The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) welcomes the confirmation that the Office of the Public Protector (PP) has received a formal complaint from the party against the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality.
The complaint stems from the municipality’s ongoing failure to respond to formal warnings and complaints lodged since August 2025.
The complaints relate to illegal land use, non-compliance with rezoning requirements, unlawful building activities, dangerous traffic conditions, and the failure to enforce relevant municipal legislation at 27 Wolseley Street (Erf 1645), Trichardt Street, Secunda. A business has allegedly established an illegal parking area at this residential property.
Despite repeated correspondence addressed to the Municipal Manager and senior officials, no meaningful action or law enforcement has been taken by the municipality.
The original complaint, submitted on 21 August 2025, already highlighted serious concerns regarding possible violations of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA), municipal planning by-laws, building regulations, and the illegal use of municipal land.
It also warned about dangerous traffic conditions arising from business activities operating from a residential erf.
A follow-up letter dated 9 April 2026 further emphasised these risks after an accident occurred on 7 April 2026 exactly at the problematic access point.
Repeated warnings and requests for intervention have allegedly been ignored, despite the municipality’s constitutional and administrative duty to protect public safety and enforce legislation.
Due to this continued inaction, the matter has been formally referred to the Mpumalanga Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), with a request for intervention.
The Public Protector has since confirmed that the complaint will be assessed to determine whether the office has a mandate to investigate the allegations further.
For the VF Plus, this matter is not merely about a piece of land or a single incident. It is about the safety of residents, the rights of communities, and the responsibility of a municipality to act on warnings before people’s lives are put at risk.
No resident should be exposed to dangers resulting from administrative negligence or management failures.
Laws and safety regulations exist to protect communities and must be applied consistently, without fear or favour.
The VF Plus will closely monitor the matter and pursue all available processes to ensure accountability, transparency, and the protection of public safety.
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