Staff reporter
Bloemfontein – Free State Premier Joyce “Pretenders” Mathae is accused of failing to implement a court order.
This comes after the Constitutional Court dismissed an application for leave to appeal a Free State High Court judgment ordering the dissolution of the Ngwathe Local Municipality council.
On 11 June 2026, Mathae and her Executive Council resolved to dissolve Ngwathe and .
“Yet it appears as if the municipal council is continuing to make decisions as if no court order existed. This raises serious questions about the provincial government’s compliance with its constitutional obligations and the rule of law,” said Alta Pretorius, District Coordinator for AfriForum’s Mooi River region.
Asked whether AfriForum would approach the courts, Pretorius said the organisation was monitoring developments closely and would consider all available legal options should the provincial government fail to comply fully with the court order.
AfriForum emphasises that the residents of the Ngwathe Municipality have been suffering for years due to poor service delivery, infrastructure decay and management failures. The organisation will not hesitate to take further legal action if the provincial government fails to comply with the court order.
“No government institution is above the law. The court has given clear instructions on what needs to happen to address the crisis in this municipality. The Free State government must now show that it respects the court’s authority and is prepared to act in the interests of residents,” said Schalk Burger, Chairperson of AfriForum’s Parys branch.
It is not the first time Mathae has been accused of defying a court order. In 2024, the Free State Provincial Government only complied with a Free State High Court ruling after facing a contempt of court application.
It is also not the first time questions have been raised about the accuracy of information provided by the provincial government.
In March, Dr Solomon Phera, Director-General of the Free State Provincial Government, stated that Zongezile Zumane had been moved to a non-managerial position. However, Zumane later signed an official document in his capacity as Chief Executive Officer.
The matter is expected to attract further scrutiny as various investigations involving provincial departments continue, including those by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Public Service Commission (PSC), and the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA).
Just like Dr Takisi Masiteng said in 2024, the centre is not holding and we are exposing the collapse.
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