The Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party has suffered its first electoral setback in the North West province after its first-ever councillor resigned less than a year in office.

Thabiso Molefe of Ward 45 in the Rustenburg Local Municipality resigned in a letter dated 10 April 2025, sent to the Speaker of the Council.No reasons were given in the letter as to why he was leaving the position.

“I am writing this letter to inform you that I Thabiso Molefe, Ward 46 Councillor from the Mkhondo (sic) Wesizwe Party (MKP) herewith render (sic) my resignation as a Ward Councillor with effect from the 1st May 2025,” reads Molefe’s stamped letter.

Molefe made history for the MK Party in August 2024 when he won the ward from the ANC. His victory earned the party, led by former president Jacob Zuma, the first ever councilllor outside its stronghold of KwaZulu-Natal.

Rumours of his pending resignation have been swirling around for days, but he would issue recorded messages to allay them and say he is still a councillor.

Molefe confirmed to African Times that he had indeed resigned from his position. “Yes, it’s legit,” he said referring to the leaked resignation letter.

The spokesperson for the MK Party, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, had not commented at the time of compiling this report.