Nala Municipality Under Administration
By Thabo Mosia
The Free State Provincial Government has stepped in to address the deepening crisis at the Nala Local Municipality by invoking “Section 139(1)(b)” of the Constitution and “Section 106” of the Municipal Systems Act. The decision, announced by the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and Human Settlements, Mr. Saki Mokoena, on 9 May 2025, comes after ongoing failures by the municipality to meet its legal duties, including financial obligations and statutory requirements.
The announcement was made during a meeting with all Councillors and senior managers at the municipality. An intervention team from the National Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Provincial Department of COGTA, and the Provincial Treasury has been deployed to restore stability, while a separate team will investigate allegations of fraud and corruption raised by employees and union representatives.
A Municipality Facing Collapse
The Nala Local Municipality, covering Bothaville, Wesselsbron, and surrounding areas, has been in turmoil for over a year. Since 2024, the municipality has faced numerous unrests and a shutdown that forced schools and local businesses to close temporarily. These disruptions have exposed deep-rooted problems, including financial mismanagement and poor service delivery, which have left residents frustrated and desperate for change.
MEC Mokoena has made several visits to Bothaville to hear directly from the community. During these engagements, which included meetings with stakeholders and residents, serious concerns were raised. These include:
- “Prolonged suspensions of employees without following due processes, leading to unfair labour practices.”
- “Alleged irregular payments made to service providers and third parties, including Vaal Central Water.”
- “State of roads and infrastructure, including lack of drainage system and storm water channels.”
- “Unilateral deprivation of electricity to residents owing other municipal services.”
- “Employment practices with the municipality where allegations of favouritism have since surfaced.”
Adding to these woes, the municipality owes R690 million to the Vaal Central Water Board, resulting in a 30% water restriction that has further strained the community. Residents have also reported frequent power cuts due to unpaid debts to Eskom, part of a broader municipal debt crisis in the Free State.
Legal Action to Restore Order
The provincial government’s intervention is backed by two key legal measures. “Section 139(1)(b)” allows the province to take over a municipality’s duties when it fails to perform its constitutional role. Under this section, a lead EXCO Representative has been appointed to handle the municipality’s administrative functions, including human resources, finance, legal, governance, technical, and community services.
Meanwhile, “Section 106” triggers an investigation into claims of fraud, corruption, and other malpractices. A dedicated team will examine the allegations raised by municipal workers and union representatives, with the scope to probe any additional issues uncovered during the process. This dual approach aims to tackle both the immediate operational failures and the underlying governance issues.
Intervention Team Steps In
The intervention team, made up of experts from national and provincial departments, is tasked with turning the municipality around. Their priorities include sorting out the finances, fixing crumbling infrastructure, and improving basic services like water and electricity. According to Zimasa Mbewu, Free State COGTA spokesperson, the team’s deployment is a critical step to “bring about stability and ensure the effective delivery of services to the communities.”
MEC Mokoena has promised measurable progress. “We will measure the progress and success of this intervention in a few months,” he said. “We will regularly meet with the municipality and will receive reports from the council on the various issues that were raised by the communities. We owe it to the residents to give them solutions on the issues that they raised.”
Recent posts from the Free State COGTA Facebook page highlight MEC Mokoena’s hands-on approach. In April 2025, he visited Bothaville to assess service delivery challenges and met with local leaders, reinforcing his commitment to finding lasting solutions.
A Community’s Cautious Hope
Residents and stakeholders have mixed feelings about the intervention. Many are hopeful that it will end the chaos and bring reliable services, but some remain skeptical, pointing to past interventions in the Free State that delivered uneven results. Municipalities like Mafube and Maluti a Phofung have faced similar takeovers, with some still battling debt and dysfunction despite provincial support.
Labour unions, however, have praised the move. A union spokesperson described the intervention as “a step in the right direction,” especially for addressing unfair labour practices and corruption claims that have long plagued the municipality.
A Bigger Picture of Struggle
Nala’s troubles reflect a wider crisis in the Free State, where many municipalities are drowning in debt and failing to deliver services. By February 2025, municipal arrears to Eskom hit R98.5 billion nationwide, with the Free State among the hardest hit. This has sparked urgent calls for better financial management and oversight to prevent further collapse.
The Nala intervention also comes amid growing pressure on local governments to improve revenue collection and reduce reliance on bailouts. The municipality’s failure to meet the Municipal Debt Relief Programme’s conditions in 2024 has only deepened its financial hole, making the provincial government’s role even more critical.
Legal Proceedings and Governance Issues
In March 2025, the Free State High Court dismissed an application by Mr. Thulo Majoe, a former acting Director of Community Services at Nala Municipality, challenging the termination of his acting appointment. The court found that the municipal council’s decision to terminate the appointment did not constitute administrative action and was therefore not subject to review under the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act. 
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