Limpopo premier sits tight despite fallout from Nasrec shenanigans

Limpopo ANC chair Stan Mathabatha has vowed to stay put in his job as premier amid rumours of his departure.

“Following the recent media reports related to an imminent retirement of premier Stanley Chupu Mathabatha from office, we put on record that premier Mathabatha is committed to remain in office until the end of his term of government in 2024, when the next national elections will be held,” spokesperson Willy Mosoma said on Wednesday.

Mosoma said Mathabatha wants to continue to consolidate the work of turning around the provincial administration.

He made these remarks as the political fallout from the divisions in the province, which played themselves out at the ANC national conference over the weekend, is expected to intensify. Mathabatha and his deputy, Florence Radzilani, are expected to come under heavy fire over their failed attempt to ditch Cyril Ramaphosa for Zweli Mkhize.

The first punishment for Mathabatha came directly from Limpopo delegates, some of whom are said to have voted for Gwede Mantashe for national chair, a position the premier was also contesting.

Mathabatha and Radzilani are also expected to be hauled over the coals for telling delegates that the decision to ditch Ramaphosa was taken by the provincial executive committee (PEC). Provincial secretary Reuben Madadzhe told delegates there was never a decision to support Mkhize.

The fallout has led to some saying Mathabatha would either be recalled as premier or forced into retirement.

Radzilani, on the other hand, is expected to be charged for “lying” to delegates on the PEC position on Ramaphosa, according to several Limpopo insiders.

Senior Limpopo leaders said Radzilani knew that if she had lobbied the delegates as an individual, they would not have listened to her.

“Just watch the space, we’re going to deal with them. How do you explain what they tried here to the membership in Limpopo? They sent us here for one thing, but upon arriving we want to do the other,” said a PEC member.

Another PEC member said they would push for Radzilani to be taken through a disciplinary hearing, while a third PEC member said they would call for a provincial general council (PGC) to get the duo to account with a view to removing her.

“Stan is going to be a lame duck chair, but ... Radzilani will be dealt with at the PGC. Once everyone agrees to it we will call for her removal using her region against her,” the insider said. 

Mathabatha, along with leaders from Gauteng and the North West, plotted to turn their delegates against Ramaphosa. The provincial leaders’ plan to oust the president shifted into higher gear on their arrival at Nasrec but it was scuppered by Ramaphosa lobbyists who opted not to engage the provincial leaders but to court the lower structures such as branches and regions.

“The strength of the CR campaign is that it went beneath the province. We went to the regional leaders, that’s why they revolted. The provincial leaders did not know we were talking to their regions, and they thought they could topple us, but they couldn’t,” said a Ramaphosa lobbyist.

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