The province continues to grapple with a severe local government crisis characterised by financial distress, collapsing services, failing infrastructure, governance problems and billions of rands in unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. National Treasury and provincial authorities have intensified interventions as municipalities struggle with cash-flow constraints and governance failures.

Sixteen Free State municipalities were among those affected by the temporary withholding of grants because of poor fiscal management, further exposing the scale of the province’s municipal troubles.

But according to EFF MPL and Metsimaholo mayoral candidate Bosanku Msimanga, the fundamental problem is not simply a lack of money or administrative capacity; it is the ANC itself. Speaking to OFM News, Msimanga said divisions within the ANC have paralysed municipalities and turned council chambers into battlegrounds for competing political factions.

“The divisions within the ANC are affecting service delivery throughout these municipalities. It’s not a surprise those municipalities are divided between the MEC of Cogta and the provincial secretary of the ANC; they are fictionalised along those lines. It is no longer about service delivery when they go to council to discuss an item, and if it benefits the provincial secretary of the ANC, that item will not see the light of day.” 

Failures

“If it benefits the MEC of Cogta from the other faction, this item will not see the light of day. The problem of the Free State is the ANC; people must just remove the ANC, then municipalities will function properly.”

Msimanga argued voters have repeatedly given the ANC opportunities to govern but have continued to experience failures in all Free State municipalities.

He pointed to the ANC’s electoral history since the dawn of democracy, arguing the party had been given chances in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2011, 2016 and 2021, yet continued to seek another opportunity in 2026 local governance elections despite persistent problems in municipalities.

“The problem of the Free State is the ANC and its comrades. Why I’m saying so: even if you can do whatever you want to do, in those institutions are comrades of the ANC. They have turned those institutions into their own battlefields; it is no longer about service delivery. Remove those who continuously fight unnecessarily and put those who want to govern in the interest of the people.” 

Msimanga also singled out Mangaung metro as an example of what he described as a failed state institution. He questioned why the metro, despite controlling a substantial budget, continues to struggle to attract what he regards as appropriately skilled people into key senior positions, including the city manager, chief financial officer and Section 56 managerial positions.

The criticism comes against a backdrop of staggering municipal financial problems across the province. OFM News previously reported unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure across the Free State local municipalities has surpassed R7.25 billion. 

The consequences are increasingly being felt by ordinary residents and municipal workers. Several municipalities have struggled to pay employees on time, while reports surrounding third-party deductions have added another layer to the crisis.  

Mantsopa is amongst the municipalities that have reportedly deducted millions from employees’ salaries for pension and retirement fund contributions, which allegedly disappeared instead of being transferred to the relevant accounts. 

Masilonyana has faced similar concerns over the disappearance of workers’ third-party contributions.

The ANC’s own provincial leadership has acknowledged the seriousness of the crisis through sweeping interventions in struggling municipalities. 

Mayors have been removed or replaced amid persistent governance failures and corruption allegations, while some axed or targeted local leaders have resisted calls to resign, arguing that disciplinary processes were politically motivated or that proper procedures were not followed.

The ANC Youth League in the Free State has also openly criticised provincial leadership over its handling of municipal dysfunction, with the organisation calling for action against irregularities and demanding the dissolution of several dysfunctional municipal councils.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi dg

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