Staff Reporter
The Free State provincial government has set up a special task force to monitor the implementation of an agreement drawn up to address service delivery and other issues that brought the city to a total standstill during a two-day shutdown this week.
This was announced by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) MEC Thembeni Nxangisa during a media briefing following marathon meetings with protest organisers, Mangaung Community Concern (MCC), the Office of the Premier and Mangaung Metro.
“The task team is going to meet every week on Tuesdays to review progress and report back to communities,” said Nxangisa.
He was flanked by MCC member Motlatsi Mokgatla and Councillor Molefe Morake who was standing in for the acting mayor Lebohang Masoetsa.
The oversight task team led by COGTA has been appointed by the premier to work hand in glove with MCC.
Among the key issues deliberated on, MCC wants the city to urgently improve service delivery, improve access to business opportunities for residents, implement sound management in municipal affairs, improve access to land and deal with corrupt and aloof government officials.
Delivering the joint statement, the MEC said the parties to the meeting developed a detailed agreement and memorandum of understanding which is binding to all stakeholders.
“There are clear timeframes on specific items to ensure full implementation . . . the meeting urges all our people to suspend the shutdown and allow the binding agreement to be implemented,” he pointed out.
Nxangisa said the meeting also noted the urgency of ensuring that people’s lives return to normal and that schools reopen and people return to work.
Mokgatla praised residents for raising their voices against the falling standards in the city and fighting for improved services.
“I would like to thank the community of Mangaung for standing up and fighting for rights and for their dignity. We hope what’s entertained in this document is going to resolve and address the issues that were outlined by the community.
“We also hope that we will all be working together to ensure that all is going well in terms of running Mangaung (municipality) as a whole,” said Mokgatla in a brief statement.
Morake acknowledged the issues raised by MCC and was optimistic they will be addressed.
“As Mangaung we are very happy with the intervention of the province to make sure that there is peace and stability among the communities.
“We also acknowledge the concerns raised by the community . . . and that as municipality, we speedily resolve those matters.
“We commit ourselves to this agreement to make sure that we are able to restore basic service delivery and ensure that our workers go back to work,” said Morake.