ANC Disciplinary Net Tightens on Mayors

By: Abigail Visagie
The African National Congress (ANC) in the Free State has stamped its authority against defiant mayors it sought to recall from office.
Journal News can reveal that the seven mayors who were ordered to step down from office have now been served with immediate suspension letters of their party membership by the Provincial Working Committee (PEC). This follows their refusal to obey the provincial leadership’s instruction to resign.
According to the letter – seen by this publication and signed by Provincial Secretary Polediso Motsoeneng on 16 September 2025 – the mayors will “attend the Council Caucus and council sittings” as directed by Motsoeneng or the regional secretaries until the disciplinary process is concluded.
Last month, the ANC provincial leadership announced the removal of seven troikas - comprising mayors, speakers and chief whips - from the Mafube, Moqhaka, Letsemeng, Nketoana, Nala and Masilonyana local municipalities, as well as the Lejweleputswa District Municipality. The decision was justified on grounds of poor performance and failure to deliver services.
The affected officials, however, have since written to ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula appealing for intervention. This prompted Mbalula to summon the provincial executive committee (PEC) to the party’s headquarters, Luthuli House.
According to a memo from Mbalula – also seen by this publication - the PEC meeting will deliberate on the “redeployment” of the mayors, scheduled for today (19 September 2025) at 13:00.
A source within the PEC, however, revealed that only three of the seven mayors have received suspension letters so far.
“Only three mayors have received their letters, while others are still waiting. The process was halted by Mbalula’s call for a meeting, which could see it reversed,” the source said.
When contacted by Journal News on Thursday, Mafube mayor, Tlhoare Motsoeneng, declined to confirm or deny whether his ANC membership had been suspended.
“The rules of the ANC stipulate that, once the matter has been finalised, the province will release a statement on whether the mayors’ memberships have been suspended. I therefore cannot confirm or deny my suspension,” he said.
Similarly, Letsemeng mayor Bonolo Mocwaledi would not confirm if she had received a suspension letter - but instead referred this publication to the ANC’s provincial office.
Provincial spokesperson, Thabo Meeko, explained that the process of managing communication with deployees from the seven municipalities was still underway, adding that the ANC “has its own processes to manage redeployment.”
“The ANC cannot be inhumane towards its own members, so the decision to redeploy the mayors takes into account the constitutional requirements of the organisation.”
Meeko stressed that the seven mayors should not be treated as though they had committed individual offences, noting that the ANC views their failures as a collective, with the respective mayors serving as ‘commanders-in-chief’. He also emphasised that the process is about reconfiguration, not suspension.
“We don’t act arrogantly. We are a disciplined organisation, and once a decision is taken, its implementation requires that the ANC convene before reconfiguration.”
Meeko, however, confirmed that some members were resisting the decision and cautioned them against openly defying the party.
“That is why we are considering invoking clauses dealing with ill-discipline, particularly after members leaked internal letters into the public domain, knowing the ANC does not discuss such matters publicly.
“When people say they will not be removed, we remind them that they were deployed by the ANC. We urge members of the media to wait for us until the process is concluded,” Meeko added.