The council approved the establishment in May 2022 after the DA tabled a motion. The council resolved that the ombudsman be established 90 days after the approval from the council. The ACM has to date not signed the execution letter.

According to the Auditor General’s (AG) report for the 2021/2022 financial report, Mangaung Municipality has shown worrying signs of regression. The combined financial loss for Mangaung Metro Municipality (MMM) and Centlec is R900 million.

We strongly believe that an independent department would have assisted the administration with addressing concerns raised in the audit report. Residents complain daily that basic services are not delivered and the purpose of the Ombudsman is an apolitical service, which mainly entails alternative dispute resolution, alongside advocacy, relationship management and communication to investigate and facilitate the resolution of public complaints against the administration.

If the office of the Ombudsman were established it could have resolved several service delivery complaints that DA councillors are bombarded with.

The DA was forced to once again table a motion to establish an office for the Ombudsman after the 90 days has expired but the Speaker, Cllr Stefani Lockman-Naidoo, did not table the motion to date because the interest of the ANC is more important to protect than the integrity of the council.

The Executive Mayor, Cllr Mxolisi Siyonazana, admitted this week that the ANC are unable to manage the metro nor correct itself with the implementation of section 139 intervention. The DA is the only alternative to address service delivery challenges within the metro. We urge residents to register to vote and change the government in South Africa, come the National Elections 2024.

Statement supplied.