# Nketoana Local Municipality

Nketoana Municipality (Sotho: Masepala wa Nketoana; Zulu: UMasipala wase Nketoana) is a local municipality within the Thabo Mofutsanyane District Municipality, in the Free State province of South Africa.

## Main places

The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:
| Place | Code | Area (km$^2$) | Population | Most spoken language |
| Arlington | 41401 | 5.51 | 222 | Sotho |
| Cremona | 41402 | 0.46 | 2,021 | Sotho |
| Leratswana | 41403 | 0.82 | 3,429 | Sotho |
| Lindley | 41404 | 21.07 | 1,621 | Afrikaans |
| Mamafubedu | 41405 | 1.38 | 8,121 | Sotho |
| Ntha | 41407 | 2.16 | 8,500 | Sotho |
| Petrus Steyn | 41408 | 9.74 | 1,163 | Afrikaans |
| Petsana | 41409 | 2.76 | 13,670 | Sotho |
| Reitz | 41410 | 6.51 | 1,781 | Afrikaans |
| Remainder of the municipality | 41406 | 5,560.92 | 21,423 | Sotho |

## Politics

The municipal council consists of eighteen members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Nine councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in nine wards, while the remaining nine 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 the African National Congress (ANC) won a reduced majority of ten seats on the council.
The following table shows the results of the 2021 election.
| Party | Party | Ward | Ward | Ward | List | List | List | Total seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats |
| | African National Congress | 6,469 | 49.26 | 8 | 7,148 | 54.72 | 2 | 10 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 1,613 | 12.28 | 1 | 1,695 | 12.98 | 2 | 3 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 1,501 | 11.43 | 0 | 1,698 | 13.00 | 2 | 2 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 1,039 | 7.91 | 0 | 1,029 | 7.88 | 2 | 2 |
| | Independent candidates | 1,887 | 14.37 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | All Unemployment Labour Alliance | | | | 676 | 5.18 | 1 | 1 |
| | 5 other parties | 624 | 4.75 | 0 | 816 | 6.25 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 13,133 | 100.00 | 9 | 13,062 | 100.00 | 9 | 18 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 13,133 | 98.01 | | 13,062 | 97.49 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 267 | 1.99 | | 336 | 2.51 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 13,400 | 100.00 | | 13,398 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 28,691 | 46.70 | | 28,691 | 46.70 | | |

## Corruption and service delivery protests

In 2019, residents of Mamafubedu torched the house of mayor Mamikie Mokoena, accusing her of failing to deliver water for a week to residents of Mandela Park. Allegations in tenders corruption arose involving a contractor linked to the mayor and her cousin.
In June 2024, the Democratic Alliance accused to municipality of purchasing a truck for R2.3 million in May 2023, but never used it, leaving it parked at the municipal offices.
In August 2024 Mamiki Mokoena was accused of using a rented car which cost her municipality R100,000 in a single month. The municipality suffered a net loss of R170m for the period ended on 30 June 2023 and its liabilities exceeded its assets by R740m. There was also R47,6m in fruitless and wasteful expenditure in the 2022/23 financial year, which was due to interest and penalties on overdue accounts. In September 2024, the Economic Freedom Fighters in the Free State opened a criminal case against mayor Maditsoako Mamiki Mokoena related to the car hire. Nketoana Local Municipality municipal manager and the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) have been requested to open a criminal case against Baleri ba Aforikaand investigate the alleged irregularities in the procurement processes over the supply and delivery of Personal Protective Equipment.
In August 2024, Disebo Motaung, a director at the municipality, came under fire after making a ‘kill the boer’ comment, referring to Dubul' ibhunu on a senior managers WhatsApp group. The matter was reported to the South African Police Service for investigation and then referred to the SA Human Rights Commission. Fraud case was opened against Nketoana municipality speaker for ‘suspect travel claims’ in the same month. In September 2024 the mayor faced R17m nepotism allegations. On 8 October 2024 top municipal employee was charged with fraud after the allegation of approving car allowance for unqualified employee. On 24 October 2024 municipal manager Mokete Nhlapo suspended one of the general employee Mangaliso Hlongwane who accused him of fraud and corruption.