Free State Legislature Set to Host Local Government Oversight Week in Bloemfontein to Boost Accountability
Bloemfontein – The Free State Legislature has unveiled plans for its Local Government Oversight Week, a key follow-up to earlier joint meetings aimed at fixing deep-rooted problems in the province’s municipalities. This event, running from 14 to 17 October and wrapping up on 24 October 2025, will see lawmakers from various committees dig into commitments made back in June.
With many towns facing water shortages, poor roads, and money woes, the oversight week promises to push for better governance, faster service delivery, and stronger public trust. Residents are urged to get involved by sending in petitions or joining public hearings, with everything streamed live on social media for full openness.
This move comes as Free State battles ongoing municipal failures, where no town hall has scored a clean audit in recent years, and billions in public funds sit at risk from bad spending. By bringing together key players, the legislature hopes to spark real changes that help everyday people get the services they deserve.
Background to the Local Government Oversight Week
The idea for this oversight week stems from joint meetings held by the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), and the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General (SCOAG). These groups met at the Windmill Casino in Bloemfontein from 24 to 25 June 2025 to review how local governments are running. During those sessions, officials promised fixes for big issues like weak finances and slow services, but progress has been spotty.
Free State has seen similar oversight pushes before. In July 2025, a team from national Parliament joined local lawmakers for visits to struggling areas, checking on governance and money matters. They looked at places like the Xhariep District, focusing on housing projects and basic needs. Then in August 2025, the COGTA committee wrapped up checks on the last four municipalities, hunting for ways to end underperformance. These efforts tie into national drives, like the NCOP’s Local Government Week in September 2025, where leaders talked about building stronger, ethical town halls.
At the heart of it all are grim audit results. For the 2023-24 year, not one Free State municipality got a clean bill from the Auditor-General, even after splashing R254 million on outside experts since 2016/17. Across the country, only 41 councils – about 16% – hit that mark, with R31 billion wasted on unauthorised spending. In Free State, this means households and schools often go without proper water or waste removal, leading to protests and lost faith in leaders. Things like crumbling pipes, unpaid bills, and weak planning have left many communities in the lurch, with some areas facing full financial distress.
Details of the Oversight Week Schedule
The Local Government Oversight Week kicks off on 14 October 2025 at 12:00, with full days from 15 to 17 October and a final session on 24 October, all starting at 09:00. Everything happens at the Windmill Casino in Bloemfontein, a spot often used for these big talks because of its central location and setup for meetings.
The joint committees – covering Cooperative Governance, the Office of the Premier, Public Accounts, and Finance – will lead the charge. They plan to grill officials on why promises from June have not been met, like sorting out budgets or speeding up projects. Topics could include how to cut down on irregular spending, beef up internal checks, and make sure grants for the poor actually reach them.
This is not just talk; it is about real action. Past oversights have led to calls for harsh steps against failing leaders, and this week could push for more of that. With the province’s treasuries showing some gains in clean audits for departments – up to 50% in some areas – there is hope that local governments can catch up if pushed hard enough.
Why This Matters for Service Delivery and Public Trust
Free State residents know the pain of bad governance all too well. Service delivery remains a hot issue, with many towns struggling to fix roads, provide clean water, or handle waste properly. The Auditor-General has flagged how weak controls lead to lost money, which could have gone to building schools or clinics instead. In places like Limpopo and others, similar problems have held back growth, but Free State stands out for its lack of progress.
This oversight week is a chance to turn things around. By focusing on accountability, it aims to promote good habits like ethical spending and quick fixes for complaints. Lawmakers want to rebuild trust, showing that government listens and acts. It fits into bigger national goals, like the Local Government Indaba in October 2025, where ministers called for every municipality to work properly. With elections looming in 2026, getting this right could mean better lives for families hit hard by job losses and rising costs.
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