President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasised the need to review the funding model for municipalities and to establish ring-fenced utilities for water and electricity provision.
He was speaking at the eighth stakeholder engagement with the Free State provincial and local government, held as part of his commitment to strengthening collaboration in addressing service delivery challenges.
Ramaphosa says government must work towards a shared strategic vision, which requires deeper cooperation between the different spheres of government, as mandated by the Constitution.
He adds that timely implementation of government decisions remains the key measure by which citizens will judge the effectiveness of the state.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhXJAPSCPAY
Free State MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Saki Mokoena says the President’s stakeholder engagement is important for the province to provide the necessary relief and support to solve some of the problems it is facing.
WATCH | Free State Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae warmly welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa to a stakeholder engagement with the provincial and local government. pic.twitter.com/yD0FCkUrBR
— SABC News (@SABCNews) March 27, 2026
The gathering is part of an initiative in accordance with Section 154 of the Constitution, which mandates national and provincial governments to support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities to manage their own affairs effectively.
Many of the municipalities in the Free State are underperforming and under intervention.
Mokoena says the province has serious challenges as a result of state capture affecting local government. He says the province is dealing with the backlog of asbestos roofs, houses that have not been built and the high number of bucket system the province is confronted with and bulk service network.
VIDEO | President Ramaphosa to participate in a stakeholder engagement with Free State government
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVeQL0C6mto
