Provincial deputy chair John Mpe has emerged strong from the ANC’s Limpopo conference, with the majority of his allies dominating the newly elected provincial executive committee (PEC).
Mpe, who was persuaded not to contest Phophi Ramathuba for the provincial chair position, has positioned himself as the province’s political strongman.
While Mpe and Ramathuba maintain a cordial relationship, sources indicate Mpe currently enjoys at least 70% support within the PEC, commanding around 24 allies in the 35-member body. At least five sources say this gives him significant influence over who the province endorses as the next ANC president.
Mpe maintains strong ties with both of the frontrunners for president, deputy president Paul Mashatile and secretary-general Fikile Mbalula.
“Look, we’ve said we should not discuss that now and will only entertain it when the time arrives,” said a senior Limpopo ANC leader. “But John [Mpe] is the game-changer in Limpopo. If he says he wants to support Paul [Mashatile], that’s the way the province will go.
“You’ve seen the mood — if John had contested, he [would have won]. He has strong relationships with Paul and Mbalula. There’s also the Maropene [Ramokgopa, second deputy secretary-general] factor, his biggest ally, who wants to be deputy president.”
In the week following the Limpopo and Mpumalanga conferences, discussions have suggested that if there is no agreement on who should lead the party, the current ANC president, Cyril Ramaphosa, could be asked to stand for a third term. While the country’s constitution limits the presidency to two terms at the Union Buildings, the ANC’s constitution imposes no such restriction.
“Some people are asking why does he [Ramaphosa] not step in for a third term — even if he won’t be in government — if we struggle to find a capable leader to replace him in 2027,” said a senior national ANC leader.
“It’s possible because the ANC has no term limit. If we can’t find a suitable leader, he will have to step up and stay in Luthuli House. We may have to continue with him and ask him to help us for an additional five years.
“There’s also the Motsepe element, because if the Zion Christian Church [ZCC] says ‘we are going to Motsepe’, we will have to strongly consider that. But for now they haven’t said anything to us.”
The fact is that the Mathabatha people came back, and this person [Ramathuba] is just a chairperson by name
— Insider
Billionaire businessman Patrice Motsepe is reportedly close to the ZCC, an influential church in Limpopo, which hosts millions of pilgrims at its headquarters during Easter. Should the church back him for leadership of the ANC, it is believed the party would likely heed its recommendation.
It remains unclear whether these discussions will feature in the first PEC meeting post-conference, where members will elect the provincial working committee (PWC) — the structure responsible for the party’s day-to-day operations. Mpe’s allies are expected to feature prominently in the 10-member committee.
While the Limpopo conference focused on ensuring the unity slate for the top five was elected unopposed, Mpe worked to solidify his power base. He reportedly ensured his region (Peter Mokaba) attended the conference as a bloc and secured 10 PEC members — the most of any region.
This included bringing in some members who had previously supported Ramathuba, such as current public works MEC Tonny Rachoene, who is now believed to firmly back Mpe.
Mpe also worked with the outgoing chair, Stan Mathabatha, to retain senior party leaders who were at risk of being sidelined, including former deputy chair Florence Radzilani and former deputy secretary Basikopo Makamu.
“The fact is that the Mathabatha people came back, and this person [Ramathuba] is just a chairperson by name,” said an insider.
“Combined with the top five, our side has about 24 people out of [those] 35 PEC members, which gives us a critical mass.”
Kgothatso Madisa
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