Race for ANC Limpopo leadership begins in earnest

Limpopo MEC for public works, roads and infrastructure Namane Dickson Masemola is tipped to challenge current ANC provincial chair and premier Stan Mathabatha at the party’s provincial elective conference later this year.

Masemola and Mathabatha were born in January 1957. They are also both come from one district in the Sekhukhune region.

In the new slate that emerged over the weekend, Masemola is touted to become ANC provincial chair. The province has five regions and Masemola is said to have Limpopo MEC for public works, roads and infrastructure Namane Dickson Masemola is tipped to challenge current ANC provincial chair and premier bagged overwhelming support from one and some isolated subregions.

“We are confident that under the tutelage of comrade Masemola, Limpopo will continue to be the home of the ANC,” said Masilo Maloko, chair of the Phusela branch in Tzaneen.

According to Joel Seabi, spokesperson for the Limpopo department of public works, Masemola is not only an experienced politician who knows local governance inside out, he is also highly educated. In December last year, Masemola graduated with PhD in public administration from the University of Limpopo.

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This made him one of the most qualified politicians in Limpopo. He has also served in several local government positions as mayor, executive mayor and as MEC in different departments such as roads, community safety, education and public works.

The 65-year-old politician also served as Limpopo ANC deputy provincial chairperson under the chairmanship of former provincial chair Cassel Mathale. ANC provincial secretary Soviet Lekganyane has appealed for calm, free and fair nominations ahead of branch general meetings (BGMs).

The BGMs are meetings where members nominate their preferred candidates to form part of the Limpopo ANC provincial executive committee (PEC).

“We have seen in the past how political intolerance resulted into protracted political infighting, which made it impossible for other provinces to hold free and fair elections,” said Lekganyane.

According to the latest membership audits, Limpopo is now the second-biggest ANC province in terms of membership after KwaZulu-Natal.

The province has 234 663 members, followed by the Eastern Cape in the third place with 212 205 members. Mpumalanga is the fourth-largest province of the ANC with 181 761 members.