Eight members of the ANC in the Mangaung region were expelled, following the loss of a key position to the opposition DA in the Mangaung Metro council. This, despite the ANC being the majority party. On that list is deputy mayor of the metro, Mapaseka Mothibi-Nkoane, and former speaker Stefani Lockman-Naidoo.

During a media conference, the regional top structure said although the party was prompted to make a decision when losing the speaker position to the opposition party, it was not the sole reason for this step. 

Serial offenders

“Some of these ANC members have been ‘serial offenders’ by being defiant and internal processes – including calling on members of the ANC National Executive Committee of the party – to intervene, have been taking place since last year,” said Lawrence Mathae, Chairperson of the ANC in the region, calling the members “rogue elements”. 

He said all ANC councillors were called in after the sitting of the Mangaung council and confronted about their behaviour and “all of them denied any wrongdoing”. He said from the higher votes received by the opposition, it is clear that certain ANC members colluded with opposition parties. Mathae denied media reports that councillors were subjected to polygraph tests.  

Other ANC members expelled with immediate effect are as follows:

•       Chabeli Rampai (Councillor for Ward 7)
•       Patrick Monyakoane 
•       Mpo Mokoakoa (Councillor for Ward 29)
•       Lehlohonolo Moqolo (Councillor for Ward 49)
•       Lelala Makoa (Councillor for Ward 50)
•       Puseletso Seleke

Four of these members are ward councillors, which is going to lead to by-elections in these wards. Mathae said the ANC “is not afraid to hold by-elections, as residents have been complaining about their councillors and asked the party to act against them”. 

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Councillor Mapaseka Mothibi-Nkoane in Bloemfontein. It is reported that the metro was the only municipality in the province without a mayor for a year since the ousting of Olly Mlamleli. (Photo: Gallo Images/Volksblad/Mlungisi Louw)

ANC heading to court

The regional leadership said it has consulted legal advisors to see if they can go to court on an urgent basis to contest the legality of the council meeting during which DA councillor Maryke Davies was elected as the new speaker. 

“We strongly believe that legal grounds exist to challenge the meeting and its outcome,” said Mathae.

“The acting city (Tebogo) Motlashuping’s term of appointment by national department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has lapsed, so he had no authority to schedule a sitting of the Mangaung Metro Council. In the event that there is no speaker and no city (municipal) manager, only the MEC in the province could convene a sitting,” said Mathae. He said the sitting should have been convened by the provincial MEC and national department of Cooperative Governance. 

Sad state of Mangaung metro 

Spokesperson for the ANC in the Mangaung region, Ncamile Nxangisa, said in an interview with Daily Maverick that the regional structure of the ANC is very disappointed with the state of the metro – such as a lack of service delivery and the fact that municipal workers were downing tools because of the partial payment of salaries and non-payment of overtime. 

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“We’ve always said that there is a serious issue with political leadership in the municipality and for the administrative issues to be attended to, we need to stabilise political leadership” to make sure the metro administration is in better shape, Nxangisa explained.  

Mangaung Municipality became the first metro to be placed under administration. The municipality was under provincial care for almost two years, before it was placed under national administration. DM