By Thapelo Molefe
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) has welcomed the removal of Zingiswa Mgawuli as the Executive Mayor of the Mohokare Local Municipality, hailing it as a necessary step toward ethical governance and improved service delivery in a town long plagued by dysfunction.
Mgawuli, whose tenure has been marred by administrative collapse and financial mismanagement, was officially removed from office by the African National Congress (ANC) in the Free State on Tuesday.
In a strongly worded statement released on Wednesday, SAMWU’s Free State leadership commended the ANC for taking action against a mayor whose administration, the union said, had become synonymous with the deterioration of basic public services.
“This long-overdue decision represents a crucial step towards restoring ethical leadership and accountable governance in a municipality that has suffered tremendously under her administration,” the union said.
Under Mgawuli’s leadership, Mohokare – which includes the towns of Zastron, Rouxville, and Smithfield – witnessed a dramatic decline in service delivery.
Residents have endured frequent water and electricity outages, deteriorating roads, and a collapsing waste management system.
Municipal workers faced severe hardships, including delayed salaries, the non-payment of critical benefits, and the municipality’s failure to honour third-party deductions such as pension fund contributions and medical aid payments.
SAMWU, which has been vocal in its criticism of Mgawuli’s leadership for years, described these failures as “gross violations of workers’ rights” and a “dereliction of fundamental obligations.”
While welcoming the mayor’s removal, the union called on the ANC to extend similar action to other struggling municipalities.
It specifically named Matjhabeng, Mangaung, and Maluti-a-Phofung as municipalities showing similar signs of collapse.
“The ANC must demonstrate the same commitment to rooting out corruption and maladministration across all troubled municipalities in the Free State province,” SAMWU declared.
“This cannot be an isolated action.”
Opposition party ActionSA also welcomed the development, describing it as the result of a sustained campaign against what it called the ANC’s “failed leadership in the region.”
“This long-overdue decision follows our relentless fight against the ANC’s failed leadership,” the party said in a statement.
“The municipality’s continued failure to provide basic services such as water and sanitation has devastated the lives of residents in Jagersfontein, Trompsburg, and Fauresmith.”
According to ActionSA, the crisis in Mohokare has been worsened by the municipality’s R600 million debt to Bloem Water, which has led to severe water shortages, business closures, and economic decline.
“The Jagersfontein hospital is on the brink of collapse, relying solely on Jojo tanks for water. This is a direct violation of the residents’ constitutional rights,” the statement read.
The party also condemned the municipality’s failure to pay staff salaries for over two months, saying the situation had triggered a total breakdown in service delivery. It reiterated its call for the removal of Acting Municipal Manager Timothy Makgajane, accusing him of contributing to the crisis.
While the ANC has framed Mgawuli’s removal as a response to service delivery concerns, ActionSA insisted it was forced by years of community protests and mounting public outrage.
“The real question is: how much longer will the ANC allow this instability to persist before addressing the root causes?” the party asked.
Both SAMWU and ActionSA have called for a full forensic investigation into alleged corruption and mismanagement during Mgawuli’s term, insisting that accountability must follow for any officials found to have been complicit.
Mohokare is not alone in its troubles.
The Free State has become a flashpoint for concerns about poor governance at the local level.
Reports of financial irregularities, collapsed infrastructure, and poor audit outcomes have become increasingly common across the province.
The Auditor-General has repeatedly flagged systemic weaknesses in local governance throughout the Free State.
“This moment must serve as a turning point for the ANC to demonstrate its stated commitment to clean governance and to take decisive action against all instances of maladministration, without exception or favour,” SAMWU said.
With Mohokare now entering a period of transition, the union said it will closely monitor developments and push for the implementation of a recovery plan to rebuild the municipality and restore dignity to both workers and residents.
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