By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Thousands of African National Congress (ANC) members, supporters, and community residents descended to Makwarela Stadium in Thohoyandou for the Limpopo Province Mandela Legacy Rally.
ANC chair in the province Dr Phophi Ramathuba delivered a keynote address, 8kms away from where the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) was holding its manifesto launch.
Finance minister Enoch Godongwana and deputy minister of Home Affairs Njabulo Nzuza were among those in attendance.
The rally took place few days after the global community commemorated Mandela’s legacy on July 18, 2024, Nelson Mandela International Day, also known as Mandela Day.
Ramathuba said, Limpopo is the home of the ANC and they will continue to do better to honour the legacy of Mandela.
“As long as we still have people who are poor, as long as our children are still struggling to pay their fees and still graduating without jobs, as long as we have not yet transformed our economy to be an economy that produces jobs, Madiba we are still going to make sure we dare not fail you.”
She said, as we remember Madiba, we also recommit ourselves to building municipalities that serve our people with integrity, accountability, and compassion. Together, let us continue his journey of hope and transformation as we prepare for the upcoming Local Government Elections.
Water shortages, incomplete projects and undrivable roads continue to top the list of priorities for communities in Limpopo.
Limpopo is one of the provinces hardest hit by vicious floods that left some of the regions looking like the aftermath of a war zone.
Several homes, schools, businesses and government infrastructure were left in ruins after dangerous floods flattened their houses, eroded their roads and swept away electric cables and trees, leaving several people dead and thousands homeless.
The ANC received 74.23% of the votes in Limpopo during the 2024 national government election, the highest level of support for the party in any province and well ahead of the EFF in second place with 12.97%.
Ramathuba noted the institutional age of the ANC, reminding supporters and detractors that it had overcome a multitude of challenges in its time.
“We are celebrating 114 years – tried and tested. You cannot compete with us. We have seen it all. We have fixed where we were struggling. We are still fixing, that’s why are under renewal,” the premier said.
In 2021 Local Government Elections, the ANC had an increased vote share in three of the four main population centres in Limpopo — Polokwane, Makhado, Thulamela and Thohoyandou.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) will host the final national voter registration weekend, scheduled for 01–02 August 2026, as preparations intensify for 04 November 2026 Local Government Elections.
Eligible South Africans will have the final opportunity to register to vote, verify their voter registration status, and update their registration details, including their residential addresses where necessary.