Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Thoko Didiza, who is also an African National Congress (ANC) NEC member, has commended the ANC in Limpopo for increasing its gender representation when choosing its provincial leadership.
She was speaking following the announcement of the newly elected leadership at the elective conference in Polokwane.
Stan Mathabatha has been re-elected as the Chairperson, while Florence Radzilani was chosen as his deputy.
The position of Secretary went to Reuben Madadzhe, deputised by Basikopo Makamu, while Nakedi Sibanda Kekana was named Treasurer.
Stan Mathabatha re-elected for a third term as Limpopo chairperson
Didiza also praised the diverse ages of the delegates.
“The ANC in Limpopo province pronounced themselves that this is the leadership that will take them forward and I want to commend the delegates for ensuring that we increase our gender representation in the senior leadership of our organisation. In the 2018 conference, we only had one woman, comrade Florence, now our Deputy and the Treasurer of the province is a woman, which is really commendable,” says Didiza.
Newly-elected ANC Limpopo top five expected to lead, address service delivery: Mashatile
ANC Treasurer-General Paul Mashatile says the newly-elected ANC Limpopo top five are expected lead people properly and address challenges related to service delivery. Mashatile has congratulated the elected leaders.
Mashatile says the ANC NEC has confidence in the new PEC.
“For now, I want to say to the comrades who have been elected and we expect from you that you will lead our people properly in Limpopo. Focus on the challenges that our people are facing. There may be challenges of water in places roads, sort out potholes, we have confident in all of you that you will be able to steer the sheep in the right direction,” says Mashatile.
Leadership style
Meanwhile, political analyst Elvis Masoga says credit should be given to Mathabatha for his ‘neutral style’ of leadership, that doesn’t associate with factions. Mathabatha was re-elected by a landslide over Dickson Masemola. Another contender for the position Danny Msiza, was disqualified from running for the position due to the step aside rule adopted by the ANC.
Masoga says Mathabatha’s win speaks to the legacy he will leave behind.
“It speaks to the kind of legacy that he leaves behind, you know the Limpopo ANC must also give credit to their provincial chairperson, Mathabatha because those who are familiar with him will tell you that he’s a naturally humble leader, he’s not a factionalist, he has become a glue that binds all factions in the ANC Limpopo together. That’s why it’s not even easy to associate him with any faction in the ANC nationally,” says Masoga.
Mathabatha’s slate emerges victorious with a clean sweep of all five positions
Candidates express support for elected members
Following a smooth election, the losing contender for the chairperson’s position in the ANC Limpopo elective conference, Dickson Masemola, has conceded defeat and thrown his weight behind the newly elected provincial executive committee. Masemola and his running mates lost to Stanley Mathabatha’s slate by a margin of more than 400 votes.
Masemola’s slate included the former secretary, Soviet Lekganyane and the chairperson of the Norman Mashabane region, Pule Shai.
Masemola says his defeat proves that the party’s internal democratic processes are functioning.
“I remain a disciplined member of the ANC, what we did was to sharpen the processes of the ANC internalised democracy to the extent that young people will learn and understand that leadership in the ANC is not pre-arranged, it is contested and once branches make a final determination, ours is to accept the outcomes and move on. I will be working with them and give them the full support that they deserve from members of the ANC,” says Masemola.
Masemola says he does not believe his defeat will affect his deployment as MEC for Public Works in Limpopo.
“The contest was not about the premiership it was the contest for the chairpersonship of the ANC, not the premier and given the outcome of the conference as it regards my area of deployment, that requires the premier himself. We as MECs we don’t apply for the responsibility, we serve at the behest of the leader of government,” says Masemola.
Former provincial secretary Soviet Lekganyane has also been gracious in defeat. Lekganyane lost his re-election bid to newcomer Reuben Madadzhe by 263 votes. Madadzhe received 714 votes while Lekganyane received 451.
Lekganyane says he remains a disciplined member of the party.
“In 2011 and 2018 when I was elected provincial secretary, there were other comrades of the ANC who were unelected and so now it has also happened that another comrade is elected and I am unelected and the same way the other comrades previously accepted it I also accept as an expression of the will of members of the ANC,” says Lekganyane.
Masemola had not done enough to convince the delegates that he is best placed: Analyst
Meanwhile, political analyst Dr Metjie Makgoba says the re-election of Mathabatha as chairperson of the ANC in Limpopo does not come as a surprise.
Makgoba says Masemola had not done enough to convince the delegates that he is best placed to take over the leadership of the party.
“It was expected because Mathabatha and co had influence in the province and they managed to present themselves as pro-Ramaphosa and it was logical that they win the conference because they have been in power for sometime and they know the politics of the province. I don’t think Masemola represented any shift in the province he lost an opportunity to represent himself as somebody who is going to bring fresh ideas in the ANC,” says Makgoba.
Masemola, Leekganyane, Livhuwani Ligaraba and Faith Chauke indicated their availability for election as additional members, while Shai declined nomination.
Other additional member nominees include party provincial spokesperson, Donald Selamolela, deputy minister in the presidency, Thembi Siweya, member of parliament, Musa Chabane and several MECs – among them Heath MEC Phophi Ramathuba and Education MEC Polly Boshielo.
The conference is scheduled to end on Sunday with President Cyril Ramaphosa expected to deliver the closing address.
ANC LIMPOPO 10th PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE
Newly elected officials#ANCLimpopo10thProvincialConference pic.twitter.com/ChDRdY7Os5— ANCLimpopo (@ANCLimpopo) June 4, 2022
