R340 million underspent on informal housing upgrades in the Free State’s biggest township

The Botshabelo administration underspent R340 million of the Informal Settlement Upgrading Partnership Grant between 2021 and 2025.

These funds would have provided bulk infrastructure upgrades to informal settlements across Botshabelo, improving living conditions for thousands of residents.

Botshabelo is the largest township in the Free State, with an estimated population of over 220,000 residents across the wider township area.

Situated approximately 45 to 55 km east of Bloemfontein along the N8 highway, the township falls under the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality.

The town was established in 1979 under the apartheid government as a resettlement and labour reserve area for non-Tswana and Sesotho-speaking people.

It was originally named Onverwacht, but was renamed to Botshabelo in 1981, with the name meaning “place of refuge” in Sesotho.

The township has faced numerous challenges relating to infrastructure deterioration and poor service delivery, with some issues stretching back multiple decades.

Road infrastructure remains a serious concern for residents of Botshabelo, as does sanitation with regular sewage spills in the town.

Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Dr Jack Bloom, recently made an oversight visit to the Botshabelo Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The plant was found to have been non-functional for multiple years due to stolen cables and vandalised pump stations, resulting in sewage flowing into the Klein Modder River.

The Department of Water and Sanitation said repairs costing R16.5 million are expected to be completed by the end of December, with full service only returning in March 2027.

The Department previously laid criminal charges against the Botshabelo waterworks in April 2025 for failing to comply with directives.

Member of the Free State Provincial Legislature Werner Pretorius revealed that a plan was also in the works to revitalise the Botshabelo Industrial Park.

“Botshabelo has immense potential as an economic hub, but it needs well-maintained basic infrastructure and good governance to attract investment,” Pretorius said.