By 
BLOEMFONTEIN – In one of its most fiercely worded declarations in recent years, the African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) in the Free State has issued a defiant, uncompromising ultimatum to its mother body. Signalling an end to what it describes as being treated like “footnotes,” the league has launched a radical new programme of action dubbed “Mosadi Palong” (Women Count)—effectively demanding equal power, economic equity, and immediate structural overhaul ahead of the upcoming Local Government Elections.
The communiqué, issued by the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) following its ordinary meeting this past weekend, pulls no punches. It explicitly rejects the historical, subservient roles women have played within the liberation movement.
“The women of the Free State have carried this movement on their backs,” the statement reads. “We have cooked at rallies. We have cleaned the halls. We have sung and danced while men spoke… The waiting is over.”
Structural Overhaul: Operational “War Rooms” Established
Acknowledging that internal divisions have “wounded” the ANC in the Free State, the PEC announced the immediate deployment of Regional Task Teams across the province. Far from ceremonial placements, the ANCWL has framed these units as operational “war rooms” designed to aggressively revitalize grass-roots mobilization and deepen the league’s political reach.
The mandate handed down to these task teams is strict, time-bound, and highly militant. They are expected to:
- Ensure young women’s voter registration reaches a minimum of 80% per ward.
- Actively identify and lobby for competent female candidates in municipalities.
- Conduct weekly door-to-door political education sessions focused on women’s emancipation.
- Hold quarterly accountability sessions to bridge the gap between leadership and local communities.
The leadership core guiding this aggressive structural shift remains firmly unified under Provincial Chairperson Connie Msibi, Deputy Chairperson Mando Shasha, and Provincial Secretary Theodorah Mosala.
The Regional Lineups
The PEC confirmed the appointments of leadership collectives across four critical regional task teams to drive the Mosadi Palong agenda:
| Region | Convenor | Coordinator | YWD Convenor / Coordinator |
| Lejweleputswa | Nomablubi Mablopgwane | Mamoya Bonokoane | Thembeka Joji / Thandeka Noruka |
| Mangaung | Nthabiseng Modisaesi | Manthusi Letawana | Puleng Kok / Nobanele Mkrola |
| Fezile Dabi | Naomi Mokone | Catherine Kok | Maki Mosia / Matshediso Nkheloane |
| Xhariep | Pinki Harlem | Madillo Mohlabane | Mosa Mathubenyana / Sale Nkoja |
Mosadi Palong: Redefining the Power Balance
The heart of the ANCWL’s new platform relies on hard quotas and non-negotiable economic and political parity. The league states that it is no longer asking for a seat at the table; it is building its own.
The Mosadi Palong campaign lays out explicit governance and policy requirements:
- Political Leadership: In municipalities where a woman is not elected Mayor, the position of Speaker or Chief Whip must be reserved for a woman. Furthermore, the league demands strict $50/50$ representation across all ANC regional and provincial meetings, lists, and delegations.
- Economic Redirection: The league demands that 40% of municipal procurement be intentionally directed to women-owned cooperatives.
- Social & Safety Protections: Outraged that women still face gender-based violence (GBV) “in their own bedrooms,” the PEC mandates that every single municipality establish a functioning GBV Desk backed by a dedicated budget.
- Land Ownership: To rectify economic disenfranchisement, the league insists that title deeds must be registered either directly in women’s names or jointly.
Conditional Loyalty: The November 4 Reckoning
With South Africa heading to local government polls on November 4, 2026, the ANCWL has sent a clear warning to sitting public representatives : unconditional loyalty to the party label is dead. The league has stated it will campaign “critically and loyally,” putting the material needs of communities ahead of blind party allegiance.
In an extraordinary warning to underperforming officials, the league stated:
“A ward councillor who fails to fix potholes, ensure clean water, light dark streets, or protect women and children must be voted out.”
Before November, the ANCWL intends to roll out aggressive voter education across all 311 wards of the Free State by September 2026. This will be accompanied by public candidate hearings, giving ordinary women the platform to question their councillors directly, alongside a rigorous election monitoring framework to prevent intimidation or vote-buying.
By drawing this bold line in the sand, the Free State ANCWL is attempting to transition from the party’s traditional mobilization wing into its central engine room. Whether the broader ANC structure will accommodate this forceful shift—or resist it—will be the defining narrative of the upcoming local government elections.
