ANC ready to be opposition in Free State municipality

Free State party leaders announced mayors, speakers and whips of councils.

Bloemfontein - The African National Congress (ANC) in the Free State decried the local government election’s public representation system, but vowed to fight back in the opposition benches at the Free State’s Metsimaholo municipality, where it lost control of the council to opposition parties for the first time since 1994.

The provincial party leaders announced mayors, speakers and whips of councils on Thursday, and called on an ANC conference resolution on the PR system to be implemented after opposition parties took over control of Metsimaholo.

“The ANC Polokwane conference in 1997 resolved that the PR system be looked into and changed so that winners must take all. It was further reiterated at the Mangaung conference in 2012…two conferences undertook that resolution. We won all 16 wards in Metsimaholo township but lost five wards in town also because our people did not go out and vote, hence we lost seats,” ANC provincial secretary William Bulwana told reporters in Bloemfontein.

“The people of Metsimaholo should not feel left out, it is the PR system adopted by Parliament years ago that ensured we’re not in control of the council.”

The party retained control of all councils in the Free State except Metsimaholo, which included the town of Sasolburg. The ANC received 19 seats, the rest of the 23 remaining seats were taken by the opposition parties. The Democratic Alliance received 12 seats, the Economic Freedom Fighters 8, the Metsimaholo Civic Association received two seats, while the Freedom Front Plus got one seat. The opposition parties formed a coalition and elected Sello Hlasa (MCA) as mayor, Arnoldi du Ploy (DA) as speaker and Linda Radebe (DA) as council whip.

Bulwana said his party tried to sway the MCA and the FF Plus, but lost after the parties picked the DA.

“We have a programme to prepare for 2021 and engage everyone in Metsimaholo wards, ask why they did not go out to vote or why they did not vote for the ANC. Councillors should reconnect with the people and close ranks. We are confident that the ANC will make a come back, this was a wake up call for all of us in the ANC after losing Metsimaholo,” he said.

African News Agency