Ramaphosa visits struggling Madibeng Local Municipality
In his capacity as ANC leader, President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to visit the Madibeng Local Municipality, located in the North West town of Brits, on the first day of the voter registration weekend.
Political parties have urged eligible South Africans to visit their nearest voter registration this weekend for the Electoral Commission’s (IEC) final voter registration weekend.
Saturday and Sunday mark the last weekend that voters may register, update, and verify their details on the voters’ roll ahead of the Local Government Elections on 4 November 2026.
During a media briefing earlier this week, the IEC confirmed that over 23 000 voter registration stations will operate between 8 am and 5 pm on both days.
Madibeng is among the 69 municipalities affected by the National Treasury’s decision to withhold equitable share transfers in July due to non-compliance.
However, on Tuesday, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced that the outstanding R7.1 billion in withheld funds would be released to all affected municipalities
READ: Treasury will release R7.1bn to municipalities
Among several planned community engagements, Ramaphosa is expected to pay a courtesy visit to the Royal Family of Bapo-baMogale before engaging unregistered voters at the Segwetlhane Primary School in Ward 5. He is also expected to go on a walkabout at the Bapong Mall.
ANC VS MADIBENG MAYOR MAIMANE
In addition to service delivery issues, the municipality has also been plagued by leadership issues, after Mayor Douglas Maimane took the ANC to court over its decision to recall him.
In June, ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula said the party had resolved to recall Maimane from his deployment as executive mayor of the troubled North West municipality for a second time.
In April, during a press briefing held at the party’s Luthuli House headquarters, Mbalula told reporters that Maimane had been recalled but said he would not disclose the reason for the decision.
At the time, TimesLive had published a series of damning reports implicating the mayor in an alleged plot to collude against his own party in the upcoming local government elections.
In a leaked audio shared by the publication, Maimane can be heard allegedly offering opposition councillors money to help remove the ANC from power in the municipality.
The beleaguered mayor turned to the courts to stave off his recall, arguing that the secretary-general’s decision to instruct him to step aside was based on false information, and won.
MUNICIPAL MANAGER KGATLA SHOT
A case of attempted murder was registered with the North West South African Police Service after the Madibeng Municipal Manager, Quiet Kgatla, was shot while driving on Zilkaatsnek Road towards Hartbeespoort Dam.
The 42-year-old was allegedly targeted by a charcoal-coloured VW Polo with Gauteng registration plates, which overtook his vehicle before two unknown male occupants opened fire and fled the scene.
North West police spokesperson Adele Myburgh said the victim sustained gunshot wounds to his arm and leg but was still able to control his vehicle until he stopped near a petrol station in Zilkaatsnek.
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