Kholofelo Mabitsela & Celani Sikhakhane
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s campaign for a second term in office is gaining momentum after his ally Stan Mathabatha was re-elected as chairperson at the ANC elective conference in Limpopo.
Mathabatha won by 781 votes against public works, roads and infrastructure MEC Dr Dickson Masemola, who only received 389 votes.
Mathabatha recently announced his support for Ramaphosa’s presidential bid during the ANC January 8th Statement earlier this year.
Mathabatha and Masemola made it clear that there is no animosity between them, with the latter wishing his long-time friend and comrade well in his new term in office.
“Comrade Stan is my friend and comrade. Contesting him means strengthening the democratic resolves in our party,” said Masemola.
“It is not the first-time comrade Dickson contests me… so there is no cabinet reshuffle on the cards. We can’t remove someone because of contesting,” Mathabatha told the media shortly after being re-elected.
Other top five officials of the newly elected Provincial Executive Committee include Florence Radzilani as deputy chairperson.
Radzilani is implicated in Advocate Terry Motau’s “Great Heist Report” into theft in the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank. She has, however, never been charged and maintained her innocence.
Radzilani obtained 791 votes, while the current ANC Norman Mashabane regional chairperson Pule Shai received 373.
In another controversial twist of fate, outspoken provincial secretary Soviet Lekganyane lost his seat to Reuben Madadzhe.
This is the second province to get behind the sitting president at this year’s elective conferences, after Oscar Mabuyane was elected as Eastern Cape chairperson.
All eyes are now on the Gauteng conference where current chair David Makhura is expected to step down.
In North West, the controversial former premier Supra Mahumapelo is trying to make a comeback under the Radical Economic Transformation faction. He is standing against candidates Premier Bushy Maape and former MP Nono Maloyi.
The KwaZulu-Natal elective conference, which will decide whether Ramaphosa has power in the province home to the Zulu Kingdom, is expected to take place this month.
