Health MEC’s name leads pack in race for ANC’s next chair

POLOKWANE – Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba’s name seems to be leading the pack in the highly contested list of four women, as preferred candidate for the ANC’s provincial chairperson position and ultimately, next premier of the province.

This is according to information sourced from a credible and strategically positioned regional leader who is privy to meetings of the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC).

According to the source, aggrieved PEC members who are not authorised to speak to the media other than through the party spokesperson and provincial secretary, said Ramathuba however, faces rejection from some within party ranks.

Ramathuba, deputy provincial chairperson Florence Radzilani, Public Works MEC Nkakareng Rakgoale and Sport MEC Nakedi Sibanda-Kekana seem to be the names that are most likely to feature when voters go to the polls in 2024.

According to recent reports, some in the aggrieved group of PEC members questioned the selection of candidates and mention was made of a letter addressed to provincial secretary, Reuben Madadzhe alluding that the 2024 ANC candidate nominations in the province have been riddled with gross irregularities, manipulations, and, to some extent, fraud.

The lawyers’ letter supposedly states that “our clients have instructed us to demand that you appoint a reputable independent forensic firm to audit all nomination lists from all the branches that have successfully held their nomination BGMs”.

Madadzhe referred Polokwane Observer to spokesperson Jimmy Machaka for comment who said the letter had since been withdrawn without an explanation.

He denied there ever being aggrieved executive members or a manipulated list, saying the allegations were “false and fabricated”.

“The outcomes of the process will only be known once the Provincial Lists Committee (PLC) is ready and will be announced in a few days,” he remarked.

Written ANC provincial and regional executive guidelines for nomination conferences state that branches may nominate one individual for each of the five top positions of chairperson, deputy chairperson, secretary, deputy secretary and treasurer.

“Nominators should motivate reasons, be open for a short debate, and the members must through a show of hands, vote in support of that person, and the nominee must garner 50% +1 of the votes. For a nominee to be considered and added to the nomination list of the branch, it must be supported by at least 10% of branch members present at the meeting. The name with the highest number of votes, becomes the branch nomination and is written on the branch nomination form for each position and forwarded to the PLC.”

Sources in the organisation vouching for Ramathuba and Radzilani conceded that they are frontrunners in terms of branches that have forwarded their names for the position.

Those rooting for Ramathuba stand firm in the belief that she has support from her national counterparts as opposed to Radzilani, whose faction defied a provincial agreement to support Cyril Ramaphosa at the 55th national elective conference last December.

“While Ramathuba and Radzilani balance out tribal and gender inequalities, Ramathuba has never been found guilty of or has been directly embroiled in acts of wrongdoing against government. On top of that, she is learned, vocal and transparent, although some seem not to favour her popularity,” the source said.

Supporters of Radzilani, who served as Vhembe Mayor at the time of the VBS Mutual Bank scandal and later declined the opportunity to present herself before the party’s integrity committee, believe she has since then learned the ropes as deputy chairperson and learned valuable lessons from the VBS saga.