Limpopo Premier and ANC Chair Decries Ramaphosa Faction at the NEC

Published by

Oliver Ngwenya

Limpopo ANC Chairman Stan Mathabatha says Ramaphosa faction is dividing Limpopo. Photo: www.gov.za

Despite referring to him as one of the “best presidents we could ever find as the ANC”, the Provincial Chairman of the Limpopo province in the African National Congress, Chupu Stanley Mathabatha has accused what he referred to as the Ramaphosa faction of causing confusion in the province and dividing the congress.

Mathabatha was speaking on Saturday at the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the ANC, which was held virtually on Zoom. The 64-year-old former ambassador, who is also the standing premier of the province, said that there were “comrades” who were running around the province purporting to defend the president and convening unsanctioned meetings in the province.

Mathabatha decried what he referred to as personal and divisive agendas of these individuals and went as far as to seek permission from the top five members of the ruling party to meet with them and mention these members by name. “They are running and dividing the ANC, pursuing their personal and divisive agendas in the province. Comrade President, they are organising meetings in our province. If the president or the chair or top five permits, I can organise a meeting with the top five and mention those comrades by name and the meetings that they convene in my province where some of us were vilified in those meetings,” he said.

The NEC of the ANC is meeting to consider resolutions and appeals on the step aside resolution and to accept reports from structures in the provinces on how the step aside rule should be implemented within their provinces. Furthermore, the NEC is set to accept lists from the provinces on individuals in the ANC who are affected by the resolution, that is, those that stand accused of murder, corruption, or rape and who should effectively step aside.

Chief within its mandate this weekend, the NEC needs to chart the way forward in the case of the embattled party Secretary-General, Ace Magashule, who is out on R200 000 bail in a case in which he is charged with corruption owing to a multi-million-rand tender that was awarded while he was still the premier of the Free State province.