MIDDELBURG — The MK Party in Steve Tshwete Municipality has lodged a formal complaint against the Municipal Demarcation Board’s (MDB) Mpumalanga office after a senior official shared a Democratic Alliance (DA)-branded poster in the board’s provincial WhatsApp group.
The poster, which carries the DA logo, reminds voters about the IEC registration weekend scheduled for 20 to 21 June 2026. It was shared on Wednesday, 29 April 2026, by Hester Marais, the MDB provincial coordinator for Mpumalanga.
Johan Matshiane, a member of the MK Party’s Mpumalanga Provincial Elections Structure, said he was alarmed by the post and questioned why content promoting a political party was shared on a platform belonging to an independent institution.
“Publicly sharing partisan political material compromises the actual and perceived independence of the MDB, contrary to Section 3 of the Municipal Demarcation Act and the MDB Code of Conduct for Employees,” Matshiane said.
“This conduct creates a reasonable apprehension of bias, undermining public trust in MDB processes currently underway and previous submissions made and objected to in the province.”
Matshiane has filed a complaint with the MDB’s national chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, calling for an urgent investigation and decisive action against Marais to protect “the institution’s independence”.
“The integrity of the demarcation process is critical for free and fair local government elections. We trust the Board will act decisively to protect the institution’s independence,” he said.
He has given the board 30 working days to provide written feedback on the outcome of the investigation.
The ANC in Nkangala also weighed in, saying public trust in Chapter 9 institutions must be protected.
“The MDB must be above reproach, especially now with elections approaching. Officials cannot be seen to favour any party, even unintentionally. We expect the Board to deal with this matter transparently and remind all staff of their duty to impartiality,” said regional secretary Sello Matshoga.
“The registration weekend belongs to the IEC and to all South Africans, not to any political party’s branding.”
EFF chairperson in the Steve Tshwete Municipality, Joseph Ngubeni, said the incident points to deeper accountability concerns.
“This is not just a WhatsApp mistake. When an MDB official pushes DA material in an official group, it tells our people that the referee is wearing a team jersey,” he said.
“The MDB must not only investigate Marais but also audit all internal communication. We can’t go into the 04 November elections with communities doubting whether wards were drawn fairly. Suspension pending investigation would show they are serious.”
DA Mpumalanga provincial chairperson Bosman Grobler said the party had no role in the post and supports voter education initiatives.
“The DA did not ask any MDB official to share our material. We are a party that follows procedures; we are not dependent on favours from any institutions,” he said.
“However, MDB staff must follow their own code of conduct. If there was a breach, the Board must handle it internally and apply its rules fairly.”
The MDB is an independent authority responsible for determining municipal boundaries, with its decisions directly affecting ward layouts and voter distribution ahead of the local government elections set for 04 November 2026.
Attempts to obtain comment from Marais were unsuccessful, as she referred the publication to the board’s spokesperson, Barileng Dichabe.
“The MDB unreservedly apologises for the unintended post shared by a staff member. The content does not reflect the organisation’s values or position. Appropriate steps have been taken to address the matter and prevent a recurrence,” Dichabe said.
She added that the MDB remains an independent and apolitical organisation committed to executing its mandate without fear, favour or prejudice.
“Therefore, the MDB affirms that our ward delimitation and demarcation systems are uncompromisingly geared to prevent any form of manipulation or unfair and biased outcomes. This statement serves to clarify the organisation’s position,” she said.
