Free State High Court declares election of Mangaung mayor as unlawful  

PHUTI MOSOMANE

THE Free State High Court in Bloemfontein has declared the election of Papi Mokoena as the Executive Mayor of Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality unlawful following an urgent application brought by the ANC.

The high court ruled that Mokoena, the president of the Afrikan Alliance For Social Democrats, is interdicted and restrained from holding himself as the Executive Mayor and from performing any acts in pursuance of his election.

Mokoena was elected the new Executive Mayor of the Mangaung Metro Municipality last Friday.

In its urgent application, the ANC argued that Mokoena’s election was riddled with illegalities since the majority of ANC councillors were not present, and 52 councillors, including the expelled ANC councillors Mapaseka Mothibi-Nkoane and Patrick Monyakoane, voted for Mokoena unopposed. 

Lawyers representing the ANC also argued that the participation of the expelled councillors allowed the council meeting to reach a quorum and was therefore unlawful given that the