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
Wastewater treatment works clean sewage before the water goes back into rivers. When they do not work, raw sewage can reach the rivers, as the Auditor-General found. The metro said 8 of its 13 works partly worked, but the audit could not confirm this. All three pollution cases were still being looked into in May 2026.
Auditor-General of South Africa. Published 28 April 2026.
Where to look: Slide 17 (PDF page 17), 'Wastewater management': 'The municipal WWTWs are not operational, and the raw/untreated effluent is discharged into the river streams, adjacent area and other water sources.' Slide 16: Dewetsdorp works 'non-operational due to vandalism and infrastructure failure', sanitation project about 51% complete
Auditor-General of South Africa. Published 24 June 2026.
Where to look: Printed page 173 (PDF page 177), environmental findings: wastewater treatment works 'were not safeguarded and maintained' at Buffalo City and Mangaung, and did not have operating licences at Buffalo City, Nelson Mandela Bay, Mangaung and eThekwini. Printed page 320 (PDF page 324), referrals to the Department of Water and Sanitation, 'Status as at 26 May 2026': Mangaung Botshabelo and Sterkwater wastewater treatment works (referred 27 February 2024) and Thaba Nchu (referred 14 April 2025), each 'Investigation in progress'
Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality. Published 29 January 2026.
Where to look: Printed page 29 (PDF page 34), sanitation KPI 2: actual achievement '8 out of 13 WWTWs are now partially functional' (target: all non-functional units refurbished by 30 June 2025). Chapter 6, Auditor-General's report, printed page 120 (PDF page 125), paragraph 38: 'I could not determine whether the reported achievement was correct'
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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