Checked 27 October 2026
Where the facts in this claim come from
Every fact on the claim page, with the sources we used. We save a copy of each source on the day we read it.
What does the evidence show?
Why it is Verified
Five parts of the accounts had problems. They were money billed for services, water bought in bulk, assets, staff overtime, and money promised under contracts (commitments). The Auditor-General doubts Mangaung can keep running and paying its bills. This doubt has been flagged for nine years in a row. The Auditor-General's report sums up Mangaung in one line: "Governance failures and weak accountability undermine service delivery". Here, governance means how the council is led and run, and accountability means leaders answering for what they do.
Auditor-General of South Africa. Published 28 April 2026.
Where to look: Slide 7 (PDF page 7), 'Overall audit outcomes - Mangaung': audit outcome row 2024-25 'Qualified'; box 'Financial statements: Five qualifications' (service charges, bulk purchases, property plant and equipment, employee cost, commitments); box 'AoPO: Adverse'
Auditor-General of South Africa. Published 24 June 2026.
Where to look: Printed page 208 (PDF page 212), Mangaung spotlight: headline 'Governance failures and weak accountability undermine service delivery'; five-year audit outcomes, 2021-22 to 2024-25 'Qualified with findings' (2020-21 'Unqualified with findings'); 'Financial statements - Audit opinion: Qualified'; 'Performance report - Audit opinion: Adverse'; 'Going concern uncertainty Yes (9 years)'
Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality. Published 29 January 2026.
Where to look: Chapter 6, Auditor-General's report on the consolidated financial statements, printed page 116 (PDF page 121), heading 'Qualified opinion' and paragraph 2 ('except for the effects and possible effects of the matters described in the basis for qualified opinion section')
Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. Published 9 May 2025.
Where to look: Article body paragraph 4 (context): 'three consecutive qualified audit opinions, in 2021/22, 2022/23, and 2023/24'
What did the council do, and when?
Who ran the council
Mayor: Gregory Nthatisi (ANC). Council run by ANC. From Apr 2023 to present.
OFM. Published 26 April 2023.
Where to look: Paragraphs 1-2 (ANC councillor Gregory Nthatisi elected acting executive mayor after the High Court interdicted AASD president Papi Mokoena); paragraph 9 (council sat on Tuesday 25 April 2023)
The Citizen. Published 26 April 2023.
Where to look: Paragraph 3 (elected acting mayor with 50 of the 93 votes cast in a secret ballot at a special council sitting); paragraph 2 (court interdict set aside Mokoena's election)
BloemNews Express. Published 26 October 2023.
Where to look: Article body paragraph 1 ('The ANC is back in the troika positions in the Mangaung Metro after an election held on Friday, 13 October'); paragraph 2 ('The newly-elected executive mayor, Gregory Nthatisi')
OFM. Published 24 October 2025.
Where to look: Paragraph 8 ('Nthatisi, who was elected as mayor in 2023 with the support of the ANC and its coalition partners, including the African Transformation Movement')
Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality. Published 29 January 2026.
Where to look: Printed page 11 (PDF page 16), section on political governance: '1) Executive Mayor: Councillor Gregory Mosala Solomon Nthatisi'
Auditor-General of South Africa. Published 28 April 2026.
Where to look: Slide 8 (PDF page 8), 'Insights on national intervention': provincial administration under section 139(5) from 1 January 2020 to 25 April 2022, national intervention under section 139(7) from 26 April 2022; still in the rescue phase of the financial recovery plan at 30 June 2025
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