Opinion piece by Kgotso Khumalo:
The Lejweleputswa District Municipality in the Free State is held together by laws, budgets, and the promise of service delivery. Its five local municipalities − Masilonyana, Tokologo, Tswelopele, Nala and Matjhabeng − plus district services are meant to deliver roads, water, sanitation, health, infrastructure and more.
But in recent years, what has become increasingly clear is that leadership failures, corruption, lack of accountability and impunity are corroding those institutions from within.
Shielding corrupt officials is no mere oversight, it is a threat to the very foundations of local democracy and provincial development.
Recent events in Lejweleputswa illuminate what happens when leaders are protected despite repeated missteps.
Whether proven or not, such allegations show how municipal power and resources can be misused when oversight is weak.
The Industrial Park Refurbishment Project − funded to the tune of over R45 million via the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition − has raised concerns of maladministration and corruption.
Residents say there are delays and lack of transparency about what has been accomplished.
Reports reveal that Lejweleputswa is almost entirely reliant on national grants. Most of its equitable share goes into salaries and remuneration of councillors, leaving very little for actual service delivery.
In Masilonyana, for example, there have been five unofficially admitted audit disclaimers, underfunded budgets, failing infrastructure and no clear plan for reversing decline.
Across the Free State, auditor-general (AG) reports show recurring irregular, unauthorised, or wasteful expenditure. Yet, for many of these findings, no one seems to be held responsible in ways that matter.
In Masilonyana, mayor Dimakatso Modise was suspended by the ANC for defying its instruction to step down due to governance failure. This shows that even when party leadership recognises failure, enforcing accountability is a struggle.
These are not isolated glitches. They are patterns: weakened oversight, repeated failures, and rising public frustration.
Citizens deserve more than promises. They deserve functioning water systems, dignified sanitation, safe roads, opportunities for livelihood, and leaders who serve rather than exploit.
For a district that means “grey rock” − strong, resilient, grounded − it is past time for clean governance.
The political class must choose: serve the public or shield the corrupt. The people of Lejweleputswa deserve nothing less.
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