Ace Magashule Makes His Case to Become Matjhabeng’s Next Mayor

• Former Free State Premier Ace Magashule made a bid to become the next mayor of Matjhabeng, citing his government experience as a key qualification
• Magashule blamed ANC factionalism for the Free State's governance decline, but sitting leaders pushed back on his record as premier
• A forensic investigation flagged potential losses of more than R395 million at Matjhabeng, adding pressure to the political contest ahead of 2026

FREE STATE — Former Free State Premier Ace Magashule has put himself forward as a mayoral candidate for Matjhabeng ahead of the 2026 local government elections, arguing that his years in provincial government equip him to reverse the municipality's prolonged decline.

Reports from EWN say Magashule has called on critics to evaluate his nine-year tenure as premier by comparing service delivery performance and municipal audit outcomes before and after his time in office. He maintained that his administration delivered quality basic services across the Free State, and attributed the province's subsequent deterioration to deep divisions within the ANC.

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Magashule points to ANC factionalism

According to Magashule, the ANC in the Free State has fractured into four competing groups, a split he believes has directly undermined governance across the province. His remarks came as municipalities including Matjhabeng, Mangaung and Metsimaholo continue to face serious financial and service-delivery difficulties.

Not all within the party share his framing. Mangaung Mayor Greg Nthatisi acknowledged that the ANC must accept collective responsibility for failures that occurred under its leadership, but took aim at former leaders who now distance themselves from problems that emerged during their own time in power. Nthatisi argued that individuals who were part of the province's political structures cannot lay the blame entirely at the party's door.

Mangaung, the Free State's only metropolitan municipality, is currently under administration.

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Matjhabeng faces R395 million loss findings

Matjhabeng is also under intervention, burdened by years of financial instability and poor service delivery. Current Mayor Thanduxolo Khalipha told council that a forensic investigation had flagged potential losses exceeding R395 million at the municipality. He stressed that decisive action was needed to prevent further financial damage, and identified corruption and illegal mining as compounding factors in the municipality's difficulties.

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The scale of the findings places additional scrutiny on Magashule's mayoral ambitions, as residents and opposition parties will likely weigh his promises against both his provincial record and the municipality's current condition. With the ANC under sustained pressure over its management of Free State municipalities, the 2026 campaign is set to become a defining contest over who bears responsibility for the province's governance failures.

NPA lashes out at Ace Magashule

Briefly News also reported that Ace Magashule came under fire for his “delay tactics” amid his multimillion-rand corruption trial. The NPA accused Magashule and his co-accused former Human Settlements DG Thabani Zulu and businessman Edwin Sodi of purposely stalling the Free State asbestos matter. The accused filed papers in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA). This was in a bid to challenge a High Court judgment that dismissed their earlier application to have charges tossed aside.

Source: Briefly News