The Free State province’s State of the Province Address took place on 20 February at the Old Grey’s Sports Ground in Bloemfontein. Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae emphasized the necessity of inclusive economic growth for job creation, opportunity provision, poverty reduction, and an improved standard of living, marking it as their mission.
In her address, the Premier noted a decrease in unemployment in the province, which fell from 38.5% in the second quarter of 2025 to 36.2% in the third quarter of the same year. Additionally, 46,118 Expanded Public Works Programme work opportunities were created.
For the upcoming 2026 academic year, the province announced an increase in bursaries from 200 to 300 for deserving learners.
On the topic of school infrastructure investment, new schools were completed, while others remain under construction. In Mangaung, schools such as Langenhoven Park Comprehensive School in Bloemfontein and Kgotso Taole Technical Secondary School in Botshabelo were officially handed over. Ongoing refurbishments at schools in the area involve the removal of inappropriate structures and materials, including asbestos, at institutions like Dr Blok Secondary School, Olympia Primary School, and Tlotlanang Secondary School in Thaba Nchu. Reconstruction has also begun for Thato and Popano Secondary Schools in Botshabelo.
In a notable move, the Mangaung Local House of Traditional Leaders was established in November last year to provide guidance on customs, traditional leadership, and customary initiation matters. Collaborating with Traditional and Khoisan Leaders, the provincial government successfully reduced the number of deaths during the winter customary initiation season.
Out of thirteen departments, including the Free State Legislature, three departments earned clean audit outcomes, with the Department of Economic Development, Small Business Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs becoming the first service delivery department to achieve a clean audit for the 2024/2025 financial year.
Seven departments received unqualified audit outcomes, while three were qualified. Among five entities, one achieved a clean audit, two attained unqualified audits, and two received qualified audits, with Fleet Management and Medical Depot showing improvement over previous audit results.
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