VHEMBE ANC regional deputy chairperson Miyelani “Mabanana” Chauke has been elected Vhembe District Municipality Mayor, in a vote that was boycotted by his predecessor, Freda Nkondo, who ignored a party instruction to resign.
The former Collins Chabane Municipality chief whip was elected at a special council meeting held at the Vhembe District Municipality chambers in Thohoyandou on Friday.
Chauke was elected with 38 votes to six against an EFF councillor.
Speaking to African Times shortly after Chauke’s election, Nkondo confirmed she neither attended the council sitting nor tendered her resignation as mayor. However, Nkondo said she would not challenge the outcome in court.
“Did they follow the correct processes? I don’t know, I was not there. I was not in the sitting today. I don’t have any information about it. I’m not going to take anyone to court. I’m not going to take the ANC to court. I don’t have information now,” Nkondo said.
On Thursday, a defiant Nkondo had vowed to ignore the Limpopo ANC’s instruction to resign or be recalled. She had told African Times that Provincial ANC secretary Reuben Madadzhe summoned her to the party’s Polokwane provincial headquarters, Frans Mohlala, and ordered her to vacate office or face the humiliation of being recalled as mayor.
Other Vhembe ANC top brass, including regional chairperson Tshitereke Matibe and secretary Matodzi Ralushai, had also conveyed the same message, but she declined.
Nkondo, who took over as Executive Mayor of the Vhembe District Municipality in November 2024 after Dowelani Nenguda resigned, has reportedly faced increased political pressure in recent months due to fallout from the post-ANC regional and provincial elections.
Demanding the reasons for removing her as mayor, barely two years after she was elected, Nkondo had said the party should focus on the upcoming local government elections rather than make changes to municipal mayors.
Before the special sitting, Nkondo had said she would disregard Madadzhe’s instruction, because the ANC failed to give her reasons for removing her.
“I was asked to resign but I did not because I asked them to give me reasons for my resignation. For tomorrow, they will see how they hold the meeting. PEC secretary [Madadzhe], regional chairperson [Matibe] and secretary [Ralushai] told me that I must resign or I will be recalled. They said they are communicating the PEC decision. I was supposed to have written a resignation letter yesterday, but then I asked myself why I should be recalled, because they did not give me reasons. I said I will not resign until I was summoned to Frans Mohlala in Polokwane today [Thursday]. I was with the provincial secretary and told him to give me reasons for my recall. Why now, ahead of the local government elections? I will not resign, but for now, let’s see how the meeting unfolds,” Nkondo added.
Despite her defiance, the ANC proceeded with her ousting, which was processed by the Vhembe District Municipality councillors at a special sitting on Friday.
The ANC in the province immediately welcomed Chauke’s election, saying he had the party’s full support.
“The ANC in Limpopo congratulates Cllr Miyelani Chauke on his swearing-in as the new Executive Mayor of Vhembe District Municipality.
“As part of implementing and communicating the PEC resolutions taken on 04 May 2026, ANC Provincial Secretary Vhamusanda Reuben Madadzhe met with the Regional Executive Committees of Norman Mashabane and Vhembe Regions followed by meetings with the ANC caucuses of Greater Tzaneen Municipality and Vhembe District Municipality to formally communicate the decisions.
“The ANC remains resolute that the new leadership must prioritise improved service delivery, with particular focus on accelerating the pace of water provision and addressing the needs of communities across the Vhembe District,” the party posted on its Facebook page.
Moses Shibambu, the VDM Spokesperson, hailed Nkondo’s “crucial contribution” to the water authority, stating that Chauke had already given them the marching orders.
“We welcome the newly elected mayor, who was elected today in this last term ahead of the local government elections. We will work with him to ensure high-quality service delivery continues. We acknowledge that she [Nkondo] performed well in her duties until now. The new mayor reiterated that we, as water authority, must improve water supply to the communities,” Shibambu said.
The same winds of change were also blowing in Tzaneen in the Mopani District. Former Mopani District Municipality spokesperson Odas Ngobeni was sworn in as the new ANC proportional representation councillor in the Greater Tzaneen Municipality. He is expected to replace Mayor Phetole Molapisane.
ANC Provincial Spokesperson Tonny Ernest Rachoene, reporting on Madadzhe’s engagement with the Norman Mashabane and Vhembe regions, as well as municipal caucuses, told the media that the Greater Tzaneen Municipality will shortly name a new mayor.
“I can confirm that the provincial secretary of the ANC embarked on a program today to communicate the decision of the PEC that took place this very Monday of this week, where there were decisions that were taken. Some of those decisions include the issue of reconfiguration of the PMT of Greater Tzaneen Municipality, in particular, the mayor.
“So what I can say about the Greater Tzaneen Municipality is that we have communicated the decision as the PDC to the caucus of the ANC, and currently we have allowed the processes of the council to unfold and then close the matter. But the fact of the matter is that we are going to have a new mayor,” Rachoene said.
