An entourage of cabinet ministers is set to descend upon Mangaung Metro Municipality in the Free State soon to assess the state of affairs.

The metro is under national government administration following years of failing to deliver basic services to residents and also failing to improve its financial standing.

On Thursday (19/10), the newly elected Executive Mayor, Gregory Nthatisi, announced that ministers from all different departments are set to visit the metro to help overcome its challenges. Nthatisi said the metro has been on a good path and has since managed to tackle all challenges related to its finances and delivery of services.

"They will be coming on Wednesday (25/10). Others are in the province to do an investigation on some money we have lost. We are not here to track people but where money has been lost, money must be paid back so that the municipality could work. The national ministries, in their disciplines including at our summit, will be here and others are coming to check where they can lend a helping hand, precisely because we were able to pass our budget and we passed a credible budget. So, on the basis of that budget, all the grants that must be supportive of our efforts will also be flowing in and come from those national key points. By coming to work with us, they will identify where strength is needed most," Nthatisi said.

The metro was placed under administration in 2019. The alleged political infighting at the metro is said to be at the forefront of the failed administration. This was after senior metro officials with political affiliations were allegedly at a crossroads with one another.

Meanwhile, in her report in June 2023, the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA), Tsakani Maluleke, said the financial position of 70 (29%) of the 241 municipalities where the AG completed audits, was so dire that they had to disclose significant doubt about their ability to fully operate in future.

Maluleke said these metro municipalities included the City of Tshwane in Gauteng and Mangaung in the Free State. Maluleke added these two were responsible for 10% of the total local government budget and service delivery to 9% of the households in the country.

Maluleke further said the Free State-based metro was the only one in the country that failed to receive an unqualified audit with or without findings.

Instead, the troubled metro could only receive a qualified audit with findings.

Maluleke said only seven Free State municipalities – except the metro – received unqualified audits.

OFM News/Lucky Nkuyane