Opposition parties have suggested the demarcation proposals is a ploy by the ANC to manipulate the 2024 general elections in their favour.  Executive Mayor Gregory Nthatisi said the proposals simply aim to ensure proper service delivery to all residents.  

Nthatisi said the towns that are being moved around have got nothing to do with manipulating numbers but has got much more to do with the people.

"Where are they buying and where are they spending their money and how can that money in return be utilised to help their particular towns to be serviced. Your buying power cannot be in Bloemfontein, but you live in Welkom, for instance.  You expect your services to be provided in Welkom.  So we are trying as government to place people according to where they can best get services," he said.

Nthatisi said most of the towns that are being moved from one area to another.  These are small towns and this is to try and help them be workable.

OFM News previously reported that board has proposed that a new district municipality in the Free State also be established.   It has also proposed that some of the towns or areas in the Mangaung Metro Municipality, such as Dewetsdorp, be removed and merged into the new municipality.

However, opposition parties in council were not thrilled about the proposal from the board.

DA councillor Tjaart van der Walt asked that it be reported to the committee to be discussed further. He said he was not shocked by the proposal because the ANC was losing power in cities and this was a ploy to continue looting the municipalities.

“The document emphasises the community of Brandfort is calling for incorporation, which indicates to me what the writer of the report wants the outcome of the process to be. Let residents be warned that when the DA was opposing the incorporation of Naledi into Mangaung, we warned Naledi residents their services would get worse and their municipal costs would rise, which is exactly what happened,” he said.

OFM News/Lucky Nkuyane