Limpopo ANC wants tribalism to be addressed at 55th elective conference

The Limpopo ANC wants tribalism to be one of the critical issues discussed at the upcoming national ANC’s 55th elective conference.

The ANC is to hold its national elective conference in December, to choose new leaders to lead the party for the next five years.

Soon after his release from prison, former party president Nelson Mandela said tribalism was one of the thorny issues haunting the organisation and that if not well tackled it could divide the movement for good.

Former ANC deputy secretary general the late Jessie Duarte was recently quoted as saying the ANC was tribally chauvinistic.

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This was after the party lost a sizeable number of votes during recent municipal polls in the Indian community. After the advent of democracy in 1994, Limpopo inherited the three Bantustans of Gazankulu, Venda and Lebowa wherein people were segregated because of their language, not their historical backgrounds.

In 2016, before municipal polls, several ANC branch general committee meeting were disrupted and scores of violent incidents were reported after branch members fought about whether Pedi, Tsonga or Venda speaking members should lead.

In one incident in Relela, outside Tzaneen, an ANC member was killed. Yesterday, Limpopo ANC provincial executive committee spokesperson Jimmy Machaka said: “We are opposed to tribal politics.

We are against any form of any narrative which suggests that one has to belong to particular tribal lines to be at the helm or in leadership positions.”