ANC’s North West turf war: N4 faction triumphs, N12 faces roadblocks

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s North West supporters consolidated their position at the weekend as almost all positions of additional members at the Bojanala ANC elective regional conference went to them.

The Ramaphosa loyalists are known as the N4, which refers to the main highway running through the province.

An opposition faction, N12, named after a national North West road, coalesced at the ANC’s national elective conference at Nasrec at the end of last year around former health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize.

It was soundly defeated in the selections for the ANC’s national leadership, but the tussle continues in the province.

The “battle of the national roads”, as the faction contest for dominance is dubbed, could have far-reaching implications at provincial and national level.

At the Bojanala elective regional conference, almost all the 20 REC (regional executive committee) members elected came from the N4.

This was in addition to the top five office-bearers elected during the first leg of the conference recently.

The only N12 member, Freda Mapela from Moretele, made it onto the REC due to a requirement to fulfil the obligatory 50/50 gender representation in all ANC structures.

An N4 male member, who had been elected onto the REC, had to stand down to make way for Mapela in compliance with this.

The conference start was delayed on Saturday as some N12 delegates threatened to go to court to have the conference declared illegal.

It was scheduled for 9am but only started at 2pm as some members questioned various issues.

Recently, Bojanala elected an all-N4 top five comprising Sheila Mabale-Huma from Rustenburg as chair, Kagiso Moleko from Moretele as deputy chair, Raymond Moraile as secretary (Madibeng), Thapelo Thobokoe as deputy secretary (Moses Kotane) and Thabo Jacobs as treasurer (Moretele).

None of the previous interim regional committee (IRC) top 5 made it into the new REC. Some of the delegates were happy that the IRC was removed.

“As branches, we feel relieved and free after the self-serving IRC was removed because it was biased,” said a delegate from Madibeng.

The N4 came from behind in the battle for the control of the ANC in the North West, a province officially run by N12 provincial leadership.

The final battle will be decided next weekend with the only remaining region, Dr Kenneth Kaunda to hold its rerun elective conference.

The balance of forces in North West currently favours the N4.