By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Cogress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula warned ANC deployees in government that people aren’t interested in party’s internal squabbles, and only want to see improved service delivery.
Mbalula addressed members of the media in Polokwane on the sidelines of the ANC national working committee’s visit to Limpopo on Sunday.
This comes as knives are out for ANC Limpopo chair and premier Stan Mathabatha over the fallout from his failed attempt to influence delegates from his province to ditch President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Nasrec conference in December 2022.
The PEC has been riddled with divisions since Mathabatha ditched Ramaphosa’s Renew22 camp and made a last- minute bid to convince some Limpopo branch delegates to vote for Zweli Mkhize instead.
Mathabatha has faced heavy backlash after the election of new leadership during the ANC’s 55th national conference in Nasrec in 2022. In February, when the ANC was celebrating its 111th anniversary at Masemola village, Mathabatha was booed as he addressed members.
Some ANC members wanted Mathabatha to be recalled, accusing him of backstabbing the collective.
Others feel Mathabatha should not be removed from his position, saying he has been running the provincial administration well, and arguing that the party guidelines allow for members to lobby one another to vote for their preferred candidates.
“We are aware that because of what happened during the conference when Mathabatha tried to go against the decisions of the provincial general council, there has since been mobilisation in the ANC in Limpopo against the chairperson,” said Mbalula.
“Those mobilising are saying he [Mathabatha] must go… He misbehaved because the province had a position that Ramaphosa must be president, then he became a bhubesi [lion – the name Mkhize supporters called themselves during the elective conference].”
“We don’t chuck a person out simply because they had different political beliefs called amabhubesi. It was his belief, and that belief was defeated at the conference. What comrades need to bring to this meeting are tangible reasons why we should remove Mathabatha.”
Mbalula said, “our people are not interested in terms of inward looking issues about who gets elected and who doesn’t gets elected.”
“He said while load shedding is an issue throughout the country, Limpopo is also dealing with a water crisis and a lack of proper roads.
Mbalula said the NWC had chosen to visit Limpopo as the province was the ANC’s stronghold, and its residents had, time and again, voted overwhelmingly for the ANC.