Central SA
ANC acts against embattled troikas as municipal overhaul deepens in Free State─── KEKELETSO MOSEBETSI 22:17 Wed, 26 Nov 2025
Action has finally been taken against embattled ANC troikas in several troubled Free State municipalities.
The ANC leadership in the province has begun implementing a sweeping municipal overhaul. A fresh directive has been issued to the Lejweleputswa region, instructing it to urgently submit new mayoral candidates.
The instruction was contained in a leaked letter from ANC provincial secretary Polediso Motsoeneng on Monday (24/11). In it, he informed regional secretary Mogomotsi Riet that the party’s national officials had approved the redeployment of multiple mayors as part of the restructuring process.
Motsoeneng ordered the region to urgently convene its regional executive committee to recommend three mayoral candidates per municipality, ranked in order of preference. The affected municipalities include Nala (Bothaville), Masilonyana (Theunissen), and the Lejweleputswa District Municipality.
The regional committee’s recommendations, along with the candidates’ CVs, must be submitted to the provincial secretary’s office by 12:00 on Thursday.
This instruction forms part of the ANC’s broader effort to stabilise municipalities that have been plagued by poor performance, financial mismanagement, and prolonged factional battles. OFM News previously reported that the provincial leadership had already suspended the mayors of Masilonyana, Moqhaka (Kroonstad), Nketoana (Reitz) and the Lejweleputswa District Municipality.
The suspensions followed the mayor’s refusal to comply with ANC directives to step down over performance-related concerns. Instead of vacating office, several escalated their complaints to the ANC’s national leadership, arguing that the provincial decisions were unlawful or politically motivated.
Their resistance further escalated tensions within local ANC structures, prompting the national working committee (NWC) to intervene.
Earlier this month, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula confirmed that the NWC had endorsed the reconfiguration of Free State municipalities as part of a broader local government action plan. The endorsement gave the provincial leadership the green light to proceed with redeployments and leadership changes aimed at strengthening governance.
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