Branches picked him to challenge RamailaFormer Limpopo ANCYL treasurer Jerry Maseko has tossed his hat in the ring for the Sekhukhune ANC regional chairman position.
Maseko will contest Premier Stan Mathabatha’s chief of staff Mogale Lucky Nchabeleng and the incumbent Stan Ramaila in the party’s elective regional conference in May.
Sunday World has learnt that Maseko, the regional secretary, was lobbied by several leaders in the ANC’s second-biggest district in the province to contest for the position ostensibly after Ramaila’s growing unpopularity among branches.
A regional executive committee member, who did not want to be named for fear of victimisation, confirmed that they have persuaded Maseko to contest for the influential position in the region.
“We want comrade Jerry to lead the region because of his political erudition, dynamic leadership qualities, his unquestionable discipline, loyalty to the movement and unparalleled ability to resolve difficult conflicts among party structures,” said the member.
Maseko, a member of the Limpopo legislature and ANC whip on policy and study group, confirmed that he was persuaded to be in pole position.
“Yes, I can confirm that I have acceded to requests by the branches to be the chairperson of the region,” said Maseko.
“In the ANC, you don’t say no when the branches deploy or redeploy you to a new position of responsibilities.”
A dip-stick check to his political profile shows that the lanky politician is not politically wet behind the ear.
Born on July 21 1966, Maseko cut his teeth in politics in 1986 at the age of 20 when he was a student teacher at Mamokgalake Chuene College of Education.
He was arrested on the April 30 1986 while mobilising for a workers’ stay-away scheduled for May Day around the Groblersdal area.
He also coordinated the establishment and launch of Moeding Youth Congress in Tafelkop, Marota Youth Congress and became its first chairperson.
Maseko was elected a ward councillor for eastern Tubatse/ Ohrigstad TLC from 1995-2000.
During this period, he led the ANCYL as a regional chairperson and provincial treasurer from 1998-2001, respectively.
During 2000-2011, he was a councillor at Sekhukhune district municipality, where he served as a chief whip, MMC for local economic development and water service, respectively.
When the province was disbanded in 2013, the ANC assigned him the responsibility of coordinating the Sekhukhune ANC regional task team, aer which he was elected regional secretary from 2014 to date.
By Ngwako Malatji
ngwakom@sundayworld.co.za
