MASILONYNA, FREE STATE – The Masilonyana community can no longer remain silent whilst a law enforcement entity tasked with protecting residents and generating revenue for the municipality continues to fail in its most basic responsibilities.
According to the Annual Report presented to Council on 30 January, the Masilonyana Law Enforcement Unit has displayed shocking inefficiency, poor management, and a complete lack of accountability.
During the entire previous financial year, the department issued only 657 traffic fines, totalling R288 700. Of this amount, only R32,000 was collected. This means fewer than 12% of issued fines resulted in revenue—an unacceptable return for a unit fully funded by public money.
The fines issued consisted of 347 moving violations, 218 roadworthiness offences, and 92 other traffic-related offences. This figure does not even include impounded vehicles or arrests for reckless and negligent driving, raising further concerns about operational effectiveness.
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Resource mismanagement
Despite these figures, the department continues to claim that it lacks basic resources such as traffic fine books and patrol vehicles. Yet it has failed to generate sufficient revenue from fines to purchase the very tools it claims to need, revealing a cycle of poor performance and inadequate financial planning.
Serious concerns also exist regarding the misuse of municipal resources. Patrol vehicles have been written off due to reckless driving, yet no consequences have been imposed upon the responsible officials. Concurrently, the department continues to receive full salaries and excessive overtime payments, despite collecting far less in revenue than it costs to operate.
Community and Social Services now records the highest overtime expenditure of any department, whilst simultaneously producing some of the lowest Key Performance Indicator results and failing to meet key targets and objectives. This reflects a complete collapse of internal controls, oversight, and executive accountability.
This situation is unfolding whilst Masilonyana Local Municipality operates on an unfunded budget, faces severe financial constraints, and continues to receive disclaimers from the Auditor-General of South Africa. Despite this, the municipality continues to fund a department that delivers no value, generates no meaningful revenue, and offers no improvement in community safety.
Community deserves accountability
The community deserves accountability and effective service delivery from its law enforcement unit, not continued failure at public expense.
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The Democratic Alliance (DA) has requested a formal performance and governance review of the Masilonyana Law Enforcement Unit following clear evidence of systemic failure that is costing the municipality revenue and leaving communities less safe.
Cllr. Ernest Putsoenyane, DA Councillor Masilonyana Municipality says he has repeatedly asked the simple question as to why the municipality continues to support an entity that costs more than it brings in?
“Council was assured that management would engage with the Chief of Traffic, yet to date, there has been no improvement. We will continue to push for a full performance review of the Law Enforcement Unit, decisive consequence management for reckless and negligent conduct, and the implementation of a financial and operational turnaround strategy. Accountability must also extend to the Department’s Director. “
Putsoenyane concludes that the community deserves effective law enforcement, sound financial discipline, and real service delivery, not excuses, mismanagement, and continued failure
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