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3 weeks ago
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DA City of Mangaung mayoral candidate Werner Pretorius.
Democratic Alliance Free State/Facebook
- The DA’s Werner Pretorius is the party’s candidate for Mangaung in the upcoming local government elections, challenging the ANC’s Gregory Nthatisi.
- The Mangaung Metro faces severe service delivery failures, financial instability, and poor governance, including potholes, water shortages, and crumbling infrastructure.
- Pretorius said Mangaung was the “worst-run metro” in South Africa but expressed hope and commitment to addressing the municipality’s challenges.
DA MPL in the Free State, Werner Pretorius, is the party’s candidate for the Manguang Metro in the upcoming local government elections.
The DA announced its mayoral candidate on Monday, issuing a stern warning to incumbent ANC mayor Gregory Nthatisi that his days were numbered.
It is unclear if Nthatisi will return as the ANC’s preferred candidate for the metro.
The DA and other parties have their eyes set on Mangaung, where the ANC polled at 50.63% in the 2021 local government elections. The DA received 25.73%, and the EFF 11.31%.
Pretorius’ candidature comes as the ANC contends with the real possibility of losing its majority in Mangaung, one of only two metros it governs with an outright majority.
Mangaung, which covers Bloemfontein, has been plagued by severe service delivery failures stemming from deep-rooted governance challenges and financial instability.
READ | Free State municipality writes off R600m unauthorised spending, will probe R180m instead
Also, the municipality has consistently received qualified audit opinions in recent years, another clear sign of poor financial management and a critical misalignment between planning, budgeting, and actual performance delivery, as flagged by the Auditor-General.
Service delivery issues cited in reports range from pothole-riddled roads and crumbling infrastructure, poor refuse collection, and inconsistent water and electricity supply, among others.
On Monday, Pretorius said he was up to the task after accepting his party’s nomination.
He added:
I accept the nomination with the greatest of pleasure and encouragement, but I do also understand the massive responsibility that is bestowed upon me, as well as our entire team, running in this election.
“But we must be clear about the current state of affairs in Mangaung; we must paint the accurate picture of this municipality.”
Pretorius said Mangaung was the worst-run metropolitan municipality in the country.
“Unfortunately, our beloved Mangaung has been governed into disarray; it is a textbook case of a failed metropolitan municipality. If anyone wants to go and write a PhD or a textbook on a failed municipality, you can take Mangaung and go and write your thesis,” he added.
Pretorius said residents were regularly faced with dry taps for days, while the quality of the water was also questionable.
