About 1,392 students at the Central University of Technology (CUT) Welkom Campus are set to receive their accommodation allowances directly from the university.
This commitment was made during an intervention meeting by the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Yusuf Cassim who visited t...
Mangaung is officially no longer a municipality in freefall, as the City gears up for a major infrastructure and financial rebound. This projected turnaround is backed by massive multi-billion rand budget injections, as presented by Executive Mayor, Gregory Nthatisi, in his State of the City Address on Thursday at the Bloemfontein City Hall.
Nthatisi unveiled a fully funded 2026/2027 Medium-Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework budget that firmly positions the Metro on a path of institutional recovery and stability.
The centrepiece of the revitalisation plan is a massive R8.2 billion allocation dedicated exclusively to water and sanitation over the next three years. This alongside a substantial R15 billion medium-term boost for electricity utility CENTLEC.
These funds are set to drive aggressive infrastructure recovery programmes, including vital upgrades to the Maselspoort Water Treatment Works, alongside extensive renewals for roads, stormwater systems, and waste management.
Mayor Nthatisi highlighted that Mangaung’s turn-around strategy is already yielding tangible results on the ground, noting that emergency response systems now successfully resolve nearly 90% of reported water leaks within a swift 48-hour window.
This progress is supported by the City’s comprehensive Financial Recovery Plan, which has successfully stabilised administration through robust revenue collection drives, debt incentive schemes, and billing reforms.
Beyond service utilities, the metro's growth strategy is expanding into major community developments, with new housing projects officially slated for Botshabelo, Lourier Park, Selosesha, and Wepener.
While opposition benches, including EFF councillor, Deliwe Malebo, raised concerns regarding current tariff adjustments and lingering service challenges.
“The ANC wants the people of Mangaung to believe this is a developmental budget, but the lived reality of our people tells a completely different story,” Malebo said during the Council debate.
Nthatisi, nevertheless, remained resolute that the groundwork for a lasting turnaround has been successfully laid.
Reflecting on Mangaung’s proud history as the heartbeat of South African democracy since 1912, Nthatisi emphasised that his administration chose implementation over rhetoric to secure the city's future.
“We chose institutional recovery over political grandstanding. We chose stability over chaos. We chose implementation over rhetoric,” Nthatisi stated.
He confidently assured council that the next administration will not inherit a calamity, but rather a stable municipality primed for growth and consolidation.
“The next administration will not inherit an institution in collapse. It will inherit a municipality undergoing recovery and requiring consolidation,” Nthatisi said.
The African National Congress (ANC) in the Free State has welcomed the smooth reconfiguration of seven struggling municipal troikas, describing the process as a critical intervention to strengthen governance, improve service delivery, and restore stability in municipalities across the province.
The party said the leadership changes were carried out in a disciplined and united manner to ensure municipalities remain responsive to the needs of communities ahead of the upcoming elections.
The reshuffle, announced in August last year by ANC Free State provincial secretary Polediso Motsoeneng, was aimed at realigning political priorities, stabilising municipalities, and accelerating service delivery.
According to ANC provincial spokesperson Thabo Meeko, the process has progressed smoothly, with only two of the seven municipalities still expected to elect new mayors.
“The process is going smoothly and should be completed within a week or two. The organisation is currently finalising a few internal issues within Nala and Masilonyana local municipalities,” said Meeko.
He welcomed the election of new mayors in Mafube, Moqhaka, Letsemeng, Nketoana, and the Lejweleputswa District Municipality.
“We are happy as the ANC that capable leaders are being put in place to fast-track issues confronting the municipalities, including service delivery to the people,” he said.
Phaladi Matsole was recently elected as the new mayor of Mafube Local Municipality, while Ramasimong Daniel Tau was appointed mayor of Moqhaka Local Municipality.
Meanwhile, Andrew Visagie, Godfrey, and Phindiwe Maseko were elected mayors of Letsemeng, Nketoana, and Lejweleputswa District Municipality, respectively.
Interstate Bus Lines has effective immediately suspended all bus operations in Botshabelo today due to safety risks that arose from the escalation of a planned anti-foreign protest and city shutdown.
This comes after 168 people were arrested in Bloemfontein during a looting spree that saw foreign-owned shops burned and destroyed by community members.
Botshabelo and Bloemfontein remain a hot spot of all the looting, and all bus services will be suspended until further notice.
“A thorough operational risk assessment,t suspending operations following the escalation of the planned shutdown,wn was necessary to ensure the safety of the drivers and passengers.
“We are especially mindful of learners preparing for their mid-year examinations and workers who depend on public transport to earn a living. It is our sincere hope that the situation will be resolved soon and calmness and stability will return, allowing us to safely resume transporting passengers,” said the bus company management through a media statement that was issued today.
What began as social media calls for a shutdown against foreign nationals in Mangaung escalated into overnight unrest across parts of Bloemfontein and Botshabelo, leaving businesses damaged, schools disrupted and communities trying to recover after hours of violence.
Posters calling for a shutdown started circulating on social media on Sunday, 24 May, with messages linked to action against foreign nationals.
While some residents later shared messages claiming the shutdown would not go ahead, tensions rose as the night unfolded.
By Sunday evening and into the early hours of Monday, unrest had spread through several communities in Mangaung.
Residents reported looting and vandalism targeting shops owned by foreign nationals, while protesters clashed with police, throwing stones and burning tyres on roads in some areas as law enforcement worked to contain the unrest.
The impact was felt across the metro by Monday morning.
Some schools remained closed for the day, scholar transport services were disrupted and parts of interstate bus routes were temporarily halted as authorities monitored the situation and residents assessed damage.
For many people, the effects were immediate and deeply personal. Business owners whose shops were targeted were left cleaning up damaged property and trying to salvage what remained of stock lost during the night.
Workers employed at affected businesses were also left uncertain about what comes next.
A community member at the Rocklands shopping centre, who asked not to be identified, said he now faces an uncertain future after the shop where he worked was damaged.
“These same foreign business owners gave me a job,” he said. “Now I don’t know how I’m going to provide for my family, he said.
Amid the unrest, Mangaung Metro’s Executive Mayor Gregory Nthatisi issued an appeal for calm.
“We condemn the violence. Destruction and intimidation will worsen already difficult conditions in our communities.
“The Municipality wishes to state unequivocally that no grievance, irrespective of its nature, justifies lawlessness, violence, looting, intimidation, destruction of property, or the disruption of schooling and essential public services, Ntatisi said in a media statement issued today.
He says ongoing unrest threatens community safety, economic activity and service delivery, particularly in working-class communities where damage to infrastructure and business closures often have the deepest impact.
The mayor also called on residents to reject vigilantism, xenophobia and mob justice, saying matters involving immigration and criminal conduct must be handled through lawful state institutions.
The municipality confirmed it is working closely with law enforcement and other stakeholders to monitor affected areas and reduce further disruption, while police remain visible in several parts of Mangaung.
For people to stand for the political leadership positions like ward counsellor, mayor, it is for the good of the public and to serve the people.
South Africa has been a witness of many political infights that has brought a lot of people to question whether they are in these positions for personal gains or for the job is actually about.
According to a political analyst Professor Sethulago Matebesi in most instances in South Africa, some people stand for these positions because they carry power and status that at times does not serve in the interest of the people.
“Unfortunately the power that these people get out of these positions, the acquired status of being a mayor and a counsellor, leads to many other issues, which unfortunately doesn't serve the public good. That is too much power, access to resources, like for instance, now suddenly a counsellor can manipulate appointments, a counsellor will have input into appointments, but also where some of these political appointees play a critical role in directing where certain tenders can go and all that,” he said.
Adding that this also happens as a result of the high unemployment rate that the country is currently battling.
“its just perhaps an opportunity, a genuine opportunity for employment. So we cannot say all people join, or want to become counsellors because they are corrupt, or they want to advance their own.”
Matebesi also menstioned that others join these kinds of positions, or raise their hands, because they want to improve the well-being of the residents.
He emphasized that this has inherent challenges, for the local government elections, because it then creates an unstable environment.
“Political parties must be explicit, in terms of how they will navigate, around this particular issue, its one thing to have rules and regulations, which is in any case on paper, but you also need the caliber of leaders, that demonstrates to their followers, that they forever are respecting, the principles of democracy.”
According to another political analyst, Ongama Mtimka, intraparty rivalry has been biggest source of concern.
“Although South Africa holds generally free, fair, and peaceful elections, unfortunately intraparty rivalry has been biggest source of concern in particular hotspots as a result of, unemployment in general and lack of opportunities and also as a result of the highstakes that the offices of councilors hold as points of distribution for patronage networks,” he said
Adding that for the internal fights that take place, some of them are enabled by parties that have a facade of democracy.
To survive the high unemployment rate in the country, it seems that for some, the only way out is to become a political leader and assume power that would open doors for them and guarantee a safe future.
