Checked 16 October 2026
Where the facts about Mafube come from
Every fact on the Mafube page, with the sources we used. We save a copy of each source on the day we read it.
Which party controls the council?
Dated reports
As of 21 May 2026: OFM quoted ANC MP Dikeledi Lereko saying the ANC had 'appointed what we call the people's mayor' in Mafube. The MP named Phaladi Matsoe. Mafube was one of the councils where the ANC told the mayor, speaker and chief whip to step down. A chief whip is the councillor who keeps a party's members voting together.
OFM. Published 21 May 2026.
Where to look: paragraph 2 (list of councils) and paragraphs 6-7 (quote); date of the council vote not given
As of 1 Nov 2025: Tlhoare I Motsoeneng was mayor of Mafube Local Municipality in November 2025. The speaker (the councillor who chairs council meetings) was Matsatsi M Mofokeng.
Free State COGTA. Page is undated.
Where to look: Mafube (FS 205) row: Mayor/Executive Mayor 'Tlhoare I Motsoeneng', Speaker 'Matsatsi M Mofokeng'; header 'NOVEMBER 2025' (no day given)
As of 18 Sep 2025: IOL reported an ANC letter saying Tlhoare Motsoeneng, mayor of Mafube, had not handed in a resignation as the party told him to. The ANC letter said he refused.
IOL. Published 18 September 2025.
Where to look: paragraphs 6-9 (as reported from the ANC letter; not independently confirmed)
As of 6 Sep 2025: Mafube mayor Tlhoare Motsoeneng refused the ANC's instruction to resign. He appealed to the ANC secretary-general. In his letter he said Mafube was placed under a Section 139(5)(a) and (c) intervention in April 2022.
OFM. Published 6 September 2025.
Where to look: paragraphs 3-6
As of 22 Aug 2025: In August 2025 the ANC in the Free State spoke about these councils. It said it would redeploy their mayors, speakers and chief whips. To redeploy is to move someone to a different post. A chief whip is the councillor who keeps a party's members voting together. The councils are Mafube, Moqhaka, Letsemeng, Nketoana, Nala, Masilonyana and Lejweleputswa.
IOL. Published 22 August 2025.
Where to look: paragraph 1
As of 24 Jul 2025: Parliament listed 'Mayor - Cllr Motsoeneng' and 'Speaker - Cllr Mofokeng' for Mafube Local Municipality. It did this during a joint oversight visit (a visit to check on the council) in July 2025.
Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. Published 24 July 2025.
Where to look: 'Engagement with Mafube Local Municipality' item
As of 20 May 2022: The Free State Executive Council is the province's cabinet. It put Mafube under an intervention by the province. This means the province steps in. It came after a High Court judgment. The judgment ordered the province to carry out a mandatory (required) intervention.
OFM. Published 20 May 2022.
Where to look: paragraphs 1-2
How were the seats split?
The 2021 result
Who won the 17 seats in 2021.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated.
Where to look: p. 2 of 2 (page marker ambiguous), seat table, Total Party Seats column
Every party
The seats now, by party (ward seats and party seats). African National Congress: 10 (9 ward, 1 party). Economic Freedom Fighters: 3 (0 ward, 3 party). Democratic Alliance: 2 (0 ward, 2 party). Freedom Front Plus: 2 (0 ward, 2 party).
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 24 June 2026.
Where to look: winning party per ward for every by-election since 2021 (dashboard data files: MapsJason/2021/ByElections.js and LoadCouncillorsService); read 2026-10-18
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 9 November 2021.
Where to look: ward councillor rows for this council (party per ward elected in 2021)
The seats now
Who holds the 17 seats now, counted up to 24 Jun 2026. How we count: This is our own count, not an official IEC table. We start with the 2021 party seats from the IEC. Then we add the party that last won each ward, in 2021 or in a by-election. Party seats stay with their party, and councillors can't switch parties. So only ward by-elections change these totals. An empty seat is counted with the party that last held it. The IEC lists by-elections on 5 Oct 2022, but it does not show who won them. So any ward that changed hands that day is not counted.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 24 June 2026.
Where to look: winning party per ward for every by-election since 2021 (dashboard data files: MapsJason/2021/ByElections.js and LoadCouncillorsService); read 2026-10-18
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 9 November 2021.
Where to look: ward councillor rows for this council (party per ward elected in 2021)
What the official records say
Audit result
The Auditor-General gave Mafube a qualified audit opinion for 2024-25. It got the same result in 2023-24.
Auditor-General of South Africa. Published 24 June 2026.
Where to look: 'Audit outcome for 2024-25' box and the change from 2023-24 under it (audit of separate financial statements, finalised by 30 April 2026)
Government stepped in
In July 2026, the Minister of Cooperative Governance told Parliament that the intervention at Mafube is ongoing. It began in June 2022, under section 139(5)(a) and (c) of the Constitution.
Department of Cooperative Governance. Published 3 July 2026.
Where to look: reply (a), table of municipalities under intervention, 'Mafube LM' row: type of intervention, date instituted, status Ongoing
Doubt it can pay its bills
The Auditor-General found a going concern uncertainty at Mafube in 2024-25, for the 16th year in a row.
Auditor-General of South Africa. Published 24 June 2026.
Where to look: p. 50 (PDF page 54), 'Sixty-two municipalities with going concern uncertainty and consecutive years in this position', Free State, 'Mafube LM' row; p. 49 explains the measure
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