MyZA

News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff

You are here: Home / News / Elections 2026: N1 town’s decade of decay

Elections 2026: N1 town’s decade of decay

Beaufort West municipality says it does not have enough money to fix its ageing infrastructure. But the problem is self-inflicted

Beaufort West, known as the capital of the Karoo, is the largest town in the Great Karoo region and the Beaufort West Municipality. Photos: Ashraf Hendricks

We visited the Beaufort West Local Municipality, which has seen ten years of political instability and financial mismanagement.
In Beaufort West town, residents report broken electricity infrastructure, sewage blockages, poor roads and neglected sports facilities.
Murraysburg residents say frequent outages, a closed swimming pool, poor public facilities and limited access to health and government services are leaving the town struggling.
About 20 households in Murraysburg’s Gaza informal settlement have no water, electricity or toilets and rely on candles, open fires and neighbours for water.

If there were three things Elaine Wessels could fix in…

Read More: Elections 2026: N1 town’s decade of decay.

Inequality in education: Disparities in access to quality education based on socioeconomic status.

Category: Tag:

If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:

Letter to the Editor

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
If this is in response to an article please include that article title here or as the lead in for the first paragraph of your Letter below.

Separate tags with commas

Localise your letter by naming the city your words are about. Add relevant words describing your subject. Single comma separated words of no more than 5
Your Name(Required)
Your Name will be linked to the website below.
Your personal, business or social media web site
Choose NO to not set up a user account on MyZA. User Accounts will allow you to submit letters under your own Author Name

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

  • Older Persons Grants Land Today — No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, Older Persons grants are paid today, 30 October, under SASSA’s revised November payment schedule — with disability grants on Monday 2 November, children’s grants on Tuesday 3 November, and grants under review on Thursday 5 November. Two things every beneficiary should know. First, grant money does not expire on payment day. It stays…

  • November Grants Pay Early – No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. November grants pay earlier than usual. Older Persons grants are paid on Friday 30 October, Disability grants on 2 November, and Child Support and other grants on 3 November. Grants still under review are paid on 5 November. The money…

  • NSFAS 2027 applications close on 31 October — SASSA households, apply now

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. NSFAS applications for the 2027 academic year close on Friday 31 October 2026, and no extension is expected. If your household receives a SASSA grant, your child already passes the NSFAS financial eligibility test — but they still have to…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shongololo – millipede [sh-ong-o-loh-loh] A term used to describe a large brown millipede. It is derived from the isiZulu word ‘ukushonga’, meaning to roll up.

  2. Van der Merwe was watching a rugby test against the British Lions at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria. In the packed stadium, there was only one empty seat – next to Van der Merwe.

    \”Who does that seat belong to?\” asked his neighbour.

    \”It\’s for my wife.\”

    \”But why isn\’t she here?\”

    \”She died.\”

    \”So why didn\’t you give the ticket to one of your friends?\”

    \”They\’ve all gone to the funeral.\”