The Bloemfontein High Court has found that the election of the Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats’ Papi Mokoena as the executive mayor of Mangaung metropolitan municipality was unlawful.

According to African National Congress (ANC) Free State provincial secretary Polediso Motsoeneng the council sitting held last week was riddled with illegality. The ANC then approached the court to challenge the sitting and interdict Mokoena from performing any mayoral duties.

“Based on this strong conviction, we then instructed our legal team to approach the court with the intention to reverse the decisions of the above-mentioned council sitting. It is with a great sense of appreciation that we wish to announce that the court has indeed found in our favour,” he said.

The court interdicted Mokoena from performing any acts and/or enlisting the assistance of any other person to perform any act in pursuance of his election as the executive mayor of Mangaung metropolitan municipality.

“Regarding the so-called council meeting held last week, the ANC maintains its position that the Speaker of the Metro, Maryke Davies, showed uncontrollable levels of desperation by allowing people who were barred from participating in a meeting, to unlawfully vote in the council sitting. We wish to reiterate that the council sitting of 14 April 2023 was nothing but a circus which has no standing in the democratic processes,” said Motsoeneng.

He said the ANC felt vindicated by the court outcome and that it would continue to work hard to ensure that the Mangaung Council was properly reconfigured to ensure the acceleration of quality service delivery.

“The ANC will never allow its deployees to be commanded to by the forces of the opposition, and will continue to deal harshly with those who refuse to toe its line. The ANC is a revolutionary movement, whose strategic goal is the attainment of a democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous society,” Motsoeneng said.