Will new ANC faction take over in Limpopo?

A powerful political clique aligned to the ANC’s second deputy Secretary-General Maropene Ramokgopa is instilling fear among senior ANC politicians in Limpopo ahead of the party’s provincial elective conference in 2026.

The new faction has been dubbed “The Third Term”. It consists of Polokwane mayor Makoro John Mpe and Mopani district municipality mayor Pule Shayi. Both Mpe and Shayi, who are allies of Ramokgopa, won the Peter Mokaba and Norman Mashabane regional elective conferences respectively in the past few days.

Norman Mashabane is the biggest region with 129 ANC branches, followed by Vhembe with 127, Sekhukhune 118 and 113 for Peter Mokaba. Peter Mokaba is the economic hub of the province and the seat of the province’s capital, Polokwane. 

Another faction, The Straight Line, led by Capricorn district municipality mayor Mamedupi Teffo, lost the Peter Mokaba conference on Thursday to Mpe’s “Third Term” slate. It is aligned to Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who is also a member of the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) and national working committee (NWC).

Both Ramokgopa and Ntshavheni are allegedly working around the clock to garner support in Limpopo for their election in the upcoming ANC national elective conference in 2027. 

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A senior politician in the Norman Mashabane region said the plan for “The Third Term” faction is for Mpe to replace Stan Mathabatha as Limpopo ANC chairperson and Shayi to replace MEC for social development Florence Radzilani as the deputy chair at the upcoming provincial elective conference.

Political analyst Enoch Maponya said ANC regional contests are build-up events for both the provincial and national elective conferences. 

“The outcome of these conferences often charts the way forward for the prospective leadership at the upper structure,” he said. 

Maponya said it is rumoured that Mpe’s allies have begun to tout him for the plum job of ANC provincial chair. “Most see him as the most powerful comrade to replace Mathabatha, while others support Limpopo premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba. Ramathuba has been credited for pushing service delivery-related issues in the province,” he said.

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