In recent years, the African National Congress (ANC) has repeatedly emphasised the need for gender parity in leadership, often pushing for women to occupy mayoral positions across municipalities.
While the intention behind this policy is noble and necessary for a truly inclusive democracy, its application has too often been careless, short-sighted, and ultimately counterproductive – especially in municipalities already struggling to survive
Nowhere is this clearer than in the Lejweleputswa District Municipality, a district already crippled by years of mismanagement, dwindling revenue, financial instability, and deteriorating infrastructure.
This is not a municipality that can afford symbolism over substance.
It requires capable, experienced, and credible leadership – regardless of gender.
Yet the ANC’s deployment strategy tends to prioritise meeting gender targets over ensuring that the person appointed has the skill, experience, and readiness to govern a municipality in crisis.
In doing so, the party is not empowering women; it is setting them up to fail.
No one disputes the importance of women in leadership.
South Africa needs more women in government, corporate leadership,and civil society.
But, representation can not be meaningful when it is divorced from capacity-building.
Too often, female leaders are deployed into dysfunctional municipalities with collapsing finances, hollowed-out administrations, and crumbling infrastructure – without the political support, resources or technical teams needed to succeed.
This is not gender empowerment. This is political carelessness disguised as equality.
Lejweleputswa needs proven competence, not tokenism – the district’s problems are deep and urgent.
Water shortages, decaying infrastructure, unpaid employees, weak revenue collection, and collapsing local economies require a mayor with demonstrable management experience, financial literacy and the courage to confront entrenched political interests.
This is not a training ground.
It is irresponsible to deploy an inexperienced or untested mayor – man or woman – into a municipality on the brink of collapse simply to tick a box.
Doing so delays recovery, prolongs suffering, and worsens community distrust.
The ANC must stop treating mayoral positions as deployment opportunities and start treating them as critical leadership posts that determine whether communities live with dignity or continue sinking deeper into neglect.
There are many capable women who could lead Lejweleputswa brilliantly.
But they should be chosen on merit, not merely because a quota demands a woman at the helm.
If gender parity becomes an excuse to overlook credibility, skills, and readiness, then the policy is hollow and harmful.
The people of Lejweleputswa deserve a credible leader who can restore stability, rebuild institutions, and speed up service delivery.
Whether that person is a woman or a man should matter far less than whether they are capable of turning around a sinking municipality.
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