“Mense van die Vrystaat verdien beter”, sê hof in uitspraak teen Premier

MBF is dankbaar oor die uitspraak van ‘n volbank regters wat beslis het dat MPM en die Vrystaatse Premier nie hofbevele nakom nie. Spesifieke instruksies met gevolge is gelas, wat sal help om dienslewering in ons gemeenskappe reg te ruk, of ander verpligte remedies toe te pas.

Die Bloemfonteinse Hooggeregshof het op 25 Maart 2025 in Mafube Besigheidsforum (MBF) en AfriForum se guns beslis en ‘n kostebevel teen die Premier van die Vrystaat en ander Respondente toegestaan. Dit volg nadat die saak op 11 Oktober 2024 aangehoor was.

In die hofuitspraak stel die regters dit duidelik dat die mense van die Vrystaat beter verdien. Hulle meen dat munisipaliteite ‘n nuwe kultuur van bestuur sal moet aanneem wat aanspreeklikheid en verantwoordelikheid behels om dienste effektief te kan lewer.

Volgens regters Daffue, Chesiwe en Hefer is die saak ook uiters belangrik wat die Grondwet aanbetref om te verseker dat die gemeenskap van Mafube basiese regte geniet. Die hofuitspraak maak dit ook duidelik dat al die respondente bewus was van die situasie wat besig is om af te speel in Frankfort en ander dorpe in Mafube en dat hulle nie met die nodige dringendheid opgetreë het nie.

Daar is bevind dat die uitvoerende kommitee van die Vrystaat Provinsie en die Premier van die Vrystaat nie voldoen het aan die vorige hofuitsprake van 28 April 2022 en 29 Julie 2021 nie. Die Premier, Mafube Plaaslike Munisipaliteit (MPM) en 7 ander respondente is weer herinner dat hulle verplig is om die bevele van die hof uit te voer: Die Finansiële Herstel Plan moet dadelik finaliseer en implimenteer word en rioolstorting in die Vaal- en Wilgerivier moet onmiddelik gestaak word. Hulle moet hul plan van aksie binne 60 dae direk aan die hof voorsien.

In die uitspraak word daarna verwys dat die munisipaliteit nie fondse het vir opknapping en opgradering van infrastruktuur nie, en dat wanprestasie vir hulle “‘n normaal” is en die munisipaliteit se onvermoë en onbevoegtheid om dienste te lewer. Die politieke wil om probleme op te los ontbreek. Gemeenskappe is op hulself en privaat instansies aangewese om dienste te lewer. Invordering van fondse kan maar net sowel ook so plaasvind.

Die hof is nie ‘n vreemde plek vir MPM nie, want hulle moes al baie verduidelik oor swak dienslewering en verkwisting van van publieke fondse. Maar in plaas van oplossings vind, baklei hulle eerder verder in die hof.

Eerste prys sou tronkstraf vir amptenare wees, maar die wisseling van personeel, lei daartoe dat die destydse premier nie persoonlik vir minagting verantwoordelik gehou kon word nie. Die huidige bevel is eintlik beter, want die Provinsiale owerhede is verplig om in te gryp en direk aan die hof te rapporteer.

MPM het sedert April 2022 tyd gehad om die munisipaliteit reg te ruk. Hulle het nie, en daarom het MBF, met die bystand van AfriForum die minagtingsaak geloods.

Werkbare en uitvoerbare oplossings is binne ons bereik. Al wat skort is samewerking.

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"People of the Free State deserve better", says court in ruling against Premier

MBF is grateful for the ruling of a full bench of judges who ruled that MPM and the Free State Premier are not complying with court orders. Specific instructions with consequences have been ordered, which will help to rectify service delivery in our communities, or to apply other mandatory remedies.

The Bloemfontein High Court ruled in favour of Mafube Business Forum (MBF) and AfriForum on 25 March 2025 and granted a costs order against the Premier of the Free State and other Respondents. This follows after the case was heard on 11 October 2024.

In the court ruling, the judges make it clear that the people of the Free State deserve better. They believe that municipalities will have to adopt a new culture of management that entails accountability and responsibility in order to deliver services effectively.

According to judges Daffue, Chesiwe and Hefer, the case is also extremely important in terms of the Constitution to ensure that the community of Mafube enjoys basic rights. The court ruling also makes it clear that all the respondents were aware of the situation unfolding in Frankfort and other towns in Mafube and that they did not act with the necessary urgency.

It was found that the executive committee of the Free State Province and the Premier of the Free State did not comply with the previous court rulings of 28 April 2022 and 29 July 2021. The Premier, Mafube Local Municipality (MPM) and 7 other respondents were again reminded that they are obliged to carry out the orders of the court: The Financial Recovery Plan must be finalised and implemented immediately and sewage dumping in the Vaal and Wilge Rivers must be stopped immediately. They must provide their plan of action directly to the court within 60 days.

The ruling refers to the fact that the municipality does not have funds for renovation and upgrading of infrastructure, and that underperformance is “normal” for them and the municipality’s inability and incompetence to deliver services. The political will to solve problems is lacking. Communities are dependent on themselves and private institutions to deliver services. Funds collection may as well be done this way.

The court is no stranger to MPM, as they have had to explain a lot about poor service delivery and waste of public funds. But instead of finding solutions, they are continuing to fight in court.

The first prize would be imprisonment for officials, but the change of personnel means that the then Premier could not be held personally responsible for contempt. The current order is actually better, as the Provincial authorities are obliged to intervene and report directly to the court.

MPM has had time since April 2022 to get the municipality back on track. They haven't, and that's why MBF, with the assistance of AfriForum, launched the contempt case.

Workable and feasible solutions are within our reach. All that is missing is cooperation.