Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Eleanor Quinta and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) condemns the ongoing governance crisis in Maluti-a-Phofung (MAP) and will continue to be an oversight mechanism to restore stability and protect service delivery.
The DA in the Maluti-a-Phofung Municipality is not surprised that bruised egos are once again prioritised over residents’ needs, with political infighting directly undermining effective governance and basic services.
Both MAP16 Cllr Motloung and ANC Cllr Melato believe that they are the rightful owners of the title of “Executive Mayor”, to the point where they are both unwilling to step aside for the sake of service delivery. Their stubbornness and conviction could lead to the council’s collapse and possible dissolution.
On 26 March 2026, the MAP council turned into a scene from a reality TV show, with knives and pepper spray parties trying to disrupt the council to prevent the Motion of no confidence in Mayor Melato from passing.
After unsuccessful disruptions, the council continued, and Mayor Melato was unanously ousted. In a bold move, Cllr Motloung was appointed mayor, even though there was no quorum at the time. The DA believes that the election of Cllr Motloung as Mayor is invalid because there was no quorum during the election. Amongst the egotistical behaviours, service delivery will undoubtedly falter, and the residents of MAP will pay dearly.
The DA has once again proven why waging war for highly paid Mayoral and MMC positions is not worth the effort, as the only thing that matters is delivering services to the people of MAP. The DA has written a formal letter to the municipal manager to adjudicate the impasse in writing.
The DA has firmly stated that it will not take part in any illegal council proceedings involving two mayors and that the DA in MAP will leave any council sittings that degenerate into chaos again, whilst this issue is ongoing. In addition to writing to the Accounting Officer, we have escalated the matter to our Provincial Representatives to obtain clarity from the MEC of Cogta on compliance with the Constitution, Structures Act, and Standard Rules regarding the events of 26 March.
We predicted chaos at this juncture, and chaos we have now. We will remain the transparent, stable and sane-minded opposition party and do what we believe is best for the people of Maluti-a-Phofung.