MATJHABENG – Matjhabeng executive mayor Thanduxolo Khalipha has vowed to pursue further action against Odendaalsrus magistrate Shaun Malander after challenging his convictions for common assault and crimen injuria in the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein.
Judgment was reserved following Monday’s hearing on 19 October, during which Khalipha’s legal team raised allegations concerning the conduct of Malander and the integrity of the judicial process.
His constitutional rights
Khalipha has maintained his innocence, saying the appeal was an exercise of his constitutional rights.
He claimed that the magistrate’s conduct had been inconsistent with the Constitution and expressed confidence that the High Court would overturn his convictions and sentences.
Khalipha said the questions posed by the judges had strengthened his belief that his case would succeed. However, the outcome remains subject to the court’s judgment.
The mayor also indicated that he would not regard the matter as concluded once the appeal had been decided.
He said a complaint against Malander had already been lodged with the Magistrates Commission and that he intended to pursue the matter through the appropriate judicial structures.
Guilty of common assault
Khalipha was convicted in November 2024 on one count of common assault and two counts of crimen injuria. The charges stemmed from a incident in February 2024 involving municipal employees Frank Moreroa and Sphamandla Msomi, who served as his bodyguards.
The convictions have had political repercussions for the mayor, who also serves as the ANC’s provincial organiser.
In May, the ANC’s Lejweleputswa regional executive committee (REC) called for Khalipha’s immediate removal as executive mayor, citing concerns about the impact of his conduct on the organisation and the municipality.
Remove as Mayor
In a statement issued after a meeting at the party’s regional offices in Welkom on Thursday, 28 May, regional secretary Irvin Riet said the REC supported the urgent reconfiguration of Matjhabeng’s municipal leadership, including Khalipha’s removal.
The REC said the ANC Integrity Commission had found that Khalipha’s conduct had brought the organisation into disrepute.
The party’s national executive committee endorsed the position and referred the matter to its national disciplinary committee for further processing.
Alleged mistreatment
The regional leadership also raised concerns about alleged mistreatment of senior municipal officials, including the resignations of senior engineers, the former municipal manager and the technical director. It said some concerns had reportedly been raised in resignation communications and were subject to further scrutiny and investigation.
The political controversy unfolds as Matjhabeng residents continue to face persistent service-delivery challenges, including water and electricity interruptions, inadequate refuse collection, deteriorating roads and recurring sewerage problems.
Reports of sewage entering streets, rivers and residential properties, alongside concerns about water quality, have added to public anxiety.
The municipality also faces financial and administrative difficulties, including low revenue collection and substantial debts owed to major service providers, amid provincial efforts to stabilise its operations.
SAMWU concerned
The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) in Lejweleputswa has raised concerns over Matjhabeng Executive Mayor Thanduxolo Khalipha’s appeal proceedings, citing allegations of harassment, humiliation and victimisation of municipal workers under his political leadership since 2021.
The union said it would await the court’s final ruling and consult its legal team before deciding on its next steps. It declined to be drawn into speculation surrounding the case.
SAMWU said it would reserve further comment on the assault and insults allegedly directed at its members until the final ruling had been delivered and it had consulted its legal team.
ALSO READ: Bodyguard brings assault case against Thanduxolo Khalipha, mayor of Matjhabeng
