The speaker of the Mangaung council and ANC regional chairperson, Lawrence Mathae, also the husband of Free State Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae, is accused of firing five staff members, accusing them of not voting for him at a collapsed ANC regional conference.
Mathae allegedly dismissed four regional executive committee (REC) members and one communications staffer at the metro. The axed employees say they received no termination letters and have been locked out of their offices.
The ANC regional conference, held last week in Bloemfontein, collapsed after discrepancies emerged in the vote count. Insiders told Sunday World that while 260 voting delegates were accredited, 268 votes were counted – triggering conflict that halted proceedings.
Mathae allegedly used the failed conference as grounds to purge his office.
Staff members claim he summoned them to a meeting scheduled for 1pm on Monday, then abruptly moved to 9:30am. Those who missed the earlier session were fired.
Ncamile Nxangisa, head of department in Mathae’s office and an REC member, said: “I received a WhatsApp notification about a 1pm meeting, but it was held around 9am. I couldn’t attend. I was told Mathae declared me fired for not voting for him.
“My access to the municipality and my office was deactivated, and the locks were changed. I’m an REC member like Mathae, I cannot be axed like that.”
Mangy Shounyane, another REC member and senior staffer, said, “I was axed just like that, accused of switching sides at the conference. I can’t go to work, I have no access.”
Tshidiso Mokoai, also fired, questioned how Mathae knew his vote: “There was a secret ballot. How did he know I didn’t vote for him? This is mischief. To be axed like nobodies makes no sense.”
Tsietsi Tekete said he was “very angry and annoyed”. “Last time Mathae demoted me. Now he has fired me. He is disrespecting us all.”
Dineo Motlhabane called the allegations “absurd and useless”. “How can you fire someone over claims they didn’t vote for you at an ANC conference?”
The axed officials have complained to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and provincial secretary Dihelele Motsoeneng.
They say Motsoeneng promised to speak with Mathae.
Mathae, Motsoeneng and Mbalula had not commented by the time of publication.
Mangaung Metro spokesperson Nicolette Maysiels said the municipality was unaware of dismissal threats to staff over political campaign support. “No employees have been dismissed,” she stated firmly, adding that that there was no indication of any verified complaints. Any concerns, she said, would be handled “strictly within the framework of applicable legislation”.
On Monday, the same day Mathae had allegedly dismissed the six staff members, Mbalula wrote a letter, to Motsoeneng, instructing him to institute investigations against Mathae and provide a report today.
The ANC in the Free State did not respond to requests for comment.
- Lawrence Mathae, speaker of Mangaung council and ANC regional chair, allegedly fired five staff members accusing them of not voting for him at a collapsed ANC regional conference.
- The dismissed employees, including four regional executive committee (REC) members, claim they received no termination letters and were locked out of their offices.
- The ANC regional conference collapsed due to voting discrepancies, with more votes counted than accredited delegates, causing the event to be halted.
- Fired staff contest the fairness of their dismissal, questioning how voting choices were known in a secret ballot and accusing Mathae of politically motivated purges.
- ANC leaders, including secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, have been approached for intervention, with Mbalula instructing an investigation into Mathae; the municipality denies any confirmed dismissals.
