ANC bigwigs warm up for Vhembe leadership battle

The fight for control of Limpopo’s second biggest ANC region in Vhembe has intensified ahead of the party’s elective conference to take place before the end of winter this year.

Recently, the Limpopo ANC announced that three regions – Mopani, Sekhukhune and Vhembe – will this year hold their separate elective conference before July.

The ANC said that Norman Mashabane region was the biggest region in the province with 129 wards, followed by Vhembe with 127 wards, Sekhukhune with 118 wards, Peter Mokaba with 113 wards and Waterberg with 80 wards.

Contesting for the party’s plum job in Norman Mashabane and Sekhukhune has proved to be smooth sailing for Stan Ramaila and current party chair Pule Shayi. They are also political leaders for their respective district municipalities and Shayi is South African Local Government Association (Salga) provincial chairperson.

The real tussle for the party’s top posts has begun in the Vhembe region where ANC bigwig and Vhembe district executive mayor Dowelani Nenguda is expected to sweat it out against former Thulamela municipal manager Makonde Mathivha.

Mathivha, who is also the spokesperson for Vhavenda King Toni Mphephu Ramabulana, has partnered with former ANC Youth League provincial chairperson Rudzani Ludere.

Ludere is understood to be vying for the full-time position of regional secretary. The post is currently held by former Ba-Phalaborwa community services director and later municipal manager, Anderson Mudunungu.

Yesterday the Mathivha and Ludere slate got the thumbs up from the Congress of South African Students (Cosas), which pledged support to them.

“They are tried and tested cadres who understand ANC politics inside-out. We have over the years watched them like hawks and concluded that under their tutelage the ANC will grow in leaps and bounds,” said Cosas regional chairperson Oneman Baloyi yesterday.

Baloyi said Cosas planned to visit all institutions of higher learning, churches, parks, taxi ranks, community halls and recreational centres to spread their slogan of One Way – One Direction.

“This is our slogan to show those doubting Thomasses that the time has come for leadership change and not for ANC coteries who give jobs only to their pals and political juntas,” he said.

But ANC provincial secretary Soviet Lekganyane branded Mathivha and Ludere’s campaign “a waste of time”.

He added: “Cosas does not have voting rights in ANC elective conferences. As far as I know, Nenguda and Mudunungu will win the election.”

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