Johannesburg – ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa’s campaign for a second term received a boost after his Limpopo ally Pule Shayi won the much-awaited Norman Mashabane regional conference which was held in Karibo lodge in Tzaneen over the weekend.
Shayi was elected uncontested after Greater Letaba Municipality Mayor Peter Matlou , who was supposed to go toe to toe with him, pulled out of the race after realising that the odds were stacked against him.
Shayi’s supporter, Garryson Molapisane, was elected regional deputy chairperson after clobbering his rival, Greater Tzaneen Municipality Mayor Maripe Mangena by 190 to 100 votes.
His other supporter, Limpopo SACP acting provincial secretary Goodman Mthileni, who was on Shayi’s slate, was also elected unopposed.
Shayi’s favourites Mamanyoga Dagma and Blandina Raganya were elected deputy secretary and treasurer respectively.
At time of publishing this article, delegates were still voting for their preferred additional members.
Shayi’s election, will breathe life into Ramaphosa’s campaign for a second term as the party’s president because Norman Mashabane is the biggest region in the province.
Limpopo is said to be the party’s second biggest province after Kwa-Zulu Natal.
This after overtaking Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga who sent a large number of delegates after Kwa-Zulu-Natal in the previous elective conference in Nasrec where Ramaphosa beat his opponent Nkosazan Dlamini-Zuma to become party president.
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