AfriForum offers a solution to the ongoing service delivery crisis in Matjhabeng Municipality

A new AfriForum initiative for Welkom residents promises to provide a solution and a viable alternative to poor municipal services for those living in this part of the struggling Matjhabeng Local Municipality. The AfriForum Dienste platform has just been launched, offering residents access to various services the Municipality can no longer provide, including reliable refuse removal, recycling, and water supply services.

A widespread service delivery crisis has plagued this Municipality for approximately 15 years. Since then, residents have increasingly faced poor basic service delivery.

Although limited government intervention began as early as 2016, substantive constitutional intervention only gained momentum following a High Court ruling in October 2024, which ordered the Free State Provincial Government to intervene in the Municipality in terms of Section 139 of the Constitution. Parliamentary oversight has also been instituted and forms part of the first full-scale government intervention specifically aimed at the service delivery crisis in the Matjhabeng Municipality.

However, Christa Ikking, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the Hoogland region, warns that these measures have not yet brought real relief to residents regarding service delivery. “Despite the Municipality’s published weekly refuse removal schedules, residents are still frequently confronted with piles of rubbish that remain uncollected for weeks,” she explains. According to Ikking, the failure to remove refuse on time contributes to illegal dumping and associated health risks.

In addition to the Municipality’s refuse problem, residents also face ongoing water supply issues. Burst pipes, leaks, and sewage overflows are the visible, daily consequences of poor maintenance and the Municipality’s aging water and sewage infrastructure. Furthermore, financial and management challenges limit the Municipality’s ability to repair this infrastructure in a timely manner, frequently leaving taps to run dry.

According to Ikking, simply pointing out the problems achieves nothing. Instead, AfriForum aims to bring tangible solutions to the community of Welkom and surrounding areas. “It is precisely for this reason that AfriForum developed the AfriForum Dienste initiative, enabling the organisation to provide services that are not only delivered efficiently and punctually but also executed professionally by friendly and helpful staff,” Ikking explains.

“Residents should not have to pay for services they do not receive. The time for excuses is over – the time for decisive action is now,” she adds. AfriForum calls on residents of Welkom and surrounding areas to become part of the solution by joining AfriForum Dienste. By supporting this service platform, residents enable AfriForum to deliver sustainable, reliable, and professional services where they are needed most.

Contact Ikking at 066 486 7612 for more information or visit the platform’s website at www.afriforumdienste.co.za.