ANC suspends ‘defiant’ mayor

Masilonyana Local Municipality (MLM) mayor Dimakatso Modise has been suspended from the African National Congress (ANC) pending the outcome of a disciplinary process.

MLM in Lejweleputswa, covering Winburg, Brandfort, Verkeerdevlei and Theunissen, serves about 65,000 people in 25,000 households. But years of mismanagement have left it in near collapse.

In a letter dated 16 September 2025 seen by Newsday, ANC Free State secretary Polediso Motsoeneng informed Modise of her suspension for “defiance of the ANC constitution.”

This follows Modise’s alleged refusal to step down after the party’s Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) decided to redeploy her due to ongoing governance failures in the municipality.

“The ANC Provincial Executive Committee took a decision to redeploy you and delegated the Provincial Working Committee (PWC) to finalise the matter,” Motsoeneng wrote in the letter.

“The PEC had a one-on-one engagement with you on the decision and for you to tender your resignation within 48 hours.” 

Instead of complying, Modise directed a response to the party’s Provincial Secretary’s Office, contradicting the directive she had received.

“Subsequently, the PWC discussed your letter, in which its view was tantamount to defiance in line with Rule 5.2.7 of the ANC Constitution,” said Motsoeneng.

“The PWC, as empowered by Rule 25.60, has decided to summarily suspend your membership pending the outcome of disciplinary processes to be instituted against you.”

Modise was instructed to attend only council caucus and council sittings under the authority of the provincial and regional secretaries until the disciplinary process is finalised.

The exact number of mayors suspended remains unclear. In August, Newsday reported how the ANC in the Free State announced leadership changes across municipalities.

This includes the redeployment of mayors, speakers, and chief whips, across Mafube, Moqhaka, Letsemeng, Nketoana, Nala, Masilonyana, and Lejweleputswa.

This comes after sustained scrutiny over governance issues, including alleged corruption and failures in service delivery, where provincial leadership acknowledged a “trust deficit” with communities.

These municipalities have consistently been flagged in Auditor-General’s reports due to issues such as failed service delivery, inability to collect revenue, and corruption.

This followed an admittingly embarrassing performance of top leadership when Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance recently visited.

Motsoeneng, told the SABC that “some of the members and leaders of the ANC have decided to undertake what I would call a suicide mission against the party.”

He highlighted the critical role of local government as the “coal face of service delivery,” where “any failure to deliver basic services results in the trust deficit,” between the ANC and public.

However, City Press recently reported how the mayors had defied the orders of the provincial ANC leadership, writing to Motsoeneng demanding an explanation and arguing that other municipalities are worse off.

The ANC in the Free State did not respond to questions from Newsday.

Masilonyana Local Municipality’s service delivery woes

For nine straight years, the Auditor-General has issued disclaimed audits, citing failures in accountability, leadership and transparency.

By 2023/24, the municipality had accumulated more than R2.23 billion in unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure.

Eskom is owed millions, workers have gone unpaid for months, and infrastructure funds are routinely underspent or diverted.

In December 2024, the Hawks and SIU raided three municipal offices over suspected tender irregularities in water and sports projects.

A 2025 AG briefing to Parliament described inaccurate financials, unaccounted spending and ineffective recovery plans.

Audit manager Gregory Coetzee recently warned the Standing Committee on Public Accounts that the municipality is financially unviable, with no credible recovery strategy.

Coetzee said the municipality racked up R1.1 billion in unauthorised expenditure during the 2022/23 financial year alone.

He said auditors were unable to assess key aspects of the municipality’s performance, such as water losses, debt collection, and fruitless and wasteful expenditure, due to a complete lack of reporting.

MPs revealed the startling fact that it allocated a mere R100 for water and sewerage infrastructure in 2022/23.

Parliament’s COGTA committee also flagged questionable spending, R194 million in unspent conditional grants, and failure to recover 80% of debts.

Factional battles, ignored MEC directives and administrative paralysis have worsened dysfunction.

Meanwhile, residents suffer the consequences: the SA Human Rights Commission found Masilonyana guilty of violating constitutional and environmental rights, with water cuts, sewage-polluted rivers and unmanaged landfill sites part of daily life.

Winburg is losing: A historic South African town in distress