Staff Reporter
Welkom – A widening gap between government commitments and lived reality is unfolding across parts of the Free State, as residents in Welkom and Bloemfontein continue to grapple with flooding and incomplete housing projects months after key promises were made.
In Welkom, families say they are still living in waterlogged homes, with flooding returning each time it rains and leaving already vulnerable households in worsening conditions.
“When it rains, everything floods again. Nothing has changed,” a resident said.
The situation stands in stark contrast to commitments made by Joyce “Pretenders” Mathae during her 2025 State of the Province Address (SOPA), where she indicated that upgrades to G-Hostel in Welkom would be completed within the 2025/26 financial year.
“Re tla phethela ntlafatso ya G-Hostel e mane Welkom selemong sena… re tla fihlela Sena quarter ya boraro ya financial year 2025/26.”
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But in 2026, residents say those commitments have yet to translate into meaningful change.
This is how G-hostel looks now.
In Mangaung’s Silver City/ Dark City, a similar pattern is emerging.
While the front-facing sections of hostel developments present a picture of completion, conditions behind the same structures tell a different story, unfinished buildings, exposed brickwork, and clear signs of stalled construction.
Residents say the contrast reflects a broader issue of partial delivery, where projects appear complete at face value but fail to address the full extent of living conditions on the ground.
Insiders say the hostel is far from completion with phase one only done and not even electricity is connected.
From Welkom to Mangaung, communities say the gap between promises and reality is no longer just noticeable, it is becoming a daily lived experience.
Mzikayise Mohatyaza, an activist from Phokeng Village in Welkom where flooding has forced residents out said they are heartbroken.
Up next is what Mathae said about construction of schools and roads but before the. We will take a short left to Bethlehem to check how many houses has Human Settlements built.
In part 1 we covered Health lies told by Mathae.
This is a developing story.
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