LIMPOPO – Ramaphosa, according to the tradition of the ANC, is tipped to succeed president Jacob Zuma at the party’s elective conference in 2017.
Ramaphosa’s way to the party’s top job was last week rubber-stamped by the election of Polokwane Mayor, Thembi Nkadimeng, as the new Limpopo Chairperson of the South African Local Government Association (Salga).
Nkadimeng, a known die-hard Ramaphosa supporter, was elected during Salga’s elective conference held at The Protea Ranch Resort outside Polokwane last Wednesday.
She was not the only loyalist to Ramaphosa to have been elected.
Stan Ramaila of Sekhukhune, John Mpe of the Peter Mokaba region and Moris Mataboge of Waterberg Municipality were elected as the association’s three deputy chairpersons.
The Premier, Stanley Mathabatha, recently appointed some argued to be a part of his fan base, in 25 of the province’s 27 local and district municipalities.
Mathabatha’s allies indicated that discussions were at an advanced stage with the Premier League to ensure the position of party president, be it Ramaphosa or Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to be elected unopposed at the party’s elective conference.
The Premier League is assumed to be led by three premiers: Ace Magashule of the Free State, Supra Mahumapelo of North West and David Mabuza of Mpumalanga.
Mathabatha, who was deployed to Limpopo, previously denied allegations that he belonged to a grouping called CR17 otherwise referred to as the The Premier League.
“‘My job as a leader of the ANC and as premier is to make sure that Limpopo is united and rallies behind anyone who emerges supreme during and after the congress,” said Mathabatha.
The latest development in the succession debate in Limpopo comes at the time a war of words erupted between Cosatu and the ANC Youth League over the rightful cadre to succeed Zuma come 2017.
The federation accused the league during a special central executive committee meeting last Monday of making “reckless” statements over the succession.
Cosatu accused the leagues, the ANCYL and ANCWL, and MKMVA of failing to recognise the tradition of the ANC wherein a deputy president always succeeds the incumbent president.
