OFM News recently reported the IEC has set a date in late August for the long-awaited by-elections. The vacancies in the embattled municipality famously occurred when the ANC expelled 16 of its councillors for rebelling against the party’s Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) and colluding with the opposition to elect Gilbert Mokotso as the new mayor of Maluti during a council meeting in June 2018. On Wednesday protests flared up in the area with allegations being made that residents do not want the by-elections to go ahead on August 28. IEC Provincial Electoral Officer, Jabulani Tshabalala, says the commission is mandated by law to continue with the by-elections.

Tshabalala says he is not aware residents don’t want the by-elections to continue, adding that he was informed that Wednesday’s unrest was due to ongoing service delivery challenges in that financially challenged municipality, “particularly relating to electricity outages”. The IEC Provincial head says “we will continue as we did in the National general elections in May. There was a lot of unrest, a lot of protests everywhere in Viljoenskroon and Marquard, but we proceeded cause we work hand in glove with law enforcement agencies”. The IEC will continue to engage with police to ensure the conditions in Maluti-A-Phofung are conducive for by-elections.

The IEC had initially intended on having the by-elections done in February 2018, but the ousted councillors’ High Court bid challenging their expulsion thwarted the commission’s plans temporarily. The disgruntled group’s bid was shot down by Judge Johannes Petrus Daffue in February, paving the way for the commission to continue in his court order. Mokotso, who forms part of the expelled group, was meant to replace former mayor and current Chief Whip of the Free State Legislature, Vusi Tshabalala, before the group’s plans were disrupted by the ruling party. Tshabalala, along with the Speaker, Malewatle Nthedi and Chief Whip, Mmoledi Moloi, were recalled by the Free State Provincial Task Team (PTT) in early May 2018 amidst allegations of corruption and maladministration. With the ongoing political instability, and absence of officials in key positions as a result, the municipality is continuing to buckle under its many challenges, mainly its near R3 billion debt to Eskom.

ANC spokesperson, Pule Mabe, spoke to concerned members:

OFM News