infections and disease.
When approached for comment, Mapuleng Masilo, the Senior Environmental Health Officer at Lejweleputswa District, confirmed that her office is aware of the situation.
“We are on the ground daily to identify environmental issues, and we are aware of the problem. Our duty is to ensure that relevant authorities are well informed and advised on such health risks,” she said. Masilo added that her office remains in constant communication with the authorities and that all problems are reported timeously.
The municipality recently issued a media statement, claiming to be working hard to resolve the crisis. Yet on the ground, nothing is changing. The sewage continues to flow. Illegal dumping grows by the day. The once proud township of Thabong, which used to be ranked among the cleanest, has become a place of neglect and despair.
While people suffer, Matjhabeng Municipality has been focusing its energy elsewhere. According to a recent News24 report, more than R50 million has been spent on legal battles, including an effort to resist being placed under provincial administration. This is not just wasteful. It is reckless.
The Free State High Court has agreed with the DA that Matjhabeng must be placed under administration. The court’s ruling was clear. The municipality has failed in its duties, and intervention is necessary. Instead of welcoming this opportunity to bring in skilled governance and professional oversight, municipal leaders chose to fight back using public funds.
This leads us to the great question: Why are so many of our leaders desperate to hold on to the steering wheel of a car they clearly cannot drive? Is it pride? Is it fear of losing control and exposure of wrongdoing? Is it the threat of losing access to tenders, contracts, and political influence? Whatever the reason, the consequences are felt by ordinary people. Families are exposed to raw sewage. Schools have become health hazards. The local economy is suffering. Investor confidence is gone. This is not just bad service delivery. It is a betrayal of public trust.
Now that Executive Mayor Thanduxolo Khalipha is back in office, despite calls by many against his return, all eyes are on him. The expectations are high. The problems are even higher. We do not doubt his capability, but we must be realistic about the scale of the crisis he is stepping into.
Leadership is not about survival in office. It is about service. It is about knowing when to stop blaming the system and start fixing it. The people of Thabong and the broader Matjhabeng region do not ask for perfection. They ask for clean water, working toilets, and streets free of waste. They ask for dignity.
This moment calls for humility, not resistance. It calls for solutions, not spin. It calls for leaders who choose people over power.
Matjhabeng deserves nothing less.
