ANC leaders left only R750 in coffers

FORMER premier Cassel Mathale’s provincial executive committee (PEC) misused the Limpopo ANC’s funds leaving only R750 in their purse.

This was disclosed by ANC provincial task team chairperson, Falaza Mdaka, during his political report at the opening of the ANC provincial conference held at the University of Limpopo over the weekend.

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Mdaka said it was tough to rebuild the party and before the announcement of the task team taking over, five departments were put under administration in terms of section 100 (b) of the constitution due to maladministration and corruption. “This is one of the issues that caused serious disagreement and strife between the then PEC and the national leadership.

“With the provincial leadership alleging that the imposing of section 100 (b) in the province was politically motivated and not based on facts as it was alleged,” he said.

Mdaka went on to say that the task team convened various meetings with Mathale and other stakeholders in this regard. “We also convened a meeting with all political management team members and read them the riot act regarding corruption,” he said.

“The announcement of Stanley Mathabatha as premier, as well as his new cabinet, was welcomed by communities at large and assisted greatly in bringing sound relations between ourselves and the people we serve,” he said.

“Political and administrative instability continued in the Waterberg area and this led to the suspension of some councillors in Mogalakwena. The newly-elected PEC should deal with it as soon as possible. It was difficult for the task team to make any meaningful intervention in many municipalities,” Mdaka explained.

The contest for the ANC Limpopo’s chairperson turned into a one-horse race when public works MEC, Dickson Masemola, withdrew at the eleventh hour. This withdrawal allowed Mathabatha to take the position of chairperson uncontested. Masemola’s withdrawal came after he discovered he had not received enough nominations to run for office prior to the elections. He decided to withdraw and not to campaign further.

The position of treasurer went uncontested to Thembi Nwendamutswu. The former South African ambassador to Zimbabwe, Jerry Ndou, was elected as the new deputy chairperson. This was a position tipped to go to Joe Maswanganyi.

Nocks Seabi, the suspended Limpopo Tourism and Parks CEO, was elected secretary while Makoma Makhurupetji was elected as his deputy.

In his address as the newly-elected ANC chairperson, Mathabatha said he could never allow the ANC not to develop and forge ahead just because of the devastating effects that tribalism and factionalism had on the party and its members.

He said the ANC in Limpopo’s key task should and would be to build unity and stability in the ANC.

“When a provincial executive committee member is deployed to address a meeting in the branch or region, he or she should not cause any factionalism.

“Avoid becoming a member of another member’s faction, be a member of the ANC. The morale is growing again in Limpopo,” Mathabatha said.