Pretoria - The ANC in Limpopo has again contradicted chairperson Stan Mathabatha’s assertion that the party supports President Cyril Ramaphosa’s second term ambitions, saying the province has not yet decided on who to support in the upcoming national elective conference set for December.
For the second time since January, the provincial ANC has distanced itself from Mathabatha’s endorsement of Ramaphosa ahead of the conference scheduled for Nasrec in Gauteng.
While Mathabatha is a staunch Ramaphosa ally, his province is at loggerheads with the ANC leader over the step-aside policy and the treatment of popular but embattled treasurer Danny Msiza, who was forced to vacate office after being criminally charged for his alleged role in the looting of the VBS bank.
Ramaphosa is facing a challenge for the ANC’s top job from several hopefuls including national executive committee (NEC) members Lindiwe Sisulu, Zweli Mkhize and Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.
Mathabatha first endorsed Ramaphosa during the party’s January 8 celebrations in Polokwane at the beginning of this year during his welcoming address.
The announcement left tongues wagging, with then party provincial secretary Soviet Lekganyane saying Mathabatha was not mandated by any branch to make such an announcement.
Mathabatha again reaffirmed his province’s disputed support for Ramaphosa earlier this month at the funeral of slain Collins Chabane mayor Moses Maluleke, who was gunned down at his house in Saselamani during an alleged botched robbery.
Mathabatha said at the funeral: “As a province, we may have differences on the issue of step-aside with our president. I’m not saying we have differences; I say we may have, but that does not in any way change our support for President Matamela Ramaphosa.”
He was referring to the recent ANC policy conference where the province and ANC KwaZulu-Natal lost their bid to have the step-aside policy scrapped.
Limpopo and KZN’s push against the controversial policy, which has seen criminally charged ANC members like suspended secretary-general
Ace Magashule and Msiza forced to vacate office, was seen as a proxy leadership battle ahead of the national conference.
Just as Lekganyane did in the past, before his faction lost control of the Limpopo ANC in June, the new provincial ANC spokesperson, Jimmy Machaka, yesterday said the party’s provincial executive committee (PEC) had not yet made a decision on who to support at the party’s 56th conference.
Machaka said: “The ANC Limpopo PEC has not yet decided on support for a Ramaphosa second term.
“Once the PEC decides on the matter we will pronounce ourselves accordingly. It remains the views of the province that there is no need for step-aside as a policy because the ANC’s constitution makes provisions for what should happen to those who are found guilty for any wrongdoing, therefore (the) preservation of the image of the party will still be achieved without (the) use of the step-aside policy.”
He added: “Policy conference outcomes remain proposals, and ANC branches will decide the final fate of the step-aside policy in December.
“There is no door closed for VBS-accused comrade Danny Msiza; he remains the darling of masses of our people in Limpopo. He is a loyal and disciplined member of the ANC.”
Machaka said the Limpopo ANC did not view the policy conference proposal as a loss.
He confirmed that it was the provincial ANC’s wish for Mathabatha to be part of the new Top Six after the national conference.
“At this stage the PEC has not yet decided on who to forward to the ANC Top 6 from Limpopo. There is, however, a general consensus that Cde Stan Mathabatha should be pronounced to be part of the Top 6.”
Efforts to push back against the step-aside resolution were dealt a serious blow last week when ANC electoral committee chairperson, Kgalema Motlanthe, said no member of the party who had been found guilty or charged with unethical or immoral conduct, any serious crime or corruption could stand.
Pretoria News