Free State ANC to ‘redeploy’ mayors, speakers, and chief whips

Following sustained scrutiny over governance issues, including alleged corruption and failures in service delivery, the African National Congress (ANC) in the Free State has announced leadership changes across municipalities.

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

The announcement was made during a media briefing in Bloemfontein, 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.

The ANC’s provincial secretary, Polediso 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.

“In the next two weeks, there will be some redeployment of comrades whom we think were not fit for purpose in terms of the assignment that was given to them by the organization,” the provincial secretary confirmed.

The stated aim is to “beef up the leadership collective at various municipalities” and “accumulate” the necessary capacity to improve the ANC’s perception and performance.

“There have been shortcomings. We appreciate those shortcomings, but there is that energy and the understanding that we also have the capacity and the potential to correct whatever has gone wrong.”

He added that this leadership shake-up is critical if the ANC wants to stand any chance in the upcoming 2026 local government elections.

Under the spotlight

Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on CoGTA, Standing Committees on Public Accounts, and Auditor General, along with Members of the Free State Provincial Legislature, hauled 23 municipalities from across the province before them several months ago.

This came following a lacklustre performance by Free State municipalities, as flagged by the Auditor-General’s (AG’s) latest audit.

Based on the AG’s report, the province ranks among the worst in the country, with 70% of municipalities running unfunded budgets and accumulating R4.2 billion in unauthorised expenditure.

Many failed to submit financials on time and received repeated disclaimer audit opinions. They posted a net loss of R745 million, owe Eskom R6.2 billion, and face rising irregular (R12.5 billion) and fruitless expenditure (R5.3 billion).

The AG warned of a “culture of complacency” and urged action to end the “culture of impunity,” which is significantly impacting service delivery and hurting the residents.

At the end of 2024, the South African Human Rights Commission published a report of its inquiry into service delivery at the local government level in the Free State

After being inundated with complaints about a lack of access to water, electricity, housing, sanitation, and refuse collection, the probe found numerous issues.

Among the findings were that Free State municipalities are plagued by staff shortages, failing infrastructure, sewage pollution, rising debt, poor service delivery, and legal violations.

Oversight members called for urgent reforms, consequence management, and improved financial controls.

CoGTA portfolio chairperson Dr Zweli Mkhize described the crisis as “self-inflicted ruin,” driven by incompetence and leadership failure.

Some municipalities face “unsustainable structural conditions,” being rural, grant-dependent, and politically unstable.

“This kind of administrative and political instability has created a climate where municipalities cannot operate effectively,” he said.

Others have revenue potential but suffer from “poor leadership, weak governance.” “It is a kind of self-inflicted injury,” he added.

Parliament ordered provincial MECs to report back in three months with actions taken. “We are here to take responsibility… ensure consequence management,” said Mkhize.