By Thabo Monyela
NKOWANKOWA- The EFF’s 4th Mopani regional elective assembly is set to square off at Tivumbeni Multi-purpose in Nkowankowa on Saturday, 19 December 2022, with a high contest of three or more leadership slates.
The contest for the regional chairperson is a hotly three-horse race with the disbanded regional chairperson Pontsho Mashumu seeking re-election, while Simon Mangena, EFF Limpopo Labour Desk convenor and Florah Madike have entered the fray for the party’s regional head.
The former President of EFF student command Mandla Shikwambana has also entered the regional contest for secretary, in which he will square off with Clement Ramathoka and Born ‘Army’ Ngobeni.
However, sources with intimate knowledge alleged that Shikwambana doesn’t command enough numbers and is unlikely to reach the threshold.
The lobbyists of the slates have equally expressed confidence that their front-runners will emerge victorious in the elective assembly.
Speaking to Tzaneen Voice, Mangena’s campaigner in Maruleng, who spoke on condition of anonymity said Mangena is the right person to help the party to realise 1 million members and branches in Letaba and Giyani had thrown their weight behind Mangena’s campaign as the chairperson.
” Mangena is commanding support from most of the branches in Letaba, Giyani and the presence of Sechaba from Tzaneen, as his deputy, has garnered more than 40 delegates from the Tzaneen area, which is the only area that no one can claim dominance over,” the source said.
A chief lobbyist for Mashumu’s campaign dubbed “Bogolo bja kereke”, who also preferred not to be revealed, said that the response of most branches towards Mashumu is positive and still believes is the right candidate for the position.
” We are not threatened by Mangena’s candidature, he is blinded by numbers that are not delegates and he might not even reach the threshold just like he did before when contesting Mashumu.
Most of the branches across the region have been drawn to him due to his leadership capabilities, to an extent that there is not a single municipality where we don’t have branches that support him”. the lobbyist said.
At the time of publication, EFF Mopani convenor and MP Thembi Msane was yet to confirm the total number of branches expected to the regional assembly, however, she did confirm that all systems are ready for Saturday.
