The union demanded that renewal efforts be applied equitably and transparently across the province. This comes after the ANC Free State leadership announced a major shake-up in five local municipalities – Mafube, Moqhaka, Letsemeng, Nketoana, and Nala – and Lejweleputswa District Municipality. 

Their mayors, speakers, and chief whips are to be redeployed amid accusations of poor governance, weak leadership, and corruption. 

ANC provincial secretary Polediso Motsoeneng confirmed the move, stating redeployment will be effected in all the municipalities due to persistent disclaimers and governance failures that are undermining service delivery.

But Samwu has rejected the manner and motivation behind these interventions. According to SMAWU Free State provincial secretary Thabang Tseuoa, while the union supports actions that seek to address governance failures, it objects to the “selective and arbitrary nature” of the redeployments.

Samwu in the Free State “acknowledges the recent decision by the ANC Free State provincial executive committee to recall political leadership in several municipalities. “While we cautiously welcome any action to address the governance crisis in our province, we must unequivocally condemn the selective and arbitrary nature of this decision.”

He questioned the ANC’s framing of the action as part of a “renewal effort”, arguing that the inconsistency in its application betrays the actual intent behind it.

“The ANC frames this as a ‘renewal effort’ to restore integrity, accountability, and service delivery. However, the selective application of this intervention makes it clear that it is driven by political expediency, not genuine principle. We see no consistent or transparent criteria for these decisions.”

Samwu has taken particular issue with the omission of municipalities that are, in their view, in an even worse state than those targeted. Tseuoa listed Matjhabeng, Masilonyana, Kopanong, and Maluti-a-Phofung as examples of municipalities mired in financial ruin, where services have collapsed and some workers face months without pay.

“We challenge the basis on which these specific municipalities were chosen, while others, in demonstrably worse states of dysfunction, have been inexplicably spared.

The four local authorities were “some of the most scandal-ridden and administratively bankrupt in the country”, but remain untouched. “These are places where workers endure delayed salaries, infrastructure is collapsing, and residents are deprived of essential services.”

The union claims this inconsistency points to a process driven by factionalism, not authentic renewal. To that end, Samwu is demanding full transparency from the ANC PEC and has posed several pointed questions:

• Why was Matjhabeng, a municipality with a history of financial and governance failure, excluded?
• Why has Kopanong, where municipal workers have gone unpaid for months, escaped scrutiny?
• What special consideration exempts Maluti-a-Phofung from the urgent intervention it clearly requires?

Motsoeneng had acknowledged that the PEC had received input from Samwu and SANCO office bearers, aimed at strengthening relations within the tripartite alliance. He said the efficiency of the Alliance Secretariat was highlighted and would form part of discussions in an Alliance Summit scheduled for mid-September.

However, Samwu has made it clear that participation in such processes must be more than symbolic. The union insists that the ANC engage more meaningfully with labour and community stakeholders going forward.

“We will not be a silent witness to what appears to be a selective purge disguised as progress,” Tseuoa warned. “If genuine transformation is the objective, let it be pursued with courage, consistency, and clarity.

“We stand ready to engage, but we will not hesitate to mobilise if this political rot is not addressed comprehensively and without bias.”

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi