PARYS, FREE STATE — The Moqhaka Community Forum is building on its 2021 electoral success to prove that localized civic participation yields tangible results in local governance. Currently holding three seats in the council, the organization is actively advocating for the continued participation of civic movements in the upcoming November 4 elections, arguing that grassroots representation consistently bears fruit for the community.
Morena Thebe, Leader of the Moqhaka Community Forum, emphasized that the organization understands the unique needs and dynamics of the area because they are not dictated by mandates from distant, centralized headquarters.
“We are the neighbors of those that we want to vote for us,” Thebe stated, highlighting the hyper-local nature of their representation. He argued that living within the community allows the forum to grasp the specific dynamics of the area in a way that traditional parties, operating from remote headquarters, simply cannot achieve. This neighbor-led approach has already secured them a foothold in the council since their debut in 2021.
Reflecting on the forum’s existing success and the broader regional trend, Prof Sethulego Matebesi reiterated that this growing dissatisfaction with traditional parties is driving a permanent shift in local politics. He noted that for the very first time, seeing such a large concentration of civic organizations in one district is a clear indicator of systemic failure by mainstream parties. He foresees that the proven model of neighbor-led governance, as successfully demonstrated by the Moqhaka Community Forum, will continue to take away voters from major political parties, solidifying the power of decentralized civic movements in the Free State.
