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The sudden removal of Mxolisi Siyonzana the Executive Mayor of Mangaung Metro Municipality is a clear demonstration of inherent political strife and skirmishes within the ANC. Before his appointment, the Mangaung Concerned Community and other Civil Society Organisation including Mangaung residents took to the streets, burned tyres opposing his appointment. There were genuine reasons behind those protests that almost threatened his inauguration as a Mayor.

Siyonzana served as the Deputy Mayor to the then Mangaung Mayor, Olly Mlamleli, and was also a Speaker in the same municipality for years.

Under the ANC collective leadership, the municipality became bankrupt and unbankable and corruption and maladministration became the order of the day. Mangaung Metro owes Bloem Water millions of rands for water. There are a myriad of incomplete projects that have cost tax-payers millions such as the idle taxi rank that has turned into a white elephant due to poor workmanship and tender irregularities. This taxi rank cost R40 million, the then Premier Ace Magashule and his allies allegedly benefited from this.

Mangaung residents feel neglected with the roads in an appalling state, this forces motorists to avoid entering the city to do business.

Raw sewage flows in the streets, on rainy days this becomes a nightmare for the residents, as they can barely leave their houses.

Foul stench and poor water quality is their daily experience.

ANC’s arrogance has exacerbated Mangaung’s woes, even though Mangaung has been placed under administration by National Cogta, nothing has changed to improve the lives of Mangaung residents. The so-called City of Roses has now become a thorn in the side of residents and ratepayers.

Under the ANC and Siyonzana, Mangaug is a failed municipality with no hope in sight for the people who call the metro home.

The recycling of ANC’s deployees through their cadre deployment strategies will never bring the much needed development to this municipality.

Siyonzana and Lulama Titi who is tipped to be the Mayor were both at the centre of this corruption and maladministration. They both don’t have the vision to take Mangaung forward.

Mangaung Metro Council should be dissolved and go for municipal by-elections which the ANC knows for a fact that they will not win. It doesn’t matter whether they elect Lulama Titi, Seeiso Mohai or Gregory Nthatis, the ANC lacks credible leaders with integrity and the party is incapable of self-correcting and is beyond fixing.

ActionSA will keep on fighting for the rights of our residents in Mangaung Metro Municipality and to keep politicians and officials of the ANC accountable for failing the residents, especially with providing the most basic of service delivery.

However it remains the responsibility of the residents of Mangaung to bring real change and that can only be achieved by voting the ActionSA into government. 

It is only when ActionSA is the governing party will the residents see proper basic services and maladministration and corruption will be curbed.

Issued by ActionSA Free State Provincial Chairperson Patricia Kopane