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• Limpopo ANC is on the verge of being led by a female for the first time ever • The province has opted for consensus in the top five positions • The conference sits on March 27

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Sizwe sama Yende

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The ANC in Limpopo has forged unity that will see the top five positions being uncontested in its conference later this month, paving the way for its first ever female chairperson.

Some insiders have however dubbed this a “unity of convenience” that will crack when the time for national ANC conference to elect President Cyril Ramaphosa’s successor comes.

Supporters of Peter Mokaba regional chairperson and City of Polokwane mayor, John Mpe, and Mopani chairperson and district mayor, Pule Shai, were lobbying for them to succeed outgoing provincial chairperson, Stanley Mathabatha.

However, talks initiated by the Sekhukhune region have resulted in a compromise that will see premier, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, standing uncontested as chairperson and the duo being among the top five officials.

Mpe will stand as deputy chairperson and Shai as deputy secretary. With these two regional heavyweights out of the way, no one else has raised a hand or has been lobbied by supporters to aim for the top position.

Most of the bigwigs who would have led strong campaigns against Mathabatha’s faction such as Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs deputy minister, Dickson Masemola, and Chairperson of Joint Standing Committee on Financial Management of Parliament, Soviet Lekganyane, have since been elected into the national executive committee.

“Nature does not allow a vaccum,” a source said, “so Mpe’s and Shai’s names came up when no one was showing ambitions to challenge the premier.”

Mpe’s supporters had been campaigning vociferously for him in the middle of last year when allegations of tender corruption and service delivery backlogs piled up, and calls for his removal as mayor heightened.

They saw this sustained criticism on Mpe’s leadership in the City of Polokwane as a politically motivated campaign to discredit him.

Ramathuba showed unity when she removed the blame of the municipality’s water crisis, especially in the city, from Mpe.

She pointed fingers at the Lepelle Northern Water Board, indicating that the municipality did not owe it any money and should therefore deliver water in the provincial capital.

“We must say it clearly: the blame game is not giving our people water. Water provision must never be reduced to politics, point-scoring or public quarrels while communities queue with [buckets for water],” Ramathuba said.

She also warned that she would act decisively on this matter.

A source said that Ramathuba was issuing a stern warning to some Lepelle Northern Water Board officials to stay clear of politics.

“She was taking Mpe’s side and dealing with officials who play politics in order to weaken Mpe,” said the source.

Sources said that if Mpe and Shai launched their own campaigns for the chairpersonship, Ramathuba would still win, but would not have her preferred allies elected in the top five as they would be contested.

“Clearly, no one was guaranteed a sweeping victory. The Sekhukhune region lead a team of regional secretaries, which came with this unity of convenience,” he said.

A source said that after the provincial conference, scheduled to take place from 27 to 29 March, focus would shift towards the national conference in 2027.

Ramaphosa is stepping down and it is evident that his deputy Paul Mashatile will face contestation. Billionaire and CAF president, Patrice Motsepe, has distanced himself from a campaign putting his name as a contender despite a website having been designed and merchandise such as T-shirts produced.

“The unity of convenience will crumble when the national campaign begins because they will be supporting different leaders. The province will not go to the national conference as a bloc,” said the source.

Positions in the Limpopo provincial executive committee will be up for grab. The “unity of convenience” slate puts Mpe as deputy chairperson and Shai as deputy secretary.

Current provincial secretary, Reuben Madadzhe, remains as candidate for that position and rising political star, Eddie Maila, who is the mayor of Fetakgomo Tubatse (Burgersfort) Local Municipality, will stand as provincial treasurer.