Tshediso Mangope
Yesterday I attended the Branch Biennial General Meeting in my branch. I was expecting politics, but what I found instead was unapologetic vulgarity. At some point, decency packed its bags and divorced the chamber.
A woman stood up and announced, with tall confidence, that...
The African National Congress (ANC) in Mangaung has officially set the stage for a high-stakes regional showdown, confirming that its 8th Regional Conference will take place from 13–15 March 2026. The announcement was made by the Mangaung Regional Task Team (RTT) following its ordinary meeting on 4 February at the Kaizer Sebothelo Building in Bloemfontein. The decision comes after a proposal by the Regional Working Task Team (RWTT). In a media statement issued yesterday, the RTT said final logistical details would be communicated to branches in due course to guide delegates. Regional spokesperson Sabelo Pitso said the RTT adopted the RWTT report and confirmed the configuration of regional sub-committees, with a strong emphasis on organisational compliance ahead of the conference. Branches have been instructed to conclude their Bi-Annual Branch General Meetings (BBGMs) within stipulated timelines and in line with ANC guidelines to ensure “credible and transparent” outcomes. Pitso stressed that all members in good standing must be allowed fair participation in branch processes. The RTT also noted the gazetted outcomes of the Municipal Demarcation Board and committed to engaging party structures on the implications for the Mangaung region. Echoing ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, the RTT warned against lobbying for national conference positions, calling instead for unity and discipline within party ranks. “The RTT continues to work closely with provincial structures to ensure readiness for the upcoming conference,” Pitso said. Leadership race heats up Behind the scenes, political manoeuvring is already under way. Sources indicate that Pitso is expected to contest a leadership position, despite reported grassroots support for another candidate. At the same time, regional spokesperson Ncamile Nxangisa is said to be under pressure from party members to enter the race for the top post, although she has not publicly declared her intentions. Regional chairperson Lawrence Mathae is widely expected to seek a second term — and could return unopposed if no challengers emerge before the conference. Mathae, who also serves as Speaker of the Mangaung Metro Municipality, reportedly enjoys strong internal backing. Insiders say his campaign message will centre on unity, organisational renewal and improved service delivery as the ANC seeks to rebuild public confidence ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections. Allegations resurface Mathae’s anticipated re-election comes despite corruption allegations levelled against him last year alongside his wife, Free State Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae. Local businessman and New Beginnings CEO Patrick Phuti accused the couple of receiving substantial payments and luxury gifts. Phuti made the allegations public after his contract was terminated. Both Mathae and the Premier have denied the claims, describing them as malicious and baseless. A senior party source maintains that the allegations carry no organisational consequences, as no formal charges have been laid. “The step-aside rule applies only to members who have been formally charged or are appearing in court. In this case, neither the chairperson nor the premier meets that threshold,” the source said. The ANC’s step-aside rule requires members facing criminal charges to voluntarily step aside from party and public duties to safeguard the integrity of the organisation. Campaigning rumours dismissed Provincial spokesperson Thabo Meeko has dismissed claims that internal campaigning has already begun. “These are nothing but rumours spread by people seeking to distract the organisation. The ANC is focused on securing victory in the upcoming Local Government Elections and has not opened leadership campaigns,” Meeko said. However, information gathered by this publication suggests that campaign activity may already be spreading beyond Mangaung, with reports of similar mobilisation in Thabo Mofutsanyana and Lejweleputswa. Regional chairpersons Thabo Mokoena and Xolile Toki are reportedly preparing to seek re-election at their respective conferences scheduled for November — setting the stage for a province-wide contest that could reshape the ANC’s leadership landscape in the Free State.
The future of 19-year-old Khanya Mashee, a Grade 11 learner at Bluegumbosch Secondary School in Phutaditjhaba, hangs in the balance following a decision by the Free State Department of Education that has left him out of school since the start of the 2026 academic year. Mashee and his family claim that he has been unfairly denied his constitutional right to education after failing Grade 11 by just one percent, despite what they describe as consistent academic performance throughout the year. According to the family, Mashee has not attended school since the beginning of the year while awaiting the outcome of an appeal against his results — a situation they say has caused severe distress, as he continues to miss out on schoolwork and classroom support. Mashee’s parents, Julia and Likotsi Mashee, say they feel helpless and are pleading for their son to be allowed to complete high school without further obstacles. Julia Mashee alleges that when she collected her son’s third-term report card, his class teacher — who also teaches him Sesotho Home Language — told her that Khanya would “never set foot in Grade 12”, despite his overall performance during the year. She says she was shocked by the remark, adding that she had never previously been called to the school regarding misconduct or disciplinary issues. Julia further alleges that the teacher referred to her son as part of a “copying gang”, an issue she believed had already been resolved. In 2024, Mashee was caught cheating during examinations. He signed an acknowledgment letter with the school and was required to repeat Grade 11 in 2025 after failing the grade in 2024. According to the Equal Education Law Centre (EELC), an organisation that provides legal support where learners’ rights are prejudiced, a learner who has already repeated a grade — or who would not benefit from repeating — may be progressed to the next grade with appropriate support. Progression, the organisation explains, allows a learner who has not met the minimum requirements to move to the next grade, provided that tailored academic support is put in place. The EELC further states that progressed learners must receive structured support, which may include classroom assistance with the curriculum and assessments, and that progression should not occur without such support. The Mashee family says they have exhausted all avenues for assistance, including approaching the district office, but Khanya remains excluded from the schooling system. They also dispute alleged inconsistencies in Khanya’s attendance records. According to Julia, her son’s first-, second- and third-term reports indicate that he was absent twice in the first term, three times in the second term, and not absent at all in the third term. However, the fourth-term report reflects nine days absent in the second term, 13 days in the third term, and 28 days in the fourth term — figures the family says were used to justify his second consecutive failure of Grade 11. The family appealed the results and requested a remark from the Department of Education, but the appeal was rejected. In a letter dated 22 January 2026, written by school principal Ernest Mbhele and seen by Journal News, the school outlined reasons for rejecting the request. “The learner does not meet the minimum pass rate required in Home Language. The school never received any complaint during the year regarding distasteful remarks from the teacher,” the letter reads. “The policy on progression does not permit the learner to be placed in the next grade. The learner does not attend school regularly.” Free State Department of Education spokesperson Howard Ndaba confirmed that the remark process had been completed and feedback provided to the family, although the family disputes the outcome. “We strongly advise the learner to attend classes and continue learning,” Ndaba said. “He failed to achieve the required 40% in his November examinations and does not meet the minimum progression requirements as per the DBE 2025 Circular.” Ndaba added that Khanya was absent for more than 20 days, and that full attendance records were available to his parents.
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen took to the stage in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, on 4 February to formally announce that he will not seek re-election at the end of his term in April — a move that has set off a high-stakes race for the party’s top position. With two prominent contenders emerging — Solly Msimanga and Geordin Hill-Lewis — the battle for leadership is shaping up to be fiercely competitive. Hill-Lewis has risen steadily within both the party and government ranks. In 2011, at just 24, he became the youngest Member of Parliament in South Africa’s history, marking an early milestone in his political career. He has served as Mayor of Cape Town since 2021. During his tenure, Cape Town committed significant funding to infrastructure development, spending R10 billion last year and allocating R25 billion over the current term. Hill-Lewis introduced plans to mitigate load-shedding by procuring electricity from independent power producers and enabling residents to feed excess solar power back into the grid. Under his leadership, the city has reported growth in employment levels. While critics have suggested that tourism receives priority attention, the mayor has also placed emphasis on affordable housing. In 2025, he oversaw the deployment of additional Metro Police officers and advanced the expansion of the MyCiTi bus service to improve accessibility. Throughout this period, the city has maintained clean financial audits and sound reporting standards. Beyond his parliamentary role, Hill-Lewis served as Deputy Provincial Leader of the DA in the Western Cape. He is widely regarded as a close ally of former DA leader Helen Zille, and comparisons have been drawn between his trajectory and Zille’s time as both party leader and Cape Town mayor. Meanwhile, Solly Msimanga stands as another formidable contender. He is currently the DA’s Gauteng Provincial Leader and serves in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature. Msimanga previously acted as the party’s spokesperson for Sports, Arts and Culture and Recreation in Gauteng, and has served on the Education and Economic Development portfolios. One of his most notable achievements was serving as Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane for three years — a metro widely regarded as more politically diverse and socio-economically complex than Cape Town. According to the DA, Msimanga inherited a financially distressed municipality and turned a reported R2 billion deficit into a surplus within his first financial year as mayor. The party further credits him with overseeing the construction of 40 RDP homes, removing 900 political appointees from the mayor’s office, and launching an inner-city revitalisation programme aimed at restoring investor confidence. He also established the Tshwane Economic Development Agency, which reportedly attracted R1.5 billion in investment and contributed to the creation of approximately 1,850 jobs. Both candidates bring distinct leadership styles and governance records to the table. As the DA prepares for its next chapter, the question remains whether executive experience at metro level will translate into the national leadership the party now seeks.
…Claims ‘mission accomplished’ as he prepares to step down at national party congress
“It’s mission accomplished”…These words were echoed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) Leader, John Steenhuisen, as he announced that he will not be standing for re-election as the party’s leader at the upcoming National Congress in April 2026.
Steenhuisen took the stage in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, on 4 February, to formally announce that he will not be standing for re-election at the end of his term in April. Speculations and various media outlets speculate that the leader’s poor financial decision may be the root cause of his decision, especially since an ambitious Steenhuisen has only held the position for six years.
Various reports revealed that Steenhuisen had suffered a default judgment of R150 000 for credit card debt, subsequently prompting Dion George, DA’s former federal finance chair, to revoke the card.
In typical Steenhuisen style, the leader boasted about the achievements he has collected in terms, mentioning that during his term, he led the DA into national government and further secured cabinet seats such as Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Basic Education, Minister of Public Works and much more.
“I have delivered everything that I promised my party when I was first elected as Federal Leader back in 2019.
“I proudly picked up the party’s banner when its internal polling was down to just 16% and after the media declared the ‘Death of the DA’,” said Steenhuisen.
Steenhuisen mentioned that for the rest of this term of office, he will be placing all his time and effort as Minister of Agriculture on defeating the catastrophic Foot-And-Mouth disease to pursue mass vaccination and to ensure that this is the last outbreak the country sees.
“The DA I inherited was reading its own obituary in a country that was in rapid decline. The DA I leave behind, co-governs a country that is firmly on the up,” concluded Steenhuisen.
Brian Molefe will now be the MK Party’s Treasurer General (TG) after resigning from the party’s Member of Parliament (MP).
This was announced by the party in a statement on Wednesday.
The party said the decision was made by the leader, Jacob Zuma.
“This emphasises the strategic importance of strengthening organisational capacity, financial discipline and resource mobilisation as central pillars in advancing the mission of the movement,” the party said.
The party affirmed that this transition is in full alignment with that directive and with the collective interests of the organisation.
The MKP commended Molefe for the disciplined manner in which he has served in Parliament and for his unwavering commitment to the revolutionary programme of the movement.
In a statement, the party said his redeployment to focus on the critical task of building the financial sustainability of the party reflected the organisational principle that cadres must be placed where they are most effective in serving the people and advancing the struggle for economic liberation.
“We reiterate that all members and public representatives of the MKP remain bound by organisational discipline and by the guidance of the President and the leadership collective.
“The unity, coherence and effectiveness of the party remain paramount as we continue to champion the aspirations of our people,” it said.
The MKP wished Molefe success in the execution of his new role.
It further called upon all structures to extend their full support to ensure the strengthening of the party in preparation for the decisive tasks ahead.
