Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality — formed from the merger of the former Lukhanji and Tsolwana municipalities, covering Queenstown and surrounding areas in the Eastern Cape — earned the dubious distinction of being described by the Auditor-General as the "worst run municipality in the country." This was not hyperbole: the municipality's R1.4 billion accumulated debt, combined with its complete inability to deliver services, placed it at the absolute bottom of South Africa's 257 municipalities.
The municipality's water infrastructure has deteriorated to the point where entire areas go days and sometimes weeks without supply. Sewage treatment works have collapsed, resulting in raw sewage flowing through streets and into rivers. Waste collection has ceased in many areas. Road maintenance is non-existent. The municipal offices themselves are in a state of disrepair.
Financial management is characterised by the AG as being in a state of complete dysfunction: financial statements are unreliable or absent, procurement records are incomplete or missing, and revenue collection has effectively collapsed. Ratepayers who do attempt to pay for services find that the municipality cannot issue accurate bills, process payments, or maintain accounts.
The South African Human Rights Commission investigated conditions in the municipality and found systematic violations of residents' constitutional rights to water, sanitation, and a clean environment. Despite these findings and the AG's characterisation, no meaningful intervention has reversed the decline.