The rise of Phophi Ramathuba this weekend as Limpopo ANC chairperson has injected fresh momentum into the party’s march towards its 2027 national conference.
A close ally of ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa, Ramathuba is widely expected to align with his preferred successor when the time comes. For now, however, there is little clarity within ANC circles on who that candidate might be.
On the same day in Mpumalanga, her newly elected counterpart, Mandla Ndlovu, gave a sharp warning to those lobbying the province for 2027 that they must watch their steps.
“For now, those who are running ahead must look back. They will realise that they are just walking alone,” he said, drawing rapturous applause.
“When the time comes, we will all participate together through proper organisational processes. History will judge each of us by our conduct,” he said, affirming that the province intended to play an influential role in the race to find Ramaphosa’s successor.
Five names have increasingly surfaced in succession discussions within the ANC, as the race towards the 2027 national conference begins to take shape. ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile and ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula are seen as key contenders for the top job.
ANC treasurer-general Gwen Ramokgopa has been mentioned in some quarters as a potential compromise candidate, particularly among those seeking a credible and less divisive figure to lead the party.
Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa previously told Sunday World that he is being lobbied for the position.
The lobby for billionaire Patrice Motsepe has been the most vocal and publicly organised.
In a rare show of cohesion, the ANC in Limpopo delivered a smooth, drama-free provincial conference on Friday night, electing its leadership unopposed at its 11th gathering held at the Pietersburg Cricket Club in Polokwane.
Limpopo remains a critical voting bloc within the ANC, and a consolidated structure behind Ramathuba could prove decisive when internal succession dynamics intensify.
Yet, beneath the polished display of unity, concerns persist.
In the organisational report presented behind closed doors, secretary Reuben Madadzhe said the party faces a steep climb ahead of the local government elections.
The report acknowledges factionalism, weak organisational structures and corruption, as well as what it describes as a widening gap between leadership and ordinary members.
It warns that renewal must move beyond rhetoric and become a concrete programme to address what is framed as an “existential crisis”.
Leaders have been urged to rebuild organisational capacity, enforce discipline and strengthen political education while maintaining unity as a central pillar.
In Mpumalanga, Ndlovu made it clear that while the conference had avoided open battles, the political season had not been cancelled, only postponed.
“Immediately after the 2026 local government elections, we will embark on preparations for the 2027 national conference.
“As disciplined members of the ANC, we respect the authority of the national executive committee,” he said. “To those who are already positioning themselves and failing to be the engine room of the ANC, the time will come when the ANC opens the processes. We will engage fully and decisively.”
It was both a signal and a warning.
As the road to the ANC’s 2027 national conference begins to take shape, Mpumalanga’s activists appear content to hold their cards close, navigating the future with a discipline that borders on doctrine.
“We believe in omertà”, one comrade said, capturing a sentiment that now defines the province’s political posture, where silence is not absence but strategy.
- The rise of Phophi Ramathuba this weekend as Limpopo ANC chairperson has injected fresh momentum into the party’s march towards its 2027 national conference.
- A close ally of ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa, Ramathuba is widely expected to align with his preferred successor when the time comes.
- For now, however, there is little clarity within ANC circles on who that candidate might be.
- On the same day in Mpumalanga, her newly elected counterpart, Mandla Ndlovu, gave a sharp warning to those lobbying the province for 2027 that they must watch their steps.
- “For now, those who are running ahead must look back.
