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Ngwathe Municipality Leadership Urges Alternative Intervention Ncop Committee Stresses Compliance Court Order
Parliament of the Republic of South AfricaRef: https://www.parliament.gov.za/news/ngwathe-municipality-leadership-urges-alternative-intervention-ncop-committee-stresses-compliance-court-order
Official source
Source domain: parliament.gov.za
Collected on 12 July 2026
Always confirm details on the official source before acting.
What this means
This is a Parliament of South Africa news item reporting on an oversight visit by an NCOP Select Committee to the dissolved Ngwathe Local Municipality in Parys, Free State. The dissolved municipality’s leadership and a provincial administrator argue that service delivery has improved since the Free State High Court ordered the provincial executive to invoke Section 139(1)(b) of the Constitution, and they urge alternative intervention rather than dissolution. The committee stresses that the court order remains binding, discourages protracted litigation, encourages partnerships with local businesses and civil society, and reminds councillors of their constitutional duty to serve residents.
Facts
Places
Free State
Reference
https://www.parliament.gov.za/news/ngwathe-municipality-leadership-urges-alternative-intervention-ncop-committee-stresses-compliance-court-order
Parties
Free State. The dissolved municipality
Key Takeaways
- Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Public Administration (Traditional Affairs, Human Settlements and Water and Sanitation) conducted an oversight visit
- Visit location: council chambers in Parys, Free State
- Court order: Free State High Court ordered provincial executive to invoke Section 139(1)(b) of the Constitution
- Executive Mayor: Victoria de Beer-Mthombeni (dissolved Ngwathe Local Municipality) urged alternative intervention
- Administrator: Dr Solly Motingoe appointed by provincial government
- Improvements cited: replacement of 15 km of water pipeline in Parys; refurbishment of Parys and Vredefort Water Treatment Works; cessation of raw sewage discharges into the Vaal River system
- Service delivery claims: no load reduction experienced this winter; addressing water, sanitation and electricity; asphalt production plant; pothole repairs programme
- Committee position: court order remains binding and must be implemented
- Committee cautioned against spending limited public resources on protracted litigation
- Date of publication: 10 July 2026
- Committee Chairperson quoted: Mxolisi Kaunda
- Parliament of South Africa
- Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Public Administration (Traditional Affairs, Human Settlements and Water and Sanitation)
- Free State High Court
- Ngwathe Local Municipality (dissolved)
- Executive Mayor Victoria de Beer-Mthombeni
- Dr Solly Motingoe
- Mr Mxolisi Kaunda
- Vaal River
- Parys
- Vredefort
- Malatswa Molepo