This includes the lack of service delivery, high unemployment rate, lack of economic growth, and rampant corruption, amongst others. The DA in the province today, just a day ahead of Ntombela’s much-anticipated speech, delivered their own alternative SOPA. The DA’s SOPA, delivered by the party’s MPL Roy Jankielsohn on behalf of the party’s premier candidate, drew much attention to the poor state of municipalities, healthcare services, dilapidated infrastructure, corruption, and tender fraud in many of the provincial government departments. Jankielsohn highlighted how the current administration fails to prioritise the needs of its people, and how they have turned the province into a cash cow for politicians and their associates. He says they wait to hear how Ntombela plans to deal with corruption in the province following their request for her to investigate corruption allegations that surfaced during her predecessor, Ace Magashule’s leadership.

Jankielsohn alludes that controversial cases such as the Vrede Dairy case, where the provincial government coughed up more than R334 million to the Gupta-linked Estina Company whilst the 80 beneficiaries that were set to benefit from the project are still left in the cold, must still be investigated.

The DA last week wrote to the new head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Shamila Batohi, requesting her to reinstate corruption charges on the Estina project after evidence came out at the Zondo Commission and bank statements recently leaked to the media, indicating how the Free State government deposited over R334 million into the Estina account within just two years.

Jankielsohn says the province also still needs answers to corruption cases such as the Ramkraal project where approximately R120 million earmarked for its refurbishment remain unaccounted for. The building that was initially set to be refurbished into the Free State Legislature Complex has for years drew much controversy as it stands dilapidated and turned into a hub of criminal activities.

He has reiterated that questions regarding the Dihlabeng housing scandal (Vogelfontein) where Magashule and his daughter are allegedly involved remain unanswered. Magashule is alleged to have interfered in this housing project to ensure that a company partly owned by his daughter scored contracts worth R150 million from the provincial government. The company, known as Unital Holdings, was appointed to build RDP houses in Bethlehem without following due procurement processes and was paid millions by the provincial Department of Human Settlements.

He says Ntombela needs to provide the residents of the Free State with answers regarding this housing project as she was the MEC for Human Settlements at that time.

He says she needs to provide answers as to how she plans to curb corruption and provide adequate services to the residents in the province.

OFM News