Nketoana speaker, mayor resign as ANC acts against municipalities

The troubled Nketoana Local Municipality in Free State has been plunged into deeper uncertainty after both its mayor, Mamiki Mokoena, and speaker, Busisiwe Makhoba, resigned. Their sudden exit comes at a time when the ANC is moving to reshuffle leadership in struggling Free State municipalities. At the parliamentary portfolio committee on cooperative governance and traditional affairs in July, Nketoana leadership admitted to years of instability, financial mismanagement, and R535-million in irregular expendinture among other things. The ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) met with national party leadership on Friday to discuss the redeployment of mayors in Moqhaka, Masilonyana, Nketoana, Mafube, Letsemeng and Lejweleputswa. For Nketoana, the resignations mark the latest blow to a municipality that has long been under fire for collapsing services and poor governance. Local residents have endured water shortages, stalled infrastructure projects, crumbling roads, and the usage of the bucket system, while the municipality's finances remain in disarray.

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ANC Youth League sub-regional secretary Masentle Molete did not hold back in her criticism against the outgoing leadership. She said Nketoana has been one of the worst-performing municipalities in the province and urgently needed intervention.

“We stand firm and in support of the decision taken by the African National Congress PEC for redeployment of the troika and in understanding that they want to regain trust in our people,” said Molete.