The Executive Mayor of Matjhabeng Local Municipality, Thanduxolo Khalipha, faces imminent removal from office after the African National Congress (ANC) Regional Executive Committee in Lejweluputswa, Free State, requested national leadership to reconfigure the municipality’s leadership “Troika”—comprising the mayor, speaker, and chief whip.
The regional body cited a worrying state of governance and an alarming decline in service delivery under Khalipha’s leadership. According to the committee, the municipality is experiencing a collapse of basic services and severe financial mismanagement, compounded by a failure to implement consequence management.
This development follows an announcement by ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula that Khalipha would face disciplinary action for bringing the party into disrepute. Khalipha was convicted and sentenced in December 2024 for assaulting his bodyguard and is among five prominent ANC members slated for disciplinary proceedings.
The Regional Executive Committee noted that Khalipha failed to attend a crucial meeting convened to address governance challenges in the municipality and did not submit an apology despite the severity of the crisis. The committee has since resolved to recommend the reconfiguration of the municipal leadership troika to national ANC officials.
Political reactions to the announcement have been mixed. A spokesperson for the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the Free State dismissed the ANC’s move as electioneering, stating: “We know this is just a ploy to defocus the people of Matjhabeng from the poor service delivery of the ANC in this municipality… they are trying to use this as a form of a campaign to try and confuse our people that they taking accountability.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Matjhabeng welcomed the development but criticized its timing. “The announcement… is old news to us. We have been told that for over 2 years,” the spokesperson said. “It will not cause any instability in council or the operations of the municipality. Instead, it will stabilize service delivery as the workforce of Matjhabeng has been advocating for his removal for over two years.”
Other ANC members reportedly facing disciplinary action include Regional Secretary Jason Mkhwane and City of Johannesburg MMC Sthembiso Zungu, though details regarding their cases remain limited.
The ANC’s national leadership is now expected to review the regional committee’s recommendation regarding the reconfiguration of Matjhabeng’s municipal leadership.
