President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to crack the whip when he meets the Free State ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) and the province’s government executives on Thursday and Friday to address the collapse of the municipalities.
Two sources said Ramaphosa would meet the PEC on Thursday before engaging with Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae and MECs the next day.
In a statement on social media, the government confirmed the visit as part of a presidential engagement between the national cabinet and the Free State provincial executive.
The province’s municipalities have long struggled with corruption, nepotism and mismanagement. Auditor-general Tsakani Maluleke reported that in the 2021/2022 financial year, not a single municipality in the province had received a clean audit opinion in the past six years.
Municipalities in crisis include Mafube, Mohokare, Masilonyana, Tokologo, Maluti-a-Phofung, Mantsopa, Nketoana and Kopanong.
Recent interventions include placing Matjhabeng municipality under partial administration, while the provincial government continues to address challenges across other municipalities.
Sources in the province attributed the municipal failures to senior ANC leadership, highlighting entrenched governance issues.
In her recent state of the province address, Letsoha-Mathae vowed to fix struggling municipalities, dubbing 2026 “the year of decisive action” to repair local government and transform the provincial economy.
“The provincial government is determined to stabilise municipalities, restore public trust and ensure that local services reach communities,” she said.
The president will meet the provincial executive to discuss the state of the province’s municipalities
