‘Son of the soil’ Ramaphosa entrenching himself in Limpopo

President Cyril Ramaphosa appears to be entrenching himself in his home province of Limpopo, with his protege, premier Stanley Mathabatha, looking set to win another term as ANC provincial leader.

Mathabatha has benefitted hugely from his association with Ramaphosa, who is popular in the province and who, indications are, should carry that provincial support with him to the ANC’s critical national elective conference at the end of the year.

Ramaphosa is aiming for a second-term as both ANC and national leader after ousting Jacob Zuma from those two positions at the watershed Nasrec conference in December 2017.

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Mathabatha’s constant praise for Ramaphosa, such as calling him “son of the soil”, is believed to have boosted his own political fortunes.

Moreover, his pronouncement in favour of a Ramaphosa second term at the ANC’ January 8th Statement event in Polokwane have made it irresistible for branches and regions to make him their preferred choice to retain the provincial position.

The province will host its elective conference from 3 to 5 June and, if elected, Mathabatha will be the first ANC premier after Ngoako Ramatlhodi, Sello Moloto and Cassel Mathale to serve a third term as both provincial chair and premier.

The provincial executive committee of the ANC told The Citizen the party is currently busy with regional general council (RGC) meetings to draw up a road map to the provincial elective conference.

The Norman Mashabane region – the biggest, with 129 branches – and Vhembe – the second-biggest, with 127 branches – held their RGCs this month.

While Norman Mashabane endorsed its regional chair, Pule Shayi, as its preferred candidate to assume the position of the party’s provincial chair, Mathabatha became the choice of the Vhembe region.

READ MORE: Ramaphosa ‘is safe as leader of ANC’, say experts

The most influential and richest region, Peter Mokaba, is currently hosting its RGC, where Mathabatha is expected to be endorsed. The region has made its leadership preferences clear.

Speaking on behalf of the region, John Mpe – the region’s chair and Polokwane municipality’s executive mayor – said they preferred current provincial treasurer Danny Msiza to become the province’s incoming secretary.

The position is currently held by a known Ramaphosa die-hard Soviet Lekganyane. He was brushed aside by the so-called third-term slate after a row with Mathabatha over his Ramaphosa second-term pronouncement.

“This conference is going to be hotly contested,” said chair for the Phusela Branch in Tzaneen Masilo Maloko.

“Mind you, all the regions would want to have a representative in the top five positions.

“That is why we in Norman Mashabane avoided to engulf ourselves into politics of slates.”

Maloko, popularly known in Limpopo politics as “King Solomon”, added:

“All we want is for our regional chair, Pule Shayi, to lead the province, nothing more, nothing less.

“His workaholic working style of fighting graft in all municipalities and tribalism, which was embedded in the region for ages, has proved beyond any shadow of doubt that the future of this province lies in Shayi’s hands” .

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa, who has ancestral roots in Limpopo, seems to be Limpopo’s only choice for the top post going to the 55th ANC national elective conference in December.

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Limpopo has five regions, Norman Mashabane, Vhembe, Sekhukhune, Peter Mokaba and the smallest, Waterburg.

So far, all except Waterburg have publicly pronounced Ramaphosa for re-election.

ANC regional chair in Sekhukhune Julia Mathebe, who doubles up as the Sekhukhune district municipality’s executive mayor, said recently Ramaphosa’s anticorruption crusade in government and the ANC has earned him points for a re-election.

Mathebe, who is also deputy chair for the South African Local Government Association in Limpopo, added that under Ramaphosa’s leadership there had been promising trends of economic growth.

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