Middelburg — The African National Congress (ANC) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) supported a motion of no confidence against the first EFF speaker Thato Mathunyane on 10 February 2026.
“I've come to realise and accept that I’m simply a casualty of coalition dynamics. I stand before you with great pride... I have never let you down,” Mathunyane said after the vote.Joseph Ngubeni of the EFF was elected speaker without opposition after his party introduced the motion. The ANC supported the motion while the Democratic Alliance (DA), Middelburg and Hendrina Residents Front (MHRF) and Freedom Front Plus (FF+), chose to abstain.
ANC Nkangala Secretary Sello Matshoga confirmed the political cooperation between the two parties. “Our relationship with the EFF in the Nkangala region is strong. When they bring up concerns, they communicate these with the ANC, and we engage in discussions to find resolutions together. Our collaboration in council is also evident,” he said.
Matshoga added, “They [EFF] stood by us in council, and in return, we committed to backing them during the motion of no-confidence.”
The role of public safety MMC, previously held by Ngubeni, is now occupied by Ernest Nkwana from the ANC.
Mathunyane of the Middelburg and Hendrina Residents Front (MHRF) will now have to attend council meetings as an ordinary councilor.
He became speaker on 22 August 2023 following the resignation of the previous speaker Thomas Mpye, an independent candidate. Mpye stepped down just before a special session on 16 August 2023, which was convened to address a no-confidence motion against him. This move came in the wake of allegations regarding his misuse of the official vehicle designated for his position, alongside accusations of leading council meetings with a biased manner that tarnished the council’s reputation.
Mathunyane faced his own set of challenges as well. In May 2024, MEC Speed Mashilo from the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA) tasked Municipal Manager Mandla Mnguni with investigating allegations of improper use of the municipal garage and the speaker's credit cards. Reports indicated that over R5,000 may have been charged to the petrol card between April 12 and May 02.
A previous motion of no-confidence in 2025 against Mathunyane failed due to insufficient signatures.
On 11 February morning, Mathunyane shared with the publication that he had accepted the council's decision to vacate his position. He emphasised that he bears no resentment and clarified that his removal stemmed from coalition agreements, not his performance as speaker. Mathunyane said he would continue serving as an ordinary councillor and focus on oversight work in Section 79 committees.
“The MHRF will convene its municipal executive committee to determine my next role as a representative in the Section 79 committees focused on oversight. Our key priority will be to revitalise the MHRF's programmes in preparation for the upcoming local government elections. Lastly, I want to extend my congratulations to the new Speaker, Cllr Ngubeni, and wish him all the best in his new role.”
