# Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality

The Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (Sotho: Masepala o Moholo wa Mangaung; Zulu: UMasipala weDolobhakazi laseMangawunge; Afrikaans: Mangaung Metropolitaanse Munisipaliteit; Tswana: Mmasepala wa Toropokgolo ya Mangaung; Xhosa: uMasipala oMbaxa wase Mangaung) is a metropolitan municipality which governs Bloemfontein and surrounding towns in the Free State province of South Africa. Mangaung is a Sesotho word meaning "place of cheetahs", as it was not uncommon for the Basotho to name warrior regiments after ferocious animals.
Before the municipal elections of 18 May 2011, Mangaung was a local municipality within the Motheo District Municipality. In the municipal elections held on 1 November 2021, the African National Congress won 51 out of 100 seats on the Metro Council, while the Democratic Alliance won 26 seats and the Economic Freedom Fighters won 12 seats.

## Main places

The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:
| Place | Code | Area (km$^2$) | Population | Most spoken language |
| Barolong Baga Moroka | 40501 | 911.66 | 8,556 | Sotho |
| Bloemfontein | 40502 | 287.46 | 111,697 | Afrikaans |
| Botshabelo | 40503 | 228.79 | 175,822 | Sotho |
| Mangaung | 40504 | 46.23 | 217,076 | Sotho |
| Morago | 40505 | 221.37 | 3,941 | Tswana |
| Opkoms | 40506 | 2.84 | 15,397 | Afrikaans |
| Peter Swart | 40507 | 1.97 | 10,002 | Sotho |
| Rodenbeck | 40508 | 2.05 | 7,837 | Sotho |
| Sonskyn | 40509 | 0.80 | 3,630 | Sotho |
| Thaba 'Nchu | 40510 | 216.23 | 67,269 | Sotho |
| Remainder of the municipality | 40511 | 4,364.11 | 24,220 | Sotho |

## Politics

The municipal council consists of one hundred members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Fifty councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in fifty wards, while the remaining fifty 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 of 1 November 2021 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of fifty-one seats on the council. The following table shows the results of the election.
| Party | Party | Ward | Ward | Ward | List | List | List | Total seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats |
| | African National Congress | 87,100 | 49.75 | 40 | 90,672 | 51.51 | 11 | 51 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 45,482 | 25.98 | 11 | 44,857 | 25.48 | 15 | 26 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 19,681 | 11.24 | 0 | 20,018 | 11.37 | 12 | 12 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 7,970 | 4.55 | 0 | 7,771 | 4.41 | 5 | 5 |
| | Patriotic Alliance | 3,196 | 1.83 | 0 | 3,126 | 1.78 | 2 | 2 |
| | Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats | 2,821 | 1.61 | 0 | 2,220 | 1.26 | 2 | 2 |
| | African Independent Congress | 2,970 | 1.70 | 0 | 1,484 | 0.84 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 1,292 | 0.74 | 0 | 1,224 | 0.70 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Transformation Movement | 1,018 | 0.58 | 0 | 1,071 | 0.61 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent candidates | 992 | 0.57 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | 14 other parties | 2,555 | 1.46 | 0 | 3,583 | 2.04 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 175,077 | 100.00 | 51 | 176,026 | 100.00 | 50 | 101 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 175,077 | 98.40 | | 176,026 | 98.47 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 2,850 | 1.60 | | 2,736 | 1.53 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 177,927 | 100.00 | | 178,762 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 410,785 | 43.31 | | 410,785 | 43.52 | | |

## Maladministration

Since April 2022, the municipality is under administration, one of 32 in the country, and three in the Free State where the provincial executive has intervened due to maladministration.

## Mayors of Mangaung

The following people have served as the Executive Mayor of the municipality since its founding in 2000:
* Pappi Mokoena (ANC), 2001–2005
* Eva Moiloa (acting) (ANC), 2005–2006
* Gertrude Mothupi (ANC), 2006–2008
* France Kosinyane "Playfair" Morule (ANC), 2008–2011
* Thabo Manyoni (ANC), 2011–2016
* Olly Mlamleli (ANC), 2016–2020
* Lebohang Masoetsa (acting) (ANC), 2020–16 August 2021
* Mxolisi Siyonzana (ANC), 16 August 2021–6 March 2023
* Papi Mokoena (AASD), 14 April 2023 – 20 April 2023
* Gregory Nthatisi (ANC), 13 October 2023 – present (acting since 26 April 2023)