During the state of the city address and the tabling of the 2025/26 annual budget in the Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein on Tuesday (27/5), Mayor Gregory Nthatisi noted the allocations for the Urban Settlement Development Grant, which includes R541.28 million for the 2025/26 financial year, R566.01 million for 2026/27, and R591.62 million for 2027/28.

The Premier of the Free State, MaQueen Letsoha Mathae, attended the address, but the EFF councillors were notably absent.

‘Meant for the creation of sustainable and integrated human settlements’

“The grant is meant for the creation of sustainable and integrated human settlements that enable improved quality of household life,” Nthatisi said.

Significant projects include R139.43 million allocated for sanitation in 2025/26. This funding will prioritise the refurbishment and construction of the Selosesha wastewater treatment works, with a total allocation of R228.4 million over the next three years.

Nthatisi acknowledged the challenge of addressing the 79,000 non-waterborne toilets, including 50,744 pit latrines, as mushrooming informal settlements complicate efforts to eradicate the bucket system.

“About R10 million, with a further R35 million in the outer years, has been allocated toward pump stations and rising mains to improve sanitation services,” Nthatisi added. Projects such as the upgrading of the Maselspoort water treatment works will receive R37 million in 2025/26, with an additional R118.4 million for subsequent years.

Road infrastructure remains a critical concern for the city, which spans approximately 1,600 km. Nthatisi noted the need for R7.5 billion to rehabilitate and reseal the road network.

For the 2025/26 financial year, R124.62 million has been allocated for road and stormwater improvements, including key projects such as the rehabilitation of Zastron Street, Bochabela roads, and the Thaba Nchu road network.

“These initiatives will assist in easing congestion, improving mobility, and reducing potholes, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for our residents,” said Nthatisi.

However, the Auditor-General’s report revealed significant financial mismanagement in the metro, including R1.3 billion in unauthorised expenditures, R227 million in irregular expenditures, and R122.5 million in fruitless expenditures.

DA Cllr Dirk Kotze criticised the metro’s leadership. “These funds should have gone to critical services, but they were wasted. Residents and businesses pay for services they never receive.”

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi mvh