Matlosana mayor Fikile Mahlophe has told the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) the decision to stop the distribution of free paraffin to indigent communities in the municipality was made by the council and not by him.
Mahlophe was speaking before the commission on Monday after being subpoenaed to account after an almost three-month non-response to the SAHRC. The hearing follows a complaint lodged on September 2 2025 by affected communities.
Qualifying indigent households in several areas that are unelectrified, including Jacaranda, Khuma, Tigane, Sunnyside, Kanana and Jouberton, allegedly stopped getting free paraffin after Mahlophe took office.
The complaint, lodged by Xolani Tshabalala, alleged that the free paraffin programme was stopped after Mahlophe assumed office in 2024.
Mahlophe, however, told the commission the council had noted that providing free paraffin to those communities was financially unsustainable; hence, the programme was stopped.
“Upon my appointment there were several issues we looked into broadly around the sustainability of services,” Mahlophe told the commission.
“Council took a decision that it is not sustainable for the municipality to provide alternative energy in the form of paraffin from a financial point of view, as well as other aspects, including safety.”
Council took a decision that it is not sustainable for the municipality to provide alternative energy in the form of paraffin from a financial point of view, as well as other aspects, including safety.
— Fikile Mahlophe, Matlosana mayor
He said the council resolution was influenced by concerns about alleged corruption and abuse of the system, as well as the need for a permanent energy solution through electrification.
“The auditor-general reflected this provision of paraffin almost as a material irregularity, as it was not market-related and was putting the municipality deeper into a financial crisis when it was already in a financial recovery plan,” he said.
“There were also allegations of corruption and some officials were arrested in relation to the abuse of the provision.”
According to Mahlophe, the city is currently electrifying the areas which were previously supplied with paraffin.
“The intention of the municipality was at no point intended to take away the rights of people of Matlosana by not giving them services in the form of paraffin.
“Where we are, as the municipality, for example, we have Alabama Ext 5 with 581 households we are electrifying, which used to benefit from the free paraffin.
“In Ext 31 we are implementing and also electrifying 618 houses. In Dominionville 58 houses were given solar.”
The SAHRC is investigating facts surrounding the complaint, assessing whether the alleged conduct implicates constitutional and human rights obligations and determining whether any remedial action or recommendations are warranted.
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