Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats - AASD

09/08/2026

Today, we honour the courageous women of 9 August 1956, who marched against injustice and helped shape South Africa’s struggle for freedom and equality. 🇿🇦

Their bravery reminds us that when women rise, communities rise and nations change.

05/08/2026

Rise - Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality - Rise [Through Credible Leadership, Practical Solutions & Real Accountability]

Mangaung Problems - Mangaung Solutions

THE CRISIS WE CONFRONT

For over a decade, the people of Mangaung have witnessed the tragic collapse of our once-
proud "City of Roses." and " City on the Move".

The promises of previous administrations
have culminated in a devastating reality: Mangaung is the only South African metro currently under administration, suffering from deep systemic weaknesses and a stark betrayal of public trust.

The 2024-2025 Auditor-General reports painted a painful picture of governance failure,
revealing R1.3 billion in unauthorised expenditure and R227 million in irregular expenditure. Our infrastructure is decaying: we are losing 49.6% of our potable water to leaks, raw sewage flows into our freshwater sources due to failing Wastewater Treatment Works like
Sterkwater, and our streets are plagued by potholes and rampant illegal dumping.
Simultaneously, youth unemployment has reached catastrophic levels of up to 62% in the 15 - 24 age bracket, fuelling crime, gangsterism, and a profound sense of hopelessness.

Doing nothing is no longer an option. Building upon our 2016 roots and our 2021 battle cry
to , the Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats presents a comprehensive, pragmatic social democratic
vision to RECLAIM, REIMAGINE, and RESET our municipality.

We are ready to transition Mangaung from financial distress and institutional collapse toward our "Vision 2050" of a prosperous, inclusive, and technologically advanced city.

OUR FIVE STRATEGIC PILLARS FOR 2026:

1. Clean, Accountable, and Technocratic Governance We will replace patronage with
professionalism. A capable state is the bedrock of service delivery.

• Competent and Capable Municipal Service: We will conduct urgent skills audits
and implement "Fit for Purpose" appointments, ensuring that municipal executives
and officials are hired on merit, not political affiliation.

• Zero Tolerance for Corruption: We will enforce strict consequence management
for financial delinquents, clear all outstanding Auditor-General and SIU reports, and
implement transparent municipal procurement systems that end political patronage.

• Municipal Ombudsman: We will strengthen the office of the Municipal Ombudsman and launch an anti-corruption hotline to deal decisively with resident complaints, bribery, and service failures.

2. Service Delivery Restoration and Infrastructure Renewal: Every rand lost to wasteful expenditure is a rand stolen from a clinic, a road, or a water pipe. Infrastructure is dignity.

• LivableHoods Campaign: We will launch an immediate municipal-wide
environmental cleanliness initiative to eradicate illegal dumping and restore civic
pride.

• Water & Sanitation Rescue: We will aggressively target the 49.6% non-revenue
water loss by repairing leaks, upgrading reservoir capacity, and rehabilitating failing
wastewater treatment plants.

• Roads and Basic Services: We will implement rapid-response maintenance for electricity infrastructure, road rehabilitation (pothole eradication), and reliable waste
management.

3. Inclusive Economic Growth and Job Creation: Sustainable service delivery depends on growing the local economy and shared prosperity.

• Activating Economic Corridors: We will drive targeted infrastructure-led investments focusing on the Moshoeshoe Road and N8 economic development corridors, leveraging tourism, logistics, and agriculture.

• Township Enterprise Support: We will protect and support small, local businesses to stop economic leakages, providing township enterprise incubation and enforcing
strict local procurement policies.

• Youth Empowerment & Innovation: Recognizing our massive youth deficit, we
will transform Mangaung into a data-driven smart city. We will establish entrepreneurship incubators, digital economy training programs, and artisan development to transition youth from welfare dependency to economic participation.

Mecca of Sports and tourism: Convene an Indaba of all Sports and Tourism sectors
for repositioning strategy of Mangaung as the Centre of Education, Sports and
cultural tourism

4. Safe, Secure, and Dignified Communities We cannot build a prosperous city while our
people live in fear.

• Combating Crime and Gangsterism: Under our "Youth Against Drugs, Crime and
Gangsterism" banner, we will utilize smart-city technology and cameras to monitor
infrastructure and public spaces.

• Strengthening Municipal Law Enforcement: We will heavily support and integrate
Community Policing Forums (CFs) and neighborhood watches, ensuring active
citizen structures combat gender-based violence (GBV) and substance abuse.

• Protecting Vulnerable Residents through sustainable and Affordable services:
We will ensure affordable, sustainable municipal tariffs for water and electricity,
rejecting exorbitant hikes that burden the poor, and reinforcing safety nets for child-
headed households and the elderly.

5. Effective Participatory Democracy : There can be nothing for us without us.

• Community-Driven Development: We will depoliticize Ward Committees, ensuring
they function as true voices of the community rather than employment bureaus for
party factions.

Transparent Budgeting: No Integrated Development Plan (IDP) or municipal
budget will be passed without deep, effective consultation with communities, civic
organizations, and local business chambers.

The time for moaning and complaining is past. It is time to turn our grievances into greatness. We are unapologetic in our demand for a capable state.

- Because -

Vote AASD on 4 November 2026.

30/07/2026

Your vote is your voice — and it's not too late to make it count.

Even though this is the final official voter registration weekend, you can still register or update your voter details online before the voters' roll closes.

Don't wait until it's too late.

Register today and encourage your family and friends to do the same.

02/07/2026

23/06/2026

MEDIA STATEMENT

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE R50 (VAT Excl) ELECTRICITY SURCHARGES.

The Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats - AASD rejects with contempt the naked opportunism displayed by the Centlec Management, communicated through its media statement issued on the implementation of the monthly R50 (vat excl) Electricity Surcharge, which seeks to shift blame to the North Gauteng High Court matter between Afriforum NPC and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA).

Firstly, the North Gauteng High Court judgement realigned Nersa’s electricity tariff approval process to the statutory deadlines imposed on municipalities, specifically the requirements to adopt a budget at least 30 days before the start of each financial year. Lastly, the court clarified that the cost of supply (COS) study and tariff applications are public documents and must be scrutinised publicly during the budget public participation. As such, the court did not change the tariff approval regime and/or model; instead, it emphasized the need for municipal electricity distributors to include a COS study in their tariff adjustment applications.

AASD contends that the African National Congress (ANC), African Transformation Movement (ATM), and African Independent Congress (AIC) alliance in the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (City) council sought the easy way out when it resolved to pass on the entity's electricity losses to its residents. Centlec continued inefficiencies, of inadequately collecting debt from its conventional electricity meter users, and its ailing infrastructure network cannot be resolved by overburdening the poor and the working class with the introduction of the unjust electricity surcharges.

The City of Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza suspended the controversial surcharges across the City in July 2025. This is indicative that the electricity surcharge is the council's and/or political decision not associated with the NERSA electricity tariff mandate.

Centlec’s exemption dependency on the impaired City indigent register is neither here nor there. It is common knowledge that a lot of households that are entitled to this subsidy are not registered, despite making multiple applications to the City. An additional 22 000 households were removed from the indigent register on November 18 2025, leaving approximately 44 000 beneficiaries of the 160 000 deserving households as recorded by the National Treasury Department and the Auditor General of South Africa.

End.

Enquires:

Service Delivery Monitor - Zwelakhe Joseph Msabe
Mobile: 0678383997
Email: [email protected]

22/06/2026

Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality [Ward 27, 28, 29, 34, 36 and 37] you would appreciate to note developments surrounding Boithuso Police Station continued Non-electricity supply.

Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats - AASD is pleased to note the Sunday World [National Print and Digital Media outlet] featured its complaint referred to Free State South African Police Service Provincial Commissioner Major - General Thabang Lesia and Free State Department of Public Works MEC Dibolelo Mance.

https://sundayworld.co.za/news/south-africa/power-outage-at-free-state-police-station-cripples-crime-fighting/

20/06/2026

Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats - AASD has resolved on the INSOURCING of all private security guards, guarding Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality assets and buildings. The INSOURCING of security guards debate, is a fossil debate that is settled by the City's existing security risks assessment, causal developments [Burdensome security contracts and Salary Non-Payments] and/or operational reality.

The City's current security outsourcing arrangement is homicidal and proponent of continued security guards gross exploitation by profit - driven intermediaries. Literally Mangaung Metro is bankrolling its contracted security service providers monthly operations and employees salary payments.

AASD believes the City should assume an active role that is aimed at restoring the City's internal security capacity and eroding tender driven corruption.

The four (4) contracted security companies [Vemisane Security Services (VSS), Bolle Technologies (Pty) Ltd, Gap Management Solutions, SA Tiger Security], lack adequate financial capacity to continue guarding our municipal assets and buildings. All of them with the exception of GAP Management whose communication is not publicly shared, if there is any, have enough cashflow to go at least a month or two (2) when Mangaung delays and/or doesn't make any payment.

This observation is not only limited to finances. It draws with the operational adequacy risk [guards not reporting for duty] which automatically expose the City's assets and buildings to crimes [Vandalism and Theft].

These security companies do not care about workers nor their families. Security guards go months without being paid their salaries, not sure whether their monthly deducted UIF, Pension Funds and Medical Insurances are paid to third party recipients. Unfortunately, security guards are facing an onslaught from all sides. The state has adopted austerity measures that attack workers with high fuel [Public Transport] and food prices, whilst on the other hand the security companies are paying them poor - wage salaries.

AASD resolve is furthermore aimed at eliminating the middleman, protecting workers wages and stopping the looting of City's funds.

17/06/2026

To:

Ms. Dibolelo Mance MEC: Public Works, Free State
21 Nelson Mandela Drive
Bloemfontein Central
Bloemfontein
9301

Per WhatsApp: 083

Major General Thabang Lesia
SAPS Free State Provincial Commissioner
126 Charlotte Maxeke Str
Bloemfontein Central
Bloemfontein
9301

Per WhatsApp: O82

cc: Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae
Free State Government Premier

Per WhatsApp: 071

cc: Mr Jabu Mbalula
MEC: Public Safety, Roads and Transport

Per WhatsApp: 082

Date: 17 June 2026

Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats - AASD learnt of a disturbing electricity infrastructure and/or non supply complaint at Boithuso Police Station, Botshabelo in the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality region.

On Monday, June 15 2026 approximately on/or around 21:56 in the evening, the party's service delivery monitor, Zwelakhe Joseph Msabe [author hereof] received an anonymous [Police Officers identities deliberately withheld] complaint to the afore-effect. The concerned and frustrated police officers stated that the said Police Station has been operating without electricity for the period totaling two (2) months now, to no visible intervention from those responsible, which in include Provincial Department of Public Works, Provincial SAPS leadership and regional police leadership. The said complaint was confirmed by Boithuso Police Station users (community members) on a post flighted on, Zwelakhe Tanku Msabe Facebook personal account.

This development has a direct adverse impact on both police officers stationed there and the community. Amongst, registered concerns is access to 10111 services and frustrating Community Service Centre (CSC) case registration management on the system. CSC personnel are forced to drive to Thaba Nchu to register all station walk-in cases.

We further learned of labour unions intention to register a formal complaint to this effect and possible members withdrawal from the station, as many are frustrated and booked off by medical practitioners.

In this regard, as AASD, we are worried of the growing trend that is seen as a way of not dealing with challenges faced by our people in Mangaung, where the government turns a blind eye of serious issues affecting service delivery and good governance.

Our people are no longer pawns of the government and the ruling party, African National Congress (ANC) that only comes to deal with issues when the party wants votes from the same people it ignores when it is in power.

As AASD, we must state that our mandate is clear and was outlined from the beginning, that we are advocating for good governance and service delivery for our people in Mangaung. It is troubling that the police that should be servicing our people find themselves at the back foot, due to administration and/or electricity infrastructure challenges at Boithuso Police Station which renders the station, partially dysfunctional.

This also deprives our police an opportunity to render meaningful services to our people and further hinders their ability to effectively do their jobs. This non-electricity supply challenge poses a serious threat to police and community efforts of fighting Gender Based Violence (GBV), Gangsterism, and many other crimes in the Boithuso Police Station jurisdiction.

AASD demands this matter to be resolved as soon as possible and also demand that whoever is responsible for what is happening regarding this power cut to be held responsible.

We demand the department of public works, SAPS in the province and the region, including the Premier to respond to our letter by not later than Friday, 19 June 2026 at 13:00 hours.

Failure to do so, we reserve the right to escalate this matter to other oversight bodies, not limited to the Portfolio Committee on Police, the South African Human Rights Commission, the Minister of Police and the National Commissioner of Police for remedial action.

We trust that you will find this in order.

29/05/2026

ADDRESS BY Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats - AASD President and Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality CLLR Itumeleng "Pappie" MOKOENA:

28 MAY 2026 BUDGET COUNCIL MEETING

Honourable Speaker | Executive Mayor | Fellow Councillors | Members of the Administration |
And most importantly, the people of Mangaung.

Today, we rise not merely to debate a State of the City Address, but to confront the painful reality of the state of our city.

This year marks five years since the historic Mangaung Shutdown — a moment when communities across our city united in frustration over collapsing service delivery, unemployment, infrastructure decay, and governance failures. It was a painful but powerful expression of public anger and desperation. Tragically, only two days ago, we witnessed renewed community shutdown actions and protests as residents once again registered their deep discontent with the municipality.

This should deeply trouble every one of us in this chamber.

The people of Mangaung do not experience this municipality through reports, speeches, or strategic plans. They experience it through dry taps in Botshabelo, sewage flowing in the streets of Bloemfontein, collapsing roads in Thaba Nchu, unsafe electricity infrastructure, uncollected refuse, and rising frustration with a municipality that too often appears absent from their daily struggles.

The Auditor-General South Africa has once again delivered a devastating assessment of the municipality in both the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 financial years. The reports speak consistently of systemic governance failure, weak financial controls, poor consequence management, unreliable performance reporting, procurement irregularities, and institutional instability. These are not technical findings alone; they are direct evidence of a municipality failing to honour its constitutional obligations to its citizens.

The AGSA findings reveal recurring irregular expenditure, weak contract management, inadequate maintenance of infrastructure, poor revenue collection, and continued deterioration in service delivery systems. Most concerning is that many of these findings are repeat findings — year after year — demonstrating that corrective action plans are either ineffective or ignored.

Honourable Speaker:

The crisis facing Mangaung is no longer administrative; it is social, economic, and moral.

Residents are asking difficult but legitimate questions:

Why are rates and taxes increasing while services decline?

Why do communities remain in darkness for days after electricity failures?

Why are businesses leaving the city because of infrastructure collapse and unreliable municipal systems?

Why do young people continue to face unemployment while projects stall and opportunities disappear?

The lived experience of our people is one of declining trust in the local government and municipal Council.

We cannot normalise dysfunction. A credible State of the City Address must therefore move beyond announcements and acknowledge the seriousness of the institutional crisis confronting Mangaung.

It must place accountability at the centre of recovery. Without consequence management, ethical leadership, and administrative stability, no turnaround strategy will succeed.

However, despite the gravity of the situation, this Council and the People of Mangaung must not surrender to hopelessness.

Mangaung remains a city of immense potential. We possess strategic geographic positioning, educational institutions, agricultural value chains, tourism assets, and resilient communities. But potential without good governance, competent and ethical political and administrative leadership as well as discipline delivers nothing.

The path forward requires a governance reset:
a professional administration, credible financial recovery, infrastructure renewal,
strict accountability, and citizen-centred service delivery.

The people of Mangaung are not demanding miracles. They are demanding dignity, responsiveness, honesty, and competent governance.

Let this Council hear the voice of the residents clearly:

they are tired of excuses, tired of recurring audit failures, and tired of promises without implementation. And for that reason the People of Mangaung have an appointment with the future they desire by the 4th November 2026 LGE.

History will judge this Council not by the speeches we deliver today, but by whether we acted decisively to restore the dignity, functionality, and future of Mangaung.
I thank you.

The 2024–2025 Auditor-General findings painted a painful but necessary picture of the state of governance and service delivery in Mangaung. The findings speak of systemic weaknesses, poor financial controls, infrastructure decay, unreliable reporting systems, weak consequence management, and declining institutional capacity. This decay did not happen over night but has been coming and worsening over the past 10-15 years.

But Baagi we must understand something very important this morning:

An audit report is not merely an accounting document. It is a moral document. Based on factual inquiry and evidentiary proof
It reflects the condition of leadership, governance, accountability, and ultimately the lived experience of our people.

When the Auditor-General speaks about irregular expenditure, communities experience potholes.

When the Auditor-General speaks about weak controls, residents experience water interruptions.

When the Auditor-General speaks about non-performance, businesses experience economic decline and unemployment.

When the Auditor-General speaks about governance failure, young people experience hopelessness.

And yet — despite these challenges — I stand before you hopeful.

Because throughout history, societies have risen from deeper crises than ours when citizens, leadership, and institutions united around a common vision.

The question before us is not whether Mangaung has problems. The question is whether we have the courage to solve them and let Mangaung Rise Again to be the pride of its citizens.

The Mangaung Vision 2050 document reminds us that this city was never meant to merely survive. It was intended to become a regional centre of innovation, logistics, education, tourism, conference and mega-events, manufacturing, agriculture, digital growth, and human development.

A city where:

1. Infrastructure supports economic growth,

2. Governance builds public trust,

3. Communities participate in informing the development agenda and performance,

4. And public resources are used ethically and efficiently.

That vision remains possible.

But vision without ex*****on is hallucination.
We must now confront the hard truths standing between Mangaung and its future.

Thank Honourable Speaker.

27/05/2026

Party LOGO or SYMBOL Rebranding

Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats enters a new era, signaling the party's Ideological Repositioning and New Political Identity.

Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats has over the past seven (7) years built meaningful and formidable relationships with different communities. However, in a world that never stops changing, as a party we face the constant challenge of remaining relevant and resonant to the voters and communities we pledge to serve.

The new logo does not represent the party visual identity overhaul only, it further communicates the party's refined sense of purpose towards 2026 local government election and beyond victories, aimed at building Good Governance Record (Not Protest Politics) and positioning AASD as coalition - capable party, maintaining ideological clarity [Centre - Reformist, Constitutionalist and Developmental] that is not influenced by populist rhetoric.