While the African National Congress (ANC) prepares for its provincial elective conference in Limpopo, the Forum of Limpopo Entrepreneurs (FOLE) is urging chairperson and premier Stanley Mathabatha not to run for a third term.
The organisation says it’s concerned as the move has the potential to tear the province apart and sow divisions, instead of uniting it.
FOLE says a third term for Mathabatha will not put the party’s image in a good light. It says this would hand the governance in the province to a faction known as Radical Economic Transformation forces (RET).
The forum chairperson, Motinki Mahlo, argues that Mathabatha’s slate might lead to corruption in the province.
According to Mahlo, Mathabatha has served two terms and united the province, but it is now time for him to leave it without divisions.
“Some of those members who are following him, they are the ones who are saying Cyril Ramaphosa must step down. We also respect the premier the way he is a man of peace. But the way in which things are now today, he has really let us down. But we just gonna say to some of his members, that they must do the right thing in their voting wherever they are. They must know that well, the interest of our people here in Limpopo is not to tear the party apart from as of now as we speak. Definitely, we are so disappointed.”
Mahlo says the forum supported Mathabatha when he faced criticism and calls to step down during the debacle at the Talana hostel in Tzaneen. The government spent millions of rand building shacks, and the project was later abandoned.
Last year, the Special Investigating Unit indicated the R15.3 million tender for the provision of temporary accommodation structures at the hostel was awarded fraudulently.
“From our business side, we knew very well that he was at the brink of being taken out during the scandal of Talana in Tzaneen. We went there and prayed with him and we assured him that, premiere you’re going to finish your time, but don’t go and exceed the terms, which you have been given by the people of this province.”
The ANC is expected to elect new leadership during the 10th provincial congress this weekend.
The contest for the chairperson’s position will be between Mathabatha and ANC PEC member, Dickson Masemola.
