Two of Mangaung's pressure groups, including the Mangaung Concerned Community (MCC) and Mangaung Service Delivery Forum (MSDF), have vowed to disrupt the mayor-elect proceedings at the Bloemfontein City Hall. The planned protest comes after the metro had made an announcement last week that its first council sitting will on Monday be held to elect the new mayor and speaker, among others. Both parties have previously called for the metro to elect a Bloemfontein born mayor, among other demands.

MCC spokesperson, Themba Zweni, says the protest will start from 07h30 until their demands are met. He says the Municipal Councillors have over the past 5 years proven that they care less about our community of Mangaung.

"In 2016, when these councillors took over, the Council had accumulated over R11,4 billion in surplus but two years later that surplus was depleted and we ended up with a deficit of R268 million. We became a capital city of potholes, sewer spillages and unaccounted material water losses," Zweni adds.

Meanwhile, the MSDF's Bloemfontein coordinator, Mpho Mojanaga, has raised a concern with the ANC mayor-elect process.

"MSDF has learnt with serious shock and utter dismay that the ANC Interim Provincial Committee (IPC) in the Free State, led by Mxolisi Dukwana and Paseka Nompondo, have decided to recommend Mapaseka Mothibi-Nkoane as an Executive Mayor of the Metro.

"The MSDF has also learned with utter dismay that the second proposed list was dropped and Nompondo's exclusive club reverted to the former list to accommodate both (Mothibi-Nkoane) as the mayor and Mxolisi Siyonzana as the speaker without agreed processes followed and relevant structures' involvement," Mojanaga adds.

OFM News previously reported that "it's understood that the Magashule faction, which is aligned to the Radical Economic Transformation, is pushing for a female mayor and have their eyes on Mothibi-Nkoane. However, the Ramaphosa faction has opted for continuity and stability and decided to back Siyonzana, currently at the helm".

However the IPC spokesperson, Oupa Khoabane, says there was no IPC decision and the interviews were conducted by NEC members.

OFM News