Argument over Ramaphosa’s second term ‘proof there are cracks’ within Limpopo ANC

It’s official. Limpopo ANC provincial chair Stan Mathabatha has been sanctioned by the party’s regional secretaries to pronounce Limpopo’s backing for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s re-election for a second term.

On Monday, it was reported the 64-year-old Limpopo premier had jumped the gun after ascending the stage when welcoming the president during the party’s anniversary shindig at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane two weeks ago. He said the province would back Ramaphosa for a second term at the party’s 55th national elective conference.

“What we are simply saying, comrades, is that when the curtains open we should start campaigning for the presidency of the ANC; there is absolutely no doubt that we, as Limpopo, are going to campaign for Ramaphosa,” said Mathabatha.

But this did not sit well with some of the party’s provincial bigwigs, including ANC provincial secretary Soviet Lekganyane, according to the Pretoria News.

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Lekganyane was quoted as saying: “As the provincial spokesperson of the ANC, I can tell you now that the statement was not an official pronouncement of the ANC and must be treated as a personal opinion, which was unnecessary to pronounce at such an event.”

Several others supported Lekganyane’s position, distancing themselves from the pronouncement.

The Citizen can reveal that an interview with ANC regional secretaries and chairs from four big regions painted a different picture to the argument.

“We are the first region to hold a regional conference and the only one in the province to be addressed by president Ramaphosa,” said Norman Mashabane ANC regional secretary Goodman Mitileni on Monday.

“In the conference, we agreed in principle that Norman Mashabane region will support Ramaphosa for a second term when nominations officially open.”

Mitileni’s position was backed by ANC Sekhukhune regional secretary Mathope Tala. Backing Ramaphosa for a second term topped the list of items discussed during the party’s recent regional elective conference in Groblersdal last month.

“The agreement was that we will wait for the official nomination process to open and when that time comes, Sekhukhune will 100% rally behind president ‘Matamela’ [Ramaphosa].

“Those who claim the premier was jumping the gun must just go back to the drawing board because theirs is just to grandstand in an effort to ridicule the chair,” added Tala.

An insider, from the provincial executive committee (PEC), who wished to speak on condition of anonymity, said the prevailing argument over Ramaphosa’s second term was proof enough that cracks had started to develop within the Limpopo ANC ahead of the provincial and the national elective conferences.

“The problem is not the timing for the pronouncement but the real fight is who should pronounce Limpopo’s endorsement first,” said the source.

“Some of these guys have promised the president that they will deliver the province to Ramaphosa. Whoever pronounced first, wins a trophy, plus a space in the NEC [national executive committee] under Ramaphosa’s
ticket. That is the prevailing tussle in the Limpopo PEC now.”

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ANC Vhembe chair Tshitereke Matibe said there was no question about backing Ramaphosa for a second term.

“This was the position of the conference.

“We will campaign in favour of Ramaphosa for a second term but still that will happen only when the time is right.”

ANC chair for the influential and richest region in Limpopo, John Mpe of the Peter Mokaba region, which is home to the province’s economic hub and capital Polokwane, has said Ramaphosa had his vote for a second term.

“There is no president of the ANC I know who has not been supported for a second term. His exuberant work both as party president and state president speaks volumes to some of us,” said Mpe.

An independent political analyst, Elvis Masoga, said the unfolding factional dynamism in the ANC had amazingly turned into great blessings for Ramaphosa.

“Contrary to popular fallacies that dominated the news until recently, the two rival factions in Limpopo are evidently supportive of Ramaphosa.”

Neither Mathabatha nor ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe could be contacted for comment.

– news@citizen.co.za