DENEYSVILLE, FREE STATE — The Metsimaholo Civic Party is transforming recent service delivery protests into a formal political strategy ahead of the November 4 local government elections. Formed directly at the request of residents following demonstrations in Refengkgotso earlier this year, the party is now leveraging the region’s industrial landscape to demand economic empowerment and job creation for the local workforce.
Ranky Khanya, Leader of the Metsimaholo Civic Party, outlined an aggressive economic strategy focused on partnering with big industrial businesses. Khanya stressed that because the municipality is the legal custodian of the land, any business operating in Metsimaholo must negotiate directly with local leadership.
He intends to enforce laws that ensure these industrial partnerships actively discuss and secure the future of the local people. “If we take power in Metsimaholo, we will talk with the businesses, big businesses, industrial businesses and discuss how we can create jobs for the people,” Khanya explained, making it clear that the municipality will use its custodial authority to benefit the community.
Commenting on the economic and electoral impact of this strategy, Prof Sethulego Matebesi highlighted that the direct impact of civic organizations contesting municipal elections has previously led to hung municipalities. He noted that in an industrial and economically vital hub like Deneysville and greater Metsimaholo, a fractured vote driven by these localized, protest-born economic promises could easily result in a hung council, as the movement is highly likely to take away crucial voting blocks from established parties.
