LIMPOPO – Newly appointed Mopani District Municipality Mayor Dagma Mamanyoha has distanced himself from divisions within the ANC in the district, saying internal party matters are the responsibility of the organisation’s leadership.

Mamanyoha was responding to questions about the divisions during a media briefing held after his inauguration on Wednesday.

Background to the divisions

Before his appointment, some ANC members had supported former Giyani mayor Basani Shibambu for the position of executive mayor, while others backed Mamanyoha.

Asked about his plans to address the divisions within the ANC, Mamanyoha said internal organisational matters should be dealt with by the party’s leadership.

“I would not want to speak for the ANC because I’m not the spokesperson for the ANC. The regional secretary is best placed to speak on the issues of the organisation, but here we’re dealing with the issues of the district,” he said.

Focus on uniting a diverse district

Mamanyoha said his focus as executive mayor would instead be on bringing together communities across Mopani, which he described as a diverse district.

He pointed to the movement of people between the district’s five local municipalities as evidence of the connections that exist among communities.

“What we appreciate is that we can understand our cultural backgrounds and our diversity in terms of how we are supposed to be approaching things,” he said.

“That’s why, if you go to Maruleng, you could still find a person who was born in Giyani, Tzaneen or Greater Letaba Municipality. That shows our diversity and how the people in this district interact.”

Mamanyoha said the district’s diversity should be recognised when addressing issues affecting its communities.

Engaging traditional leaders

He said his administration would engage traditional leaders and other key stakeholders in strengthening cooperation across the district.

“We should be able to mobilise, starting with traditional leaders and everyone who matters most in the district,” he said.

His comments came as he outlined his approach to his new role, which includes working with the district’s five local municipalities and other stakeholders on issues affecting communities across Mopani.