Mathabatha set to stay on top
Premier Stanley Mathabatha stands a good chance of continuing to lead the province after next year's general elections.
POLOKWANE – Premier Stanley Mathabatha stands a good chance of continuing to lead the province after next year’s general elections.
This possibility was confirmed after supporters favoured him during the ANC provincial list conference held in the city last Thursday.
The conference was delayed by approximately six hours when two factions could not agree on which delegates should attend the conference. One faction was supporting the leadership of the ANC provincial deputy chairperson of the disbanded Provincial Executive Council (PEC), Dickson Masemola, while the other supported the leadership of the Provincial Task Team (PTT) that took over when the PEC was disbanded.
Masemola has now turned against Zuma’s PTT. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), which called for a change in Limpopo government is now supporting Masemola.
Masemola’s list was composed of former treasury MEC David Masondo, former ANC provincial secretary, Soviet Lekganyane, Cosatu provincial secretary, Dan Sebabi, National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union chairperson, Mike Shingange and the MEC for health and social development, Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba.
Sebabi said there was no Cosatu resolution to back Masemola. He denied abusing Cosatu to further his political career, saying he had been asked to stand. “It would be un-ANC to refuse,” he said.
Mathabatha’s list consisted of former sport, arts and culture MEC Joe Maswanganyi, transport MEC Lehlogonolo Masoga, economic development, environment and tourism MEC Seaparo Sekoati and member of provincial legislature, Thandi Morake.
South African Communist Party (SACP) provincial secretary, Gilbert Kganyago was not included on either of the two lists. Kganyago said the SACP was not aligned to any factional group in the ANC process. The SACP believed in contributing to the unity of the ANC in the province following the period of disbandment, he said.
“It would be wrong for the SACP to undermine the unity of the ANC and the alliance as a whole. We think that people might have used the names of other comrades including that of Mathabatha for convenience and self-serving reasons.
We strongly discourage our comrades and the alliance as a whole to contribute in any form to factional activity. We will support any process that is aimed at building the people of Limpopo as a whole.”
ANC Limpopo spokesperson, Sipho Dikgale said people were not competing, but coming up with the names of preferred candidates who could go to legislature.
“We are not going to divulge the names of comrades on the list,” Dikgale said.
