A simmering procedural dispute in the Dihlabeng Local Municipality is set to escalate, with the Democratic Alliance (DA) confirming that it will formally refer the matter to the Free State MEC responsible for Cooperative Governance, Traditional Affairs, and Human Settlements. The move follows a heated council sitting on 30 July 2026, during which the DA raised objections over the legitimacy of proceedings dating back to a meeting held on 6 July 2026—a session that the party now argues continued without the requisite quorum.
According to DA councillors, the controversy erupted when the council moved to adopt the minutes of the 6 July meeting during the late July sitting. As the debate unfolded, DA representatives raised a formal point of order, insisting that the earlier meeting had proceeded beyond its legal validity after a sufficient number of councillors had exited the chamber, thereby breaking quorum. Despite their objections being explicitly recorded in the minutes, the majority in the council pushed ahead and adopted the minutes as presented, effectively ignoring the DA’s concerns.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the DA’s Dihlabeng caucus leader condemned the adoption as a “flagrant disregard for procedural fairness and municipal law,” arguing that any decisions taken during the contested 6 July meeting are now legally suspect. “We cannot allow the rules of council to be bent to serve political convenience,” the statement read. “This is about protecting the integrity of local governance.”
The party has now confirmed it will refer the matter to the Free State MEC, seeking intervention and clarity on whether the adoption of the minutes was lawful. The outcome could have significant implications, as it may open the door for legal challenges against decisions taken during the disputed meeting. As the political standoff intensifies, residents of Dihlabeng are left wondering whether their municipality is being governed by the rule of law—or by the whims of those in power.
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