By Emily Setona
QwaQwa – The ANC has opened the battle for Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality with a list of five mayoral nominees, throwing the party’s leadership choice into the spotlight as the municipality drowns in service delivery failures.
The nominees are: former mayor Malekula Melato, incumbent mayor Tumelo Raymond Thebe, Ntombikayise Mavis Mofutsanyana-Mbuli, Connie Msibi, and Edwin Pitso Noe.
UFS political analyst Prof Sethulego Matebesi said the list shows the ANC Free State is testing multiple candidates before making a final pick.
“It’s a mixed bag. You’ve got former mayors, and you’ve got a younger person also standing. It indicates the ANC wants to consider younger people for this position,” Matebesi said.
But he warned the next mayor will inherit a municipality in crisis.
“Maluti-a-Phofung has been one of the struggling municipalities. Water provision, energy provision, and internal squabbles within the ANC itself. “Those divisions led to the so-called MAP16 in that particular area.”
Matebesi said the big question now is when the ANC will announce its final candidate — and whether residents will be consulted.
“The citizens of that municipality need to be taken into confidence. “Political credentials alone may not be enough. They will need someone who can ensure good governance and efficient services are delivered.”
The analyst cautioned that delay and division could cost the ANC.
“There’s high potential that the opposition in that municipality will make inroads.
“They will have to find a very strong candidate that will be there not only for the organisation, but for all citizens of Maluti-a-Phofung,” Matebesi warned.
For residents of MAP, the choice is about more than party politics. It’s about water, electricity, and leadership in a municipality long synonymous with instability.
The ANC is expected to announce its final mayoral candidate in the coming weeks.
