Staff reporter
Parys – The African National Congress (ANC) Provincial Working Committee (PWC) in Free State has suspended at least four members from Matjhabeng Local Municipality amidst a motion to remove Thanduxolo Khalipa, a convicted criminal as the Mayor.
The PWC suspended four members who have been critical or opposed to Khalipa, the list of suspended members include Pule Maile, Shima Mahlatsi, Mphoentle Matshai, and Potsotso Liphoko.
In December 2024, the Ondendaalsrus Magistrates’ Court convicted and sentenced Khalipa on charges of assault and crimen injuria.
He faced three charges, including one count of assault and two counts of crimen injuria, following an incident where he allegedly attacked and insulted his driver and protector during a community meeting. The court sentenced Khalipa as follows:
- Assault: R5,000 or 3 months
- Crimen Iniuria: R1,000 or 1 month (two counts)
Khalipa was also declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000.
Those opposed to the suspension have criticized the ANC in the province, labeling the move as a “purge”.
Sources suggest that the four were suspended to deter Khalipa’s detractors within the ANC caucus from voting for the motion against him.
Khalipa, the convicted mayor of the Welkom-based municipality, was also suspended by his party from ANC activities. He has been labeled an obstacle to the ANC’s renewal and unity project.
On December 23, 2024, Pule Maile wrote a scathing open letter to the mayor and the ANC, stating that the ANC in Matjhabeng was experiencing a “deepening malaise”.
Maile emphasized that the leadership of the ANC in the Free State is deviating from decisions and policies adopted at the party’s 54th National Conference held in Nasrec in December 2017.
Maile added that Khalipa has brought the ANC into disrepute on numerous occasions and avoided disciplinary actions due to his close proximity to the ANC leadership.
In a letter addressed to Mphoentle Matshai, ANC Provincial Secretary Polediso “50 000 Jobs For The Youth” Motsoeneng informed Matshai of his immediate suspension.
Motsoeneng stated that Matshai posted a video on his Facebook page divulging contents of an official meeting of the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC), contravening the ANC communication and social media policy.
The suspension has been characterized as a ploy to protect Khalipa from the DA motion. The ANC fears that some ANC members in the council might be swayed to vote with the DA.
On January 23, 2024, the DA announced that it had filed a motion against the beleaguered Khalipa.
DA Matjhabeng councillor Coreen Malherbe stated that the motion was filed under Rule 90 of the Standard Rules and Orders, seeking to address ongoing governance violations and restore trust in the municipality.
The motion calls for Khalipa’s immediate removal, citing violations of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, the Municipal Systems Act, and the Constitution, as well as financial mismanagement and misconduct.
Matjhabeng is one of the most indebted municipalities in the province. In 2023, it was revealed by the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) that the municipality owed millions of rands to the pension fund.
SAMWU also revealed that the beleaguered municipality further owed Vaal Central water board the power unity Eskom a whooping R5 billion each for services rendered.
The municipal account of the municipality was also recently attached after two service providers dragged the municipality to court to demand payment of over R120 million.
It’s understood that at the time in 2023 there are at least 11 service providers who demanded a payment of R750 million from the municipality.
The municipality failed to honour various arrangements with service providers. The troubled municipality also had its 24 municipal vehicles to the value of R41 million attached by the sheriff of court.
The municipality has previously in 2023 and 2024 faced sporadic protests.
This as municipal workers demanded that Khalipa be removed as the mayor of the municipality.
Despite efforts by various groupings and political parties to bring issues besieging this municipality to the fore, all efforts were in vain, as the municipality continued to make headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Motsoeneng, made startling revelations that his leadership is as a result of fraud in what he called a confession.
OPEN THE LINK TO WATCH:
The ANC did not not even ask Motsoeneneng to withdraw such utterances because apparently, his message was received out of context.
Last year, Motsoeneneng handed a mobile computer lab to a school in Bethlehem and it was allegedly sponsored by a company with linked to incomplete water projects in Limpopo.
In other news, Paul Mashatile, deputy president of the ANC will deliver a key note tomorrow in Parys at the January 8 statement.
This, is viewed as a huge blow to the cracking Mbalula faction as Mashatile is consolidating his power ahead of the ANC’s national conference in 2027, to determine who takes over from President Matamela Ramaphosa.
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