Nketoana | |
---|---|
![]() Location in the Free State | |
Country | South Africa |
Province | Free State |
District | Thabo Mofutsanyane |
Seat | Reitz |
Wards | 9 |
Government | |
• Type | Municipal council |
• Mayor | Mamiki Mokoena |
Area | |
• Total | 5,611 km2 (2,166 sq mi) |
Population (2022) [2] | |
• Total | 66,488 |
• Density | 12/km2 (31/sq mi) |
Racial makeup (2022) | |
• Black African | 90.4% |
• Coloured | 0.2% |
• Indian/Asian | 0.3% |
• White | 8.9% |
First languages (2011) | |
• Sotho | 75.9% |
• Zulu | 10.7% |
• Afrikaans | 8.7% |
• Sign language | 1.7% |
• Other | 3% |
Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
Municipal code | FS193 |
Nketoana Municipality (Sotho : Masepala wa Nketoana; Zulu : UMasipala wase Nketoana) is a local municipality within the Thabo Mofutsanyane District Municipality, in the Free State province of South Africa.
The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places: [4]
Place | Code | Area (km2) | Population | Most spoken language |
---|---|---|---|---|
Arlington | 41401 | 5.51 | 222 | Sotho |
Cremona | 41402 | 0.46 | 2,021 | Sotho |
Leratswana | 41403 | 0.82 | 3,429 | Sotho |
Lindley | 41404 | 21.07 | 1,621 | Afrikaans |
Mamafubedu | 41405 | 1.38 | 8,121 | Sotho |
Ntha | 41407 | 2.16 | 8,500 | Sotho |
Petrus Steyn | 41408 | 9.74 | 1,163 | Afrikaans |
Petsana | 41409 | 2.76 | 13,670 | Sotho |
Reitz | 41410 | 6.51 | 1,781 | Afrikaans |
Remainder of the municipality | 41406 | 5,560.92 | 21,423 | Sotho |
The municipal council consists of eighteen members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Nine councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in nine wards, while the remaining nine are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. In the 2021 South African municipal elections the African National Congress (ANC) won a reduced majority of ten seats on the council.
The following table shows the results of the 2021 election. [5]
Party | Ward | List | Total seats | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | |||
African National Congress | 6,469 | 49.26 | 8 | 7,148 | 54.72 | 2 | 10 | |
Democratic Alliance | 1,613 | 12.28 | 1 | 1,695 | 12.98 | 2 | 3 | |
Economic Freedom Fighters | 1,501 | 11.43 | 0 | 1,698 | 13.00 | 2 | 2 | |
Freedom Front Plus | 1,039 | 7.91 | 0 | 1,029 | 7.88 | 2 | 2 | |
Independent candidates | 1,887 | 14.37 | 0 | 0 | ||||
All Unemployment Labour Alliance | 676 | 5.18 | 1 | 1 | ||||
5 other parties | 624 | 4.75 | 0 | 816 | 6.25 | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 13,133 | 100.00 | 9 | 13,062 | 100.00 | 9 | 18 | |
Valid votes | 13,133 | 98.01 | 13,062 | 97.49 | ||||
Invalid/blank votes | 267 | 1.99 | 336 | 2.51 | ||||
Total votes | 13,400 | 100.00 | 13,398 | 100.00 | ||||
Registered voters/turnout | 28,691 | 46.70 | 28,691 | 46.70 |
In 2019, residents of Mamafubedu torched the house of mayor Mamikie Mokoena, accusing her of failing to deliver water for a week to residents of Mandela Park. Allegations of tender corruption arose involving a contractor linked to the mayor and her cousin. [6] [7]
In June 2024, the Democratic Alliance accused to municipality of purchasing a truck for R2.3 million in May 2023, but never used it, leaving it parked at the municipal offices. [8]
In August 2024 Mamiki Mokoena was accused of using a rented car which cost her municipality R100,000 in a single month. [9] [10] [11] The municipality suffered a net loss of R170m for the period ended on 30 June 2023 and its liabilities exceeded its assets by R740m. There was also R47,6m in fruitless and wasteful expenditure in the 2022/23 financial year, which was due to interest and penalties on overdue accounts.
In September 2024, the Economic Freedom Fighters in the Free State opened a criminal case against mayor Maditsoako Mamiki Mokoena related to the car hire. [12] Nketoana Local Municipality municipal manager and the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) have been requested to open a criminal case against Baleri ba Aforikaand investigate the alleged irregularities in the procurement processes over the supply and delivery of Personal Protective Equipment. [13]
In August 2024, Disebo Motaung, a director at the municipality, came under fire after making a ‘kill the boer’ comment, referring to Dubul' ibhunu on a senior managers WhatsApp group. The matter was reported to the South African Police Service for investigation and then referred to the SA Human Rights Commission. [15] Fraud case was opened against Nketoana municipality speaker for ‘suspect travel claims’ in the same month. [16]
In September 2024 the mayor faced R17m nepotism allegations. [17] On 8 October 2024 top municipal employee was charged with fraud after the allegation of approving a car allowance for unqualified employee. [18]
On 24 October 2024 municipal manager Mokete Nhlapo suspended one of the general employee Mangaliso Hlongwane who accused him of fraud and corruption. [19]
On the 10th April 2025 Nketoana local municipality charged one of its employees for the information that was leaked on social media. [20]
In May 2025 the municipality was in the news for its allegedly irregular appointments. [21] It was reported that the municipality advertised 43 open vacancies but ended up hiring 71 people, most of whom were never interviewed, while some were friends and family of the municipal employees. [22] [23] Nketoana has since turned to the high court to have the re-instatement of general workers dismissed. [24] As of July 2025, Nketoana was one of seven worst-run municipalities in the country due to bad administration that cost the municipality over R500 million . [25] . [26] In August 2025, The ANC Provincial Executive Committee resolved to fire leaders in the underperforming local governments to address governance failures, corruption, and service delivery challenges ahead of the 2026 local elections.Nketoana is one of those municipalities affected. [27]