Community protests in Winburg resumed at about 11:45 on Wednesday (5/8). Police are on the scene and working to stabilise the situation, while the N1 through Winburg remains closed to traffic, said Free State road incident management systems chairperson Sipho Towa.

Traffic from Bloemfontein is being diverted to the R30 (ZR Mahabane), while motorists from Kroonstad are advised to take the R34 towards Welkom and then the R30 to Bloemfontein. Traffic from the N5 is being diverted to the R708 towards Theunissen. Towa urged motorists to follow instructions from law enforcement at the scene.

Winburg residents have taken to the streets in frustration after nearly two months without water, while municipal workers reportedly remain on strike. The unrest has disrupted traffic, schools, businesses, old-age homes and health facilities.

Angry residents blocked the N1 South near Winburg with rocks, burning debris, and makeshift barricades on Tuesday (4/8), shortly after a community meeting with Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae ended at about 15:00. Police were deployed to clear the highway and restore order, while motorists heading to Bloemfontein were advised to avoid the area and use the Theunissen turn-off.

The protest followed weeks of frustration over the municipality’s failure to restore water to large parts of the town. 

Residents barricaded the N1 with stones and burning tyres. Photo: Supplied

Residents have gone almost seven weeks without a reliable supply, DA councillor Brun Rossouw said. Water tankers arrived only yesterday, after residents had repaired vandalised pipes themselves before the pumps were damaged again.

“We have been almost two months without a drop of water. Suddenly yesterday we had tankers. We repaired pipes that were vandalised and started pumping water, but could not continue because the pumps were vandalised again.”

The crisis escalated after Masilonyana’s leadership appeared before Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts in Cape Town in May. Workers allegedly learned that the municipality was classified at salary level three, although they were being paid at level one.

Go-slow leave residents without basic services

Municipal workers have reportedly been on strike for two to three months. Offices have been closed for at least a month, and a worker go-slow has left residents without access to several basic municipal services.

Repeated engagements with the Free State department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs and MEC Saki Mokoena had produced no solution, Rossouw said. The premier was forced to leave Tuesday’s meeting as residents became increasingly angry.

‘Teargas and rubber bullets started’ 

“That is when the shooting started, with teargas and rubber bullets. I sympathise with the people because we cannot continue without water while nothing is being done,” Rossouw said.

The municipality remains without a permanent municipal manager, who has been placed on special leave. It also has no permanent chief financial officer after the Free State High Court declared former CFO Amos Makoae’s appointment unlawful.

An acting municipal manager has been appointed, while a provincial administrator is attempting to stabilise the municipality. Rossouw alleged ANC councillors had repeatedly failed to attend scheduled council meetings, preventing the council from reaching a quorum.

Residents reportedly plan to continue protesting until government intervenes decisively. Rossouw said she had been supplying water to large parts of the community from a borehole at her home as the prolonged outage continued.

Residents struggling without water for weeks. Photo: Supplied

Masilonyana spends about R15m a month on salaries but collects only between R1.8m and R2m in monthly revenue. Its rates and taxes collection rate is estimated at about 20%, while debts to creditors continue to increase.

About R75m owed to third parties remains unaccounted for despite pension deductions from employees’ salaries. The municipality’s bank accounts have also been attached several times, disrupting cash flow and contributing to repeated delays in paying workers.

OFM News previously reported Masilonyana failed to pay employees for two months after National Treasury withheld part of its equitable share allocation because of non-compliance with the Municipal Finance Management Act.

Inquiries have been sent to Free State Cogta and the municipality.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi cvdw

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