Mangaung mayor Mxolisi Siyonzana is expected to follow premier Sisi Ntombela to the exit door as winds of change sweep Free State.
The imminent departure of the mayor of Free State’s capital city follows after Ntombela announced her resignation yesterday.
Ntombela’s resignation had been widely expected since she lost the race for the chair of the province to her rival, Mxolisi Dukwana, in January.
Dukwana is expected to replace her in a matter of days and deliver the state of the province address next Tuesday.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula confirmed during a media briefing yesterday that Ntombela had informed him on Monday that she intended to resign yesterday.
In terms of ANC processes the provincial executive may not choose its own premier but is required to submit three names in order of preference, from which the party’s national leadership is required to choose one.
ANC Free State spokesperson Jabu Mbalula told Sowetan the provincial leadership had made it clear it preferred Dukwana to be premier “because we want alignment and stability and believe we can achieve this if the chairperson is also the premier”.
Mbalula declined to give the names of the other candidates but Sowetan understands them to be Dukwana’s deputy, Ketso Makume, and the party’s provincial deputy secretary, Dibolelo Mahlatsi.
Hampering the pair’s slim chances is that Makume and Mahlatsi are not members of the Free State legislature.
Mbalula said they expected Siyonzana, his deputy, Mapaseka Mothibi-Nkoane, and council speaker Stefani Lockman-Naidoo to hand in their resignations. “We have followed a similar process as with the premier and submitted three names of comrades we want to replace Siyozana.”
Leaders of metros are, like premieres, chosen by the ANC national leadership, with regions required to submit names of those they would prefer.
The ANC in the Mangaung region is understood to have submitted the names of National Council of Provinces chief whip Seiso Mohai, MK veteran and party provincial executive committee member Gregory Nthatisi and Free State ANC Women’s League convenor Lulama Titi-Odili, to replace Siyonzana as mayor.
Siyonzana and Ntombela’s departures from the province and city are seen as a further dismantling of the Ace Magashule network in the province.
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