Here’s who will be the new Limpopo ANC Top 5.
“I nominate the name of comrade Phophi Constance Ramathuba for the position of the incoming ANC Limpopo provincial chairperson.”
These are the words of Polokwane local municipality mayor, Makoro John Mpe, during an ANC branch general meeting (BGM) held at Polokwane Ward 4 in ga-Molepo outside Turfloop last week.
The branch assembled for the nomination of party leaders to lead the Limpopo ANC for the next four years.
Both Mpe and Ramathuba are ANC bigwigs in the province and were expected to compete for the provincial chairperson position at the upcoming 11th ANC provincial elective conference.
The pair have also been widely implicated in protracted service delivery protest marches that saw Polokwane City’s central business district (CBD) closed for hours in the run-up to the watershed ANC Peter Mokaba regional elective conference, which Mpe won for a third term.
They have also been accused of fabricating corruption allegations against each other, in an endeavour to garner support and secure much-needed votes from sympathisers at the conference.
Mpe’s change of direction
So what has changed?
“I was not pushed by anyone to nominate Ramathuba. I nominated her from the goodness of my heart and for the sake of peace and stability to reign in the ANC ahead of the provincial conference,” said Mpe during an interview with The Citizen on Thursday.
Mpe added: “Who am I to continue sinking the ship just because I want to be its captain. I am not in this organisation for positions, I am here to serve and if branches of the ANC have their preferred candidate to lead this oldest African political organisation, who am I to differ with them?” asked Mpe.
Mpe said he is nothing without the ANC and that, as a leader, he must be seen as a unifier and a peace-maker for the sake of the organisation’s renewal program.
“I love peace and tranquillity, and the ANC Limpopo wants exactly that. And without taking anything from her, I think Ramathuba is a good comrade and would need a united ANC to lead her government and the people of Limpopo with precision and distinction,” he said.
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Big goal ahead
Putin, as Mpe is affectionately called by some, said that instead of fighting for positions, the ANC structure must focus on the big goal ahead.
“We have the local government elections coming in the not so distant time. We all need to go to these elections with cool minds, determination, and dedication. In the ANC, we leave no one behind. We must work as a team and ensure a decisive victory for the ANC at the polls,” he said.
Spokesperson for the ANC in Limpopo, Mathole Jimmy Machaka, said lobbying for leadership positions began the same day the party’s provincial executive committee (PEC) approved the roadmap to the provincial conference.
“The ANC Limpopo BGM’s are officially opened with effect from 20 January 2026. They are all expected to complete their business on 28 February 2026.
“We can frankly say all BGMs are proceeding smoothly, and we commend our structures for such smoothness.
“The ANC in Limpopo says there should be no violence during the proceedings and instead, there should be peaceful BGMs and constructive engagements on both leadership questions and issues which the conference should engage about,” he said.
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Who will the new provincial top 5 be?
Machaka said Mpe’s decision means “branches, structures, and members of the ANC in Limpopo continue to use correct platforms to express their views in accordance to ANC constitution freely”.
There is no visible opposing slate in Limpopo at present.
The likely leadership will now comprise Ramathuba as chairperson, Mpe as deputy, current provincial secretary Vhamusanda Reuben Madazhe as secretary, Mopani District Municipality mayor Pule ‘Frelimo’ Shayi as deputy secretary, and Fetakgo/Tubatse mayor Eddie Maila as treasurer.
The conference will be held from 27 to 29 March 2026.
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