By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) has rejected its Limpopo provincial chairperson Stan Mathabatha’s decision to step aside from his role.
Mathabatha voluntary stepped aside as the ANC Limpopo chairperson, and in a letter addressed to the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) he cited misconduct in the party, and the erosion of ANC values and processes relating to conferences in the Vhembe and Waterberg regions.
Following receipt of Mathabatha’s letter, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula convened a meeting with Mathabatha to discuss the issues he raised, ahead of a meeting at Luthuli House attended by the party’s NEC members deployed to Limpopo
In a statement released after the meeting, the ANC confirmed that it had resolved not to accept the chairperson’s request.
Instead, the matter has been referred back to the Limpopo Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) for internal resolution.
“The meeting resolved to reject the Provincial Chairperson’s step-aside intention and to refer the matter back to the province, allowing space for issues raised by the Chairperson to be addressed internally and for a resolution to be found,” the statement read.
The party said the outcome of the provincial deliberations would be formally communicated to national officials at a later meeting.
Mbalula, acting within his role to provide organisational guidance, led Thursday’s engagements, which the ANC described as being underpinned by its principles of renewal, unity, and accountability.
The meeting comes amid increasing scrutiny of internal party dynamics and leadership transitions across several provinces.
The Vhembe and Waterberg regions have been plagued by disputes and allegations of irregularities in their elective conferences. In Vhembe, the conference held in June 2025 was marred by claims of bogus delegates, manipulation of branch nominations, and procedural flaws, leading to court challenges and internal complaints. Similar issues arose in Waterberg, where the Regional Executive Committee was disbanded in 2022 due to misconduct, leaving voting status unclear and delaying processes.
Meanwhile the ANC is expected to convene a “roll call” event for all its councillors across the country to “accelerate service delivery with accountability” as it begins with preparations for the 2026 local government elections.
Having lost its national majority in the General Elections in 2024, political observers say the ANC is in panic mode to ahead of of the local government elections in 2026. It governs with a coalition in Tshwane, Joburg and Ekhurhuleni and Tshwane.
Factional battles, accusations of gatekeeping, and declining public trust have cast a shadow over the ruling party’s preparations for upcoming elective conferences.
In August, the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) resolved to convene a special meeting to finalise the rules and guidelines governing the upcoming municipal elections.
The meeting will also focus on strengthening interventions aimed at stabilising municipalities across the country.
A similar roll call was conducted by the ANC in 2021, approximately one month before the local government elections, to confirm its list of candidates.