Magashule Wants to Run Matjhabeng: The Free State Blame Game

Former Free State Premier Ace Magashule.

Ace Magashule wants to be Matjhabeng's mayor. His rivals say the Free State's municipal collapse began on his watch. Here is the argument, and the facts behind it.

With less than a month to go before the 4 November local government elections, former Free State premier Ace Magashule is making his case to become the next mayor of Matjhabeng, the troubled municipality around Welkom. He says his government experience gives him the knowledge to turn it around. His critics say the problems began during his nine years as premier.

Key facts

Magashule, who now leads the African Congress for Transformation (ACT), is campaigning to become Matjhabeng's mayor.
Mangaung, the Free State's only metro, is under administration, and Matjhabeng is under intervention.
Matjhabeng's mayor, Thanduxolo Khalipha, says a forensic investigation flagged potential losses of more than R395 million.
Many of the province's municipalities, including Mangaung, Matjhabeng and Metsimaholo, began their decline during the ANC's years in power.

Magashule's case

Magashule says factionalism within the ANC, which he describes as being split into four groups even now, is what collapsed the province. He wants voters to judge his record by comparing the period before and after his tenure, saying people should "be scientific, go year by year" on service delivery and audit outcomes. He also insists his administration delivered basic services, claiming there was no sewage spillage across the province during his time.

The collision with reality

That defence meets a harsh picture on the ground. Two of the province's largest municipalities are under national or provincial supervision, after years of financial, governance and service-delivery failures. Residents in many Free State towns have faced sewage spills, water outages and crumbling infrastructure for years.

The ANC's answer

The current ANC leadership admits some responsibility. Mangaung mayor Greg Nthatisi said the party cannot escape accountability for mistakes made while it governed, but argued that critics such as Magashule were part of that government when the problems developed, and accused them of looting. In Matjhabeng, Khalipha said his administration is dealing with the legacy of alleged corruption, including illegal mining by so-called zama zamas. He said the forensic investigation showed that if the municipality had not acted, it would have lost more than R395 million. He added that the ANC, which leads the municipality, is paying the political price for these failures.

Why this matters beyond the Free State

The Free State shows a problem that exists across the country: when everyone blames someone else, no one is accountable. Former leaders blame current leaders, who blame former leaders, while residents deal with failing services. For voters, the useful question is not who is to blame, but what each candidate will do and how it can be measured.

What this means for you

If you live in Matjhabeng, compare candidates' plans for water, sanitation, refuse and finances, and ask how they would recover lost money and stop leaks. If you live elsewhere, use the same test in your own ward. See our opinion piece on why the future is decided ward by ward.

What happens next

Voting day is Wednesday, 4 November 2026, with special voting on 2 and 3 November.
After the election, the new council will choose the mayor, so coalition talks may decide who runs Matjhabeng.