Many of the protestors are holding placards calling for the removal of the Free State ANC's Interim Provincial Committee (IPC) and Mangaung Interim Regional Committee (IRC), amongst others. They are also calling for the former Transport Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC), Patrick Monyakoane, to be reinstated in the committee and ANC. They accuse both regional and provincial structures of allowing corruption to thrive in Mangaung. The ANC IPC is yet to comment.

They further allege that the IPC structure was not elected by the people but rather by the courts.

In April this year, OFM News reported that the Bloemfontein-based Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in the Free State set aside and declared as unconstitutional and unlawful the ANC's provincial conference, which was held in May 2018.

READ MORE: FS ANC conference unlawful

This is where the axed MEC for Roads and Transport, Sam Mashinini, was elected as the chairperson of the party; and Agriculture MEC William Bulwane as his deputy.

This members also said they do not want to be led by outsiders. They say the Metro's Mayor, Mxolisi Siyonzana, cannot lead the people of Mangaung as he is not from around the region.

Before the election and inauguration of the mayor and speaker, among others, sources within the party suggested that a battle between two opposing factions, aligned to ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa and suspended ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule, was expected to play itself out during the ceremony. This as ANC members aligned to Magashule wanted to have a female mayor who is from Mangaung and the deputy mayor Mapaseka Nkoane-Mothibi's name was mentioned, whilst Ramaphosa's faction stood firm on the election of Siyonzana as the mayor.

READ MORE: #BreakingNews: Mangaung's former mayor re-elected - Video

Meanwhile, residents from Mangaung also held a community meeting in Bloemfontein with civil society movements such as the Mangaung Service Delivery Forum (MSDF), two days before the election of the mayor. Residents wanted the same processes that the ANC followed to select party candidates as ward councillors, to be used in the selection of the mayor.

Ramaphosa vs Magashule battle continues in Mangaung

OFM News