Free State municipalities must do their work diligently and ignore criticism, Free State premier Ace Magashule said on Thursday.
Delivering his state of the province address, Magashule said politicians and officials in municipalities should continue to create viable and sustainable municipal services, despite outside criticism.
The government would seek to ensure that municipalities had sound financial and administration systems.
This would include a strong revenue base, which would not only encourage ratepayers, but hold users of municipal services accountable for payment.
Magashule said that in the coming year teams of officials at provincial and national government level and the private sector would be deployed to help certain local municipalities.
They would go to the Mafube, Ngwathe, Tokologo, Nala, Phumelela, Masilonyana and all Xhariep municipalities (in the southern Free State) to give assistance over a longer term period.
Magashule said many problems remained in ensuring access to basic services for residents at municipalities.
The Free State government would make sure that the repair of services such as sewerage, water and electricity supply systems got attention this year.
Specific residential areas earmarked for these services were Wesselsbron, Lusaka in QwaQwa, Parys, Odendaalsrus, Ficksburg, Botshabelo, and in Mangaung at places such as Isithwalandwe, Khayelitsha and Phase Nine.
Reacting to media criticism about a lack of government services, Magashule invited politicians, the media and the general public to accompany officials on public visits.
“I would like to invite them to verify the progress we have made against the objectives we have outlined for ourselves,” he said.
He said details of these visits would be made known. – Sapa