PARYS — The Ngwathe Local Municipality has achieved a major service delivery milestone by ranking first in South Africa for its Water Services Development Plan (WSDP) audit compliance.
Under the administrative leadership of Municipal Manager Dr. F.P. Mothamaha, the municipality secured an 86% compliance rating before the end of the current financial year. This achievement surpasses the previous 2025 national record, where a Western Cape municipality led the country with an 81% compliance score.
Dr. Mothamaha attributed this national recognition directly to the strategic focus of the municipality’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP). The IDP prioritizes sustainable water and sanitation infrastructure as a foundational pillar of its local service delivery strategy.
A driving factor behind this success is the close intergovernmental collaboration between the municipality and the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), led by Free State Provincial Head Dr. Tseliso Ntili. Through structured weekly engagements, the municipal and provincial teams successfully accelerated infrastructure management and service delivery targets.
“This cooperation with the provincial department has finally borne fruit,” Dr. Mothamaha stated, while also expressing gratitude to local community members. “Our further word of gratitude goes to our residents for making meaningful contributions to the municipality, as our developmental plans are directly influenced by our residents.”
