This development comes after the meeting between the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) members and the expelled councillors did not go down as planned. The councillors’ representative, Paratlane Motloung, says the final agreement between the parties was that the councillors would be contesting the August 28 by-elections as independent candidates.

"There was nothing we can do to make the party understand what we want. The only solution was to get out of the ANC and [contest] the by-elections [independently]," says Motloung.

The embattled municipality has been without these councillors, who include elected Mayor Gilbert Mokotso for more than a year. This political instability has been noted by the provincial government as a major factor in the ongoing dysfunction at the financially strained municipality. Motloung further mentions that they are not scared of contesting the elections since residents still have hope and love to those expelled councillors. He added by asking residents to make the right choice during the by-elections.

The councillors are alleged to have gone against the party’s wishes, voting with the opposition to elect Mokotso in 2018 to replace Vusi Tshabalala as Mayor.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) In the Free State previously stated by-elections in the embattled Maluti-A-Phofung municipality will continue despite the ongoing threats of unrest.

OFM News/Tumelo Khotha