By Abigail Visagie
The Free State African National Congress (ANC) has announced a significant political shift by reshuffling the leadership of seven municipal troikas across the province.
The move, confirmed by provincial secretary Polediso Motsoeneng during a post-Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meeting media briefing yesterday, forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen governance, improve service delivery, and realign political priorities ahead of the upcoming elections.
The affected municipalities will see leadership changes in key positions, including mayors, speakers, and chief whips, as the party responds to internal performance reviews and growing public dissatisfaction. This follows a recent oversight visit by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), which uncovered widespread dysfunction in municipalities — including billions in missing funds, sewage spills, illegal tenders, and critical staff vacancies.
Journal News, in its previous edition, first broke the story on the impending removal of mayors under the headline “Five Mayors Face the Chop”, following a tip-off.
According to Motsoeneng, the PEC resolved that urgent intervention will be prioritised in the Mafube, Moqhaka, Letsemeng, Nketoana, Nala, and Masilonyana local municipalities, as well as the Lejweleputswa District Municipality, where persistent audit disclaimers, weak leadership, and allegations of corruption have severely undermined service delivery.
“Redeployment will be effected in all these municipalities. The PWC [Provincial Working Committee] will pronounce on this decision. The provincial COGTA is expected to take action where allegations of corruption and malfeasance have been identified,” said Motsoeneng.
Dr Zweli Mkhize, chairperson of the parliamentary committee on cooperative governance, described the state of Free State municipalities as “disastrous.” The Auditor-General’s latest report supports this view, highlighting rampant irregular expenditure, a lack of accountability, and numerous audit disclaimers across the province.
Motsoeneng reiterated that the ruling party has placed strong emphasis on enhancing accountability, promoting clean governance, and accelerating service delivery within municipalities. “For these objectives to be realised, three conditions must be met: firstly, a resilient, courageous, and principled leadership; secondly, a committed, conscious cadreship; and lastly, an active civil society that is consciously mobilised,” he stated.
He added that the PEC had an in-depth discussion on the state of governance at both provincial and local levels. These discussions were informed by recent PEC roadshows and reinforced by findings from the Joint Portfolio Committee on Local Government’s visit to the province.
“A decisive call was made to urgently intervene and address the critical challenges that were laid bare in public,” said Motsoeneng.
In addition to the reshuffling of mayors, Motsoeneng also announced the enforcement of the ANC’s controversial step-aside rule against Mary Crockett, a councillor at Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality. Crockett, who serves as a Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Social Development, faces three counts of fraud and two counts of corruption in the local magistrate’s court.
She was arrested two weeks ago following allegations that she sold government houses and vacant sites in the area for R70,000 each. She was granted R10,000 bail, with conditions that include reporting to the Phuthaditjhaba Police Station every Monday and the surrender of her passport. “The PEC appreciates the voluntary step-aside of the said comrade, in line with the ANC’s step-aside rule,” said Motsoeneng.
