Court halts Ngwathe’s appeal process: Provincial intervention must follow, demands AfriForum

Provincial intervention must urgently be implemented in the Ngwathe Local Municipality, says AfriForum. This appeal follows yesterday’s ruling in the Supreme Court of Appeal, which dismissed the Municipality’s appeal application in AfriForum’s service delivery court case with costs. The latest ruling confirms AfriForum’s position that the Municipality has no legal grounds to disregard the Bloemfontein High Court’s original ruling of 20 June. The Free State Provincial Government must therefore intervene immediately, appoint an administrator, dissolve the Municipal Council and hold a by-election within 90 days to elect new council members.

According to the Supreme Court of Appeal, there is “no reasonable prospect of success in an appeal and no other compelling reason why an appeal should be heard”. AfriForum therefore calls on the Free State Provincial Government to dissolve the Council without delay and appoint an administrator to manage the Municipality.

“AfriForum will apply the necessary pressure to ensure that the Provincial Government acts promptly. The residents under the management of the Ngwathe Municipality simply cannot afford further delays. Every day without proper management means that more residents remain without power, water and hope,” says Alta Pretorius, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the Mooi River.

The explosion of a mini substation in Parys confirms how urgent this intervention has become. The mini substation on the corner of Third Avenue and Union Street, which caught fire in the early hours of the morning, has now left large parts of the town without power. According to AfriForum’s local structures, there is little hope that power supply will be restored quickly. Residents have already been warned by Save Ngwathe to prepare themselves to be without power for days.

“This incident is not an exception, but a symptom of years of mismanagement, corruption and total decay. Many residents still have no water and where water is available, it is polluted and undrinkable. The community lives daily with the consequences of a Municipality that is no longer functioning,” says Pretorius.

Corné Cronjé, AfriForum’s Head of Community Building, says that although the latest court ruling confirms that the community’s interests have been placed above political excuses, the way forward must be managed responsibly.

“It is essential that the Free State Provincial Government takes the necessary steps to limit corruption and ensure service delivery. The appointed administrator must tackle the recovery plan in collaboration with the community and organisations such as AfriForum to ensure sustainable service delivery.”

He adds that the people of Parys are increasingly willing to take ownership of their town and are no longer willing to leave their future in the hands of corrupt or incompetent political structures. “Our community is proud, involved and determined to make a difference – not just for Parys, but for the entire Ngwathe,” says Cronjé.

Schalk Burger, Chairperson of AfriForum’s Parys branch, also thanked the Parys community for their willingness and involvement in the matter. “It is clear that sustained pressure leads to success. AfriForum will therefore continue to assist the residents of Ngwathe, seek practical solutions and exert pressure for sustainable service delivery – because no community should live like this.”

AfriForum calls on the community to stay involved, report injustice and work together to hold the local government accountable. Contact Burger on 082 653 4281 to get involved with AfriForum’s Parys branch.