This is the worst-run municipality in South Africa

• The Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality in the Free State has been named the worst-run municipality in South Africa, according to the FW de Klerk Foundation Local Government Report Card 2026.
• The municipality scored an incredibly low 24.0 out of a possible 100, with the report card examining how 50 local municipalities are meeting Constitutional standards, and Maluti-a-Phofung is one of the most severe cases of cumulative municipal failure.
• The municipality has faced repeated criticisms from the Auditor General of South Africa for failing to submit its consolidated annual financial statements since 2016/17, and it is severely constrained by poverty and unemployment, making municipal governance incredibly hard.