This is due to a low turnout of media for the briefing, which was being held at the Caleb Motshabi Centre formerly known as the Batho Sports Institute (BSI) in Bloemfontein. The MCC’s committee left the centre in Batho Location to have a closed door meeting at a different location.

Indications are that plans are afoot to go ahead with the shutdown, in whatever form, come 1 July.  The MCC earlier said in a statement that talks between the Free State Provincial Government, Mangaung Metro and concerned residents in the area have all but broken down over the dissolution of the metro’s council, leaving them with no other alternative but to embark on mass action in all affected areas namely:  Botshabelo, Thaba’ Nchu, Dewetsdorp, Wepener, Soutpan and the Free State capital.

The MCC alleges they have gone as far as engaging the newly convened Free State ANC’s interim provincial committee (IPC) to attend to their grievances, to no avail.

Zweni says “Mangaung Municipality is still leaderless. Mangaung has no Executive Mayor and no Deputy Executive Mayor, but a Councillor illegally acting as Executive Mayor. Mangaung has no City Manager but an Acting City Manager.  We will not be negotiating with the Provincial Government anymore. We demand the immediate dissolution of this arrogant Council and appointment of the Administrator,” reads the concerned community’s statement.

The Chairperson of the Black Management Forum in the Free State, Mosebetsi Dhladhla, told OFM News recently that he and other members of the business fraternity are not only deeply concerned by the disruption these unrests bring to businesses still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic, but also about how emergency medical services in the city and surrounding areas are impacted by unrest. Dhladhla believes that the situation is salvageable, only if the concerns of citizens are taken seriously.

“Let’s engage on these issues as different stakeholders, so that we find solutions. I don’t think there is a need to say we must disregard the concerns of the community members. You cannot say their issues are vague,” says Dhladhla.

The genesis of the shutdown is a petition placed online by Zweni - shortly after Olly Mlamleli’s ousting as mayor in August 2020 - calling for the dissolution of the embattled council.

OFM News