As the 2026 Local Government Elections fast approaching, attention is turning to Mafube Local Municipality, where growing service delivery concerns and political competition could reshape the municipality’s political landscape.
The big question remains: What does the future hold for this financial struggling municipality after the elections? and could the outcome in Wards 4 and 5 change the balance of political power? The municipality is currently being run by the African National Congress.
Ward 4 covers parts of Villiers and Qalabotjha, while Ward 5 includes Frankfort and part of Namahadi.
In Ward 4, particularly in parts of Villiers, dissatisfaction among residents appears to be growing over electricity disconnections carried out by Rural Maintenance, an electricity service provider operating in the municipality.
The company has reportedly been disconnecting electricity to households over outstanding municipal debts, acting on behalf of, or under instructions from, the municipality. The situation has become a point of concern for affected residents, amid broader service delivery challenges. Ward 5 was also tightly contested in the last local elections and was won by the ANC.
With the elections approaching, opposition political parties are already engaging with residents, presenting alternative approaches and making promises about how they would address electricity-related grievances and other municipal challenges if elected to power.
Whether these engagements will translate into electoral support remains to be seen. However, the dissatisfaction presents an opportunity for competing parties to challenge the current political establishment and position themselves as alternatives to voters seeking improved service delivery.
The question is whether residents’ frustrations will translate into a shift in voting patterns—and whether the outcome in Wards 4 and 5 could have a wider impact on the political balance within Mafube Local Municipality.
