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Three parties name Mangaung mayoral candidates before 4 November vote

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Ongoing: Elections Hot

The DA, EFF and FF+ have named their mayoral candidates for Mangaung ahead of the local government elections on 4 November. The ANC had not yet named its candidate, though former mayor Thabo Manyoni is on its shortlist.

Werner Pretorius is the DA candidate and chairs the Free State DA. He has been a Free State member of the provincial legislature since 2024. He called Mangaung the country's worst-run metro and said the city is in intensive care. His campaign message is "Building a city of opportunity for all."

Sam Matiase is the EFF candidate. He is an EFF MP and a member of the party's Central Command Team. His family was evicted in 1986 and moved to Botshabelo. Matiase said the ANC is corrupt. EFF leader Julius Malema pledged at the party's manifesto launch to end cadre deployment.

Elizabeth Snyman-van Deventer is the FF+ candidate and a Mangaung councillor. She has lived in the metro for 39 years and served on the council for two decades. She said experienced leadership, rigorous oversight and sound financial management can turn the metro around. The FF+ has gained five council seats in Mangaung across recent local government elections.

Mayor Gregory Nthatisi described the DA's legal action over Lourier Park as a regrettable moment for South Africa's democracy. Thabo Manyoni, a former Mangaung mayor and chair of the Municipal Demarcation Board, is on the ANC shortlist.

Key facts

Who
Werner Pretorius (Democratic Alliance (DA) mayoral candidate for Mangaung; chairs the Free State…); Sam Matiase (Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) mayoral candidate for Mangaung; EFF MP and…); Elizabeth Snyman-van Deventer (Freedom Front Plus (FF+) mayoral candidate for Mangaung; Mangaung councillor); Gregory Nthatisi (Current Mayor of Mangaung)
What
The article profiles mayoral candidates for Mangaung, the Free State's sole metropolitan municipality, ahead of the local government elections on 4 November. It outlines each candidate's background, message, agenda and challenges, and notes the ANC had not named its candidate.
When
27 October 2026
Where
Mangaung, Free State, Bloemfontein
Status
Reported

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