Nketoana Municipality (Sotho: Masepala wa Nketoana; Zulu: UMasipala wase Nketoana) is a local municipality within the Thabo Mofutsanyane District Municipality, in the Free State province of South Africa.
Nketoana | |
|---|---|
 Seal | |
.svg) Location in the Free State | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Free State |
| District | Thabo Mofutsanyane |
| Seat | Reitz |
| Wards | 9 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal council |
| • Mayor | Mamiki Mokoena |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5,611 km2 (2,166 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[2] | |
| • Total | 60,324 |
| • Density | 11/km2 (28/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 91.4% |
| • Coloured | 0.3% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.2% |
| • White | 7.8% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Sotho | 75.9% |
| • Zulu | 10.7% |
| • Afrikaans | 8.7% |
| • Sign language | 1.7% |
| • Other | 3% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Municipal code | FS193 |
Main places
editThe 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[3]
| Place | Code | Area (km2) | Population | Most spoken language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington | 41401 | 5.51 | 222 | Sotho |
| Cremona | 41402 | 0.46 | 2,021 | Sotho |
| Leratswana | 41403 | 0.82 | 3,429 | Sotho |
| Lindley | 41404 | 21.07 | 1,621 | Afrikaans |
| Mamafubedu | 41405 | 1.38 | 8,121 | Sotho |
| Ntha | 41407 | 2.16 | 8,500 | Sotho |
| Petrus Steyn | 41408 | 9.74 | 1,163 | Afrikaans |
| Petsana | 41409 | 2.76 | 13,670 | Sotho |
| Reitz | 41410 | 6.51 | 1,781 | Afrikaans |
| Remainder of the municipality | 41406 | 5,560.92 | 21,423 | Sotho |
Politics
editThe municipal council consists of eighteen members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Nine councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in nine wards, while the remaining nine are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. In the 2021 South African municipal elections the African National Congress (ANC) won a reduced majority of ten seats on the council.
The following table shows the results of the 2021 election.[4]
| Party | Ward | List | Total seats | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | |||
| African National Congress | 6,469 | 49.26 | 8 | 7,148 | 54.72 | 2 | 10 | |
| Democratic Alliance | 1,613 | 12.28 | 1 | 1,695 | 12.98 | 2 | 3 | |
| Economic Freedom Fighters | 1,501 | 11.43 | 0 | 1,698 | 13.00 | 2 | 2 | |
| Freedom Front Plus | 1,039 | 7.91 | 0 | 1,029 | 7.88 | 2 | 2 | |
| Independent candidates | 1,887 | 14.37 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| All Unemployment Labour Alliance | 676 | 5.18 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 5 other parties | 624 | 4.75 | 0 | 816 | 6.25 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 13,133 | 100.00 | 9 | 13,062 | 100.00 | 9 | 18 | |
| Valid votes | 13,133 | 98.01 | 13,062 | 97.49 | ||||
| Invalid/blank votes | 267 | 1.99 | 336 | 2.51 | ||||
| Total votes | 13,400 | 100.00 | 13,398 | 100.00 | ||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 28,691 | 46.70 | 28,691 | 46.70 | ||||
Corruption and service delivery protests
editIn 2019, residents of Mamafubedu torched the house of mayor Mamikie Mokoena, accusing her of failing to deliver water for a week to residents of Mandela Park. Allegations in tenders corruption arose involving a contractor linked to the mayor and her cousin.[5][6]
In June 2024, the Democratic Alliance accused to municipality of purchasing a truck for R2.3 million in May 2023, but never used it, leaving it parked at the municipal offices.[7]
In August 2024 Mamiki Mokoena was accused of using a rented car which cost her municipality R100,000 in a single month.[8][9][10] The municipality suffered a net loss of R170m for the period ended on 30 June 2023 and its liabilities exceeded its assets by R740m. There was also R47,6m in fruitless and wasteful expenditure in the 2022/23 financial year, which was due to interest and penalties on overdue accounts. In September 2024, the Economic Freedom Fighters in the Free State opened a criminal case against mayor Maditsoako Mamiki Mokoena related to the car hire.[11] Nketoana Local Municipality municipal manager and the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) have been requested to open a criminal case against Baleri ba Aforikaand investigate the alleged irregularities in the procurement processes over the supply and delivery of Personal Protective Equipment.[12]
In August 2024, Disebo Motaung, a director at the municipality, came under fire after making a ‘kill the boer’ comment, referring to Dubul' ibhunu on a senior managers WhatsApp group. The matter was reported to the South African Police Service for investigation and then referred to the SA Human Rights Commission.[14] Fraud case opened against Nketoana municipality speaker for ‘suspect travel claims’ .[15] On 8 October 2024 top municipal employee has been charged with fraud after the allegation of approving car allowance for unqualified employee.[16] On 24 October 2024 municipal manager Mokete Nhlapo suspeded one of the general employee mangaliso hlongwane who accused him of fraud and corruption.[17]
References
edit- ^ "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
- ^ a b c "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
- ^ Lookup Tables - Statistics South Africa[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Election Result Table for LGE2021 — Nketoana". wikitable.frith.dev. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
- ^ https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/sundayworld/news/2019-08-06-residents-vent-anger-on-mayor-police/ [bare URL]
- ^ "Free State municipality linked to new contractor scandal".
- ^ Kgobotlo, Boitumelo (18 June 2024). "R2m truck stands idle a year after Free State municipality bought it". Sunday World. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-africa/2024-09-04-uproar-over-mayors-r100k-a-month-rides-to-work/
- ^ https://www.iol.co.za/sundayindependent/news/mayor-spends-almost-r100k-on-rented-car-fuel-amid-struggle-to-pay-salaries-1b1dd514-210c-43c4-97ea-01f16bc2bb56#google_vignette
- ^ "Nketoana's mayor under fire for exorbitant vehicle rental and petrol costs".
- ^ "EFF Free State accuses Nketoana mayor of fraud over car hire". 17 September 2024.
- ^ https://www.iol.co.za/sundayindependent/news/free-state-municipality-in-ppe-saga-e1c5ebe1-47a1-41d5-9523-dfcc85f4b415#google_vignette
- ^ https://www.agsa.co.za/Portals/0/Reports/MFMA/2022-23/MFMA%20Report%202022-23%20FINAL.pdf?ver=VrZjSbcdzNI%3D
- ^ https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/free-state/nketoana-municipality-director-under-fire-for-kill-the-boer-comment-in-management-whatsapp-group-de1d38dd-536b-44af-83a7-d673693f9fca
- ^ https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.timeslive.co.za/amp/sunday-times-daily/news/2024-09-22-fraud-case-opened-against-nketoana-municipality-speaker-for-suspect-travel-claims/
- ^ "Top municipal official charged for giving car allowance to juniors". 8 October 2024.
- ^ "Municipal manager suspends employee who accused him of fraud".