BLOEMFONTEIN, Free State — The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has officially unveiled its mayoral candidates for the Free State, marking a major milestone in its campaign ahead of the November 4, 2026 local government elections. During a provincial rally in Mangaung, party leadership outlined a clear mandate focused on clean governance, economic empowerment, and decisive service delivery improvements.
Provincial Chairperson Tommy Ancell addressed the gathering, confirming that the ATM is targeting outright victories in five specific municipalities: Mangaung Metro, Setsoto, Maluti-a-Phofung, Mohokare, and Naledi (Machabeng). Ancell emphasized that the selected mayoral candidates are current councillors who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, “servant-heartedness,” and the necessary municipal experience, including roles as chairpersons of Section 79 and Section 80 committees.
“We are not naive to the political realities,” Ancell stated, noting that while the ATM fields candidates across all municipalities in the province, these five areas represent where the party has the grassroots groundwork and numerical support to govern effectively. He clarified that although the party’s president was unable to attend the rally, the announcements carried his full endorsement and continued the momentum from a recent national briefing.
The ATM’s campaign platform heavily emphasizes revitalizing the local economy. Rather than promising blanket employment, the party pledges to equip residents with the tools to create their own businesses. Additional key focus areas include addressing land access in the farming sector and eradicating bloated municipal management structures. Party representatives highlighted that up to 70% of some municipal budgets are currently diverted toward administrative salaries rather than direct service delivery.
Pani Twala, a current Mangaung Metro councillor and newly announced mayoral candidate, highlighted the party’s growth since the 2021 elections, where the ATM secured 55 councillors nationwide, including five in the Free State. Twala described these incumbent councillors as a vital “investment” for the movement, stating that the experience gained over the past five years will serve as a blueprint for lawful, effective governance and policy implementation.
Addressing the severe service delivery challenges in embattled areas, the mayoral candidate for Maluti-a-Phofung, criticized the frequent changes in municipal leadership as a “fashion parade” that enables looting and avoids accountability. She committed to enforcing strict implementation of existing policies to resolve long-standing financial and service issues with utilities like Eskom and regional water boards.
Similarly, the mayoral candidate for Naledi (Machabeng) condemned the ongoing garbage dumping, poor road conditions, and reactive service delivery in the municipality. The candidate urged voters to reject breakaway political factions and instead support the ATM, describing the movement as a spiritually led, faith-based organization committed to honesty and a core value of putting the community first.
On the electoral logistics front, the ATM has registered a total of 273 councillor candidates with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) for the Free State. Provincial leadership openly acknowledged that late submissions resulted in missing a small number of wards, taking responsibility for the oversight while affirming a 95% successful registration rate across the province’s municipalities.
Concluding the rally’s key messages, the ATM reiterated its strong stance against gender-based violence, with provincial leadership explicitly advocating for the reinstatement of the death penalty to combat the killing of women and children. The party has now officially deployed its candidates to begin grassroots, door-to-door campaigning ahead of the November polls.
