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EFF’s Matiase vows to improve living conditions in Mangaung

EFF Mangaung mayoral candidate Sam Matiase is seen at an election campaign ahead of local government elections in Bloemfontein, Free State on 22 October 2026.
EFF Mangaung mayoral candidate Sam Matiase
Image: Facebook – Bloemfontein Sub-Region
By: Paballo Lephaka
22 Oct 202619:29 SAST

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Mangaung mayoral candidate, Sam Matiase, says the party is committed to improving residents’ living conditions.

He was speaking at a community meeting during the party’s election campaign in Bloemfontein.

Matiase has accused the ANC-led municipality of failing to address poverty, poor management and neglect of infrastructure.

He says the EFF wants to change the circumstances of Manguang residents who continue to live in difficult conditions.

“For 32 years, the ruling party has been making promises with no intention whatsoever to fulfil those promises. The EFF makes no promises, it makes commitments. Commitments are what we devote ourselves to fulfil, come rain or high water. The commitments we’re making are of changing the lived circumstances of our people.”

EFF member Axola Toto has blamed what he describes as maladministration and corruption for Mangaung’s service delivery challenges.

Toto says poor road conditions, electricity problems and illegal dumping reflect failures in local governance.

He argues that the municipality needs a change in leadership.

“Currently, we are living in a capital state, and a capital state has never been good for anyone anyway. So, the only progress that we can make as human beings is to progress to socialism, where minority is not going to have hegemony over the economy. So, in terms of Mangaung, what needs to be changed here is the government entirely. Because the root cause of everything that we see here, the fact that today we don’t have roots, we don’t have steady electricity, we have dumping sight everywhere it’s because of maladministration.”

Reporting by: Lebohang Motshweneng 

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