South Africa set to get a new municipality

The Free State will get a new municipality, with the Kopanong Local Municipality set to be split in two following the next local government elections.

This week, the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) handed over its final report to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), outlining the country’s new ward and municipal boundary lines.

Every five years, prior to the local government elections, the MDB re-examines the country’s ward and municipal boundary lines.

The existing Kopanong Local Municipality is divided into nine towns, namely Trompsburg, Gariep Dam, Springfontein, Bethulie, Philippolis, Jagersfontein, Fauresmith, Edenburg and Reddersburg.

With vast agricultural land between them, the MDB said that the size made it difficult for the municipality to deliver services to all residents and, conversely, for residents to access municipal buildings.

Chairperson of the Municipal Demarcation Board, Thabo Manyoni, told EWN that after the next local government elections, there will be a municipality with five towns and another municipality with four towns.

“The issue there was the distance to be covered was too long and vast for officials to be able to provide services within one municipality, within a specified time and improve on rapid response.”

Manyoni said that the report has been shared with the relevant government departments to consider the financial and electoral implications of the decision.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has extensively investigated the Kopanong due to severe service delivery failures, particularly concerning water provision, where they found violations of dignity rights, leading to a mandate for a turnaround strategy.

Issues also include huge debt to Bloem Water (resulting in supply restrictions), sewage problems, poor roads, and general lack of response to residents’ pleas.

This prompted parliamentary and SAHRC oversight and reports highlighting systemic issues like financial constraints and mismanagement. 

Looking at the current municipality’s data, there are around 52,000 residents across roughly 20,000 households.

It is currently under administration, with an outstanding audit in the 2023/24 financial year. It received a qualified audit opinion the two years prior, and a disclaimer for the two years before that.