By Thabo Monyela
POLOKWANE- Another African National Congress Limpopo lobby group has emerged, backing the former Limpopo Deputy chairperson and current MEC for Public works, roads, and infrastructure Namane Dickson Masemola to enter the fray to contest his home buddy, Mathabatha for the provincial hot seat.
With a few months towards the hotly contested ANC Limpopo provincial conference, the leadership contest has reached the fever pitch with a recent conjured-up strong leadership line-up with Masemola as the preferred chairperson.
Later last month, Tzaneen Voice reported of a division existing within the Norman Mashabane region regarding Cllr Pule Shayi’s pronouncement as the provincial chairman and that the region was expected to get into a political horse-trading to strengthen its hold in the conference.
News coming in from the anticipated political horse-trading discussion is that the executive Mayor of Mopani District Shayi has been compromised to settle to deputize Masemola as the deputy chairperson.
Taking to social media, Norman Mashabane regional spokesperson Peter Ngobeni wrote “After intense discussions on the question of leadership of the ANC in Limpopo, we have decided to proceed in this particular manner”
Ngobeni was referring to a leadership list that is frontiered by Dickson Masemola as the Chairperson, Shayi as the deputy, Soviet Lekganyane as a secretary and another top official’s name in the list is of former GoGSTA MEC Makoma Makhurupetje pronounced as a deputy secretary.
According to an ANC insider close to the provincial lobby groups, Premier Mathabatha is being engaged to withdraw his candidature in the province and focus on the national candidature preferably as the Chairperson, however, it is still unclear whether Mathabatha will accept the withdrawal.
Speaking to Tzaneen Voice, ANC ward 08 branch secretary Luwie Raphotle said they are equally satisfied with the decision on Shayi as the Deputy Chairperson because Masemola is more senior to him and Shayi still has a chance to lead the organisation going forward.
A rumour mill from the Sekhukhune region has it that Masemola’s candidature is backed by former Regional Chairperson and District Executive Mayor Stan Ramaila and it further alleged that Ramaila has a strong command in the majority of the branches in the region.
The inclusion of Livhuwani Ligaraba from the Vhembe region as a treasurer in the leadership slate is allegedly scoring more support from Limpopo ANCWL.
