ANC Limpopo: Duo draws favour over five proven top guns

The future of five Limpopo provincial government MECs hang in the balance after a contentious plea by the Limpopo ANC for premier Stan Mathabatha to reshuffle his Cabinet.

The party this week asked for Mathabatha to adjust his Cabinet in an alleged attempt to accommodate two senior party bigwigs recently elected to the party’s provincial executive committee (PEC).

The party held its provincial elective conference at the Ranch Resort, outside Polokwane, in June, when a new leadership was elected for the next four years.

It was at that conference that Mathabatha, who is also premier of Limpopo, was re-elected for a third term as chair. However, five MECs from Mathabatha’s Cabinet did not make the cut on the PEC list.

These include transport, safe- ty and liaison MEC Polly Boshielo; sports, art and culture MEC Thandi Moraka; agriculture MEC Nandi Ndalane and treasury MEC Seaparo Sekoati.

Despite being one of the most well-educated and hard-working MECs in Mathabatha’s Cabinet, social development MEC Namane Dickson Masemola might also not survive the axe.

Masemola contested against Mathabatha for the position of provincial chair but lost by a big margin. Soon after his election, Mathabatha dispelled allegations that he was preparing to purge his Cabinet of those who did not support him at the conference.

The 65-year-old leader made it clear he harboured no intentions to reshuffle his Cabinet or purge his political foes. Ironically, on Monday, the party announced it had in-depth discussion on the composition of the PEC.

“The PEC has decided the provincial chair should relook into the composition of [the executive council] with a view to enhance service delivery,” said the PEC statement.

The statement has, however, raised a lot of brouhaha with- in the political spectrum, with many saying the plea was aimed at accommodating two newly elected ANC top guns, former Vhembe district municipality executive mayor Florence Radzilane and provincial treasurer Nakedi Sibanda-Kekana.

They have been branded by those speaking the same political language as workaholics, who could turn Limpopo into a land of milk and honey, given time.

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