Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Marieta Visser and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will write to the Free State Premier and the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) to urgently intervene in the governance collapse within Masilonyana Local Municipality.
The DA will also request that the Provincial Executive exercise its oversight responsibilities to restore accountability and ensure that the Council functions effectively in the interests of residents who continue to suffer the effects of political instability and poor administration.
The administration of Masilonyana has been left to operate without oversight, as if there is no council to which it must account. The Troika is enabling this dysfunction, while the Mayor prioritises her political survival at all costs.
The Troika of a Council (also called the Whippery) is the leadership structure consisting of the Mayor, Speaker, and Chief Whip. Other parties represented also appoint a Whip, but the position of Chief Whip is held by the ruling party.
Despite the ANC’s announcement that the Troikas of seven municipalities will be removed from office, the damage in Masilonyana continues to worsen week after week.
It is now common for councillors to learn through the media that the Sheriff has attached municipal assets due to long-standing court cases. These stem from the dismissal of a former legal advisor who raised serious allegations against former Acting Municipal Managers, Micelle Sello and Lungile Mokoteli.
Masilonyana currently lacks a disciplinary board to handle misconduct and enforce consequence management. The Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC), tasked with investigating the misuse of public funds, has failed to submit a single report since its establishment in November 2021.
A council sitting held at the end of August 2025 had to be terminated when the hall lost power, forcing councillors to deliberate in the dark. The unfinished items from that meeting remain unaddressed. The Mayor also made serious allegations against the administration at that session, yet they remain unresolved.
The scheduled Council sitting for the end of October never took place. Portfolio and Executive Committee meetings have not been convened, and written questions submitted in the prescribed form have been ignored.
This governance failure continues under the political leadership of the Mayor, Speaker, and Chief Whip. The DA has already passed two Council resolutions to facilitate a meeting with the Premier, yet our requests remain unanswered. Efforts to engage the Municipal Manager, Mojalefa Matlole, have also failed.
As we said in May and repeat now: Masilonyana is failing its community, depriving residents of basic service delivery and violating their constitutional rights.
The DA will continue to act to ensure accountability and restore proper governance for the benefit of all residents.