POLOKWANE – Lawrence Mapoulo, former mayor of Capricorn District and Polokwane municipalities, has taken over as chairperson of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Limpopo, replacing Tshilidzi Maraga.

Mapoulo, who served as the provincial party elections manager, was appointed alongside three other provincial command team (PCT) members last Sunday.

This follows the second consecutive disbandment of Limpopo’s executive post-elections by the party’s central command team (CCT), led by Julius Malema.

The CCT issued a statement explaining that their evaluation of performance was comprehensive, considering all sub-regional, regional, and provincial structures.

They emphasised the individual performance of those elected and noted that the outgoing group had been given the opportunity to justify their continued leadership.

The party faced a setback in the 2021 local elections, losing 25 council seats.

This period also saw the disbandment of the previous provincial party chairperson Jossey Buthane’s executive team. Buthane, once a friend of Malema and now a rival, had returned to the ANC.

Despite a slight drop in the party’s vote percentage in Limpopo from 14.43% in 2019 to 14.12% in 2024, the EFF gained seats in the provincial legislature.

This increase resulted from the IEC’s new seat determination process, which expanded Limpopo’s seats from 49 to 64 due to a population rise of 1.2 million since 2011.

In an interview with Polokwane Observer, Mapoulo expressed his commitment to revitalising leadership and maintaining active branches, which he views as essential to the movement.

He plans to engage regularly with community-based stakeholders to identify the organisation’s successes and areas for improvement.

Mapoulo attributed the party’s electoral losses to both external and internal challenges, including the placement of voting stations in remote farms, which made it difficult for registered voters to access them during the 2024 general election.

He observed these issues firsthand as the elections manager and proposed that by 2026, the party will urge the IEC to reassess the placement of voting stations with fewer than 600 registered voters and consolidate them with more accessible locations.

“It’s best to allocate resources towards transporting voters to accessible stations,” he explained.

The EFF announced the top four:
Provincial chairperson: Lawrence Mapoulo.
Provincial secretary: Kgothatso Mogoane.
Provincial deputy secretary: Dunani Baloyi.
Provincial treasurer: Meisie Kennedy.