Five wards in the Free State will be heading for by-elections in September 2024, following the massive resignations of the Democratic Alliance (DA) Councillors in Mangaung Metro and Matjhabeng Municipality.
Paul Kotzé, the Provincial Spokesperson for the DA in the Free State, told The Business Weekly that three of the Councillors who resigned in the five wards, Dave MckKally in ward 18, Werner Pretorius in ward 20, and Dulandi Leech in ward 22 have become Members of Legislature, hence their resignations.
Kotzé said all five wards, four of which are in Mangaung Metro and one in Matjhabeng Municipality are strong DA wards and the party will contest in the by-elections for those wards.
Rossouw Botes in ward 25 has become a PR Councillor and Paul Kotzé will be the candidate for the by-elections.
Paul Kotzé explained that since Cllr McKay has been moved to legislature, Greg van Noord will be the candidate for ward 18. Corize van Rensburg will be the candidate for ward 20 and Jan-Hendrik Cronje will be the candidate for ward 22 all in Mangaung Metro.
In Matjhabeng Municipality ward 35, the ward Councillor Igor Scheurkogel has become a Member of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), a candidate to replace him is yet to be confirmed.
The IEC has since announced that registration weekend will be from 27 to 28 July 2024, and the by-elections will take place in both Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality and Matjhabeng municipality on 11 September 2024.