BCF elects new leadership after delays
After months of legal delays, the Ba-Phalaborwa Community Forum has elected a new executive committee and resumed its operations.
LIMPOPO – After months of delays and legal intervention, the Ba-Phalaborwa Community Forum (BCF) has successfully elected a new executive committee and resumed operations.
The BCF, representing the eight communities within Ba-Phalaborwa, serves as a liaison between residents and businesses, particularly on employment-related matters.
The long-awaited elections culminated in a two-day conference held at Karibu Leisure Resort in Tzaneen, where sixteen elected representatives convened. From this group, eight individuals were chosen to serve on the executive committee.
The newly appointed leadership includes Mcduff Mathebula as chairperson, Chris Tshiseve as deputy chairperson, Kenny Thobela as secretary, and Temosho Nukeri as deputy secretary. Irvin Kgohloane was elected treasurer, with Khensani Sithole appointed as spokesperson. Additional committee members include David Siisa and Tinyiko Valoi. This election follows a Polokwane High Court ruling issued in June last year, which ordered that the Mopani District Municipality, Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality, the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET), and the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA) facilitate the election process within 60 days after they were taken to court by civil rights organisation BaPhalaborwa Concerned Community Members (BCCM) because it was operating beyond its mandated three years period.
According to the court’s instructions, for the first time in BCF’s history, the elections were conducted by secret written ballot, a significant shift from the previous public voting methods. Although initially scheduled to take place in August or September 2024, the process faced several setbacks and was eventually held in March 2025 across multiple community polling stations. While the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) was expected to oversee the process, the body did not send a representative on election day. An independent facilitator was appointed to ensure the elections proceeded.
“We are pleased that the conference was a success,” said BCF task team representative Ernest Malatji. “The new committee is now operational. We are currently reviewing the organisation’s constitution and are in the process of securing office space and resolving other logistical matters.”
