The Ngwathe Local Municipality within the Fezile Dabi District Municipality, encompassing towns such as Parys, Tumahole, Heilbron, Koppies, and Vredefort in South Africa’s Free State Province, has been embroiled in a severe governance and service delivery crisis for years.
On 25 June 2025, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), mandated to promote, protect and monitor human rights, released a policy brief which explores what the government and other state actors can do to address the systemic sabotage of essential water infrastructure in municipalities.
