A lobby group in the ANC in Limpopo has pushed back against the nomination of justice minister Mmamoloko Kubayi to lead the party’s national executive committee (NEC) deployees to the province, citing, among others, her leadership ambitions in the ANC 2027 succession race.
Kubayi’s name has been punted behind the scenes for the next deputy president role, but the Limpopo lobby is pushing for ANC second deputy secretary-general Maropene Ramokgopa to take over the post.
Key figures in the group told Sunday World that having Kubayi in charge of the Limpopo ANC affairs would create a “conflict of interest” with their campaign for Ramokgopa, which could lead to instability in the province heading to the ANC’s national elective conference in two years’ time.
A second reason mentioned for the group’s rejection of Kubayi was the issue of tribal dynamics in the province, suggesting that her Shangaan roots would play into perceptions of a takeover by the so-called Venda cabal that is apparently contesting for power with the Sepedi-speaking group.
The latter group has managed to influence the appointment of premiers in Limpopo since 1994, until recently when Phophi Ramathuba, who is Venda-speaking, became the head of the provincial government.
Sunday World understands that the debate on Kubayi’s deployment made it all the way up to the agenda of the ANC top seven.
In Kubayi’s place, Luthuli House came back with the name of Thabang Makwetla, and Kubayi was shipped to the Eastern Cape as an ordinary member of the NEC deployees to the province.
The ANC NEC meeting this weekend is expected to ratify the series of new appointments that followed Mbalula’s shake-up of deployments.
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said the reconsideration of the Kubayi “proposal” from the office of secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and the deployment of NEC members in general were “not influenced by any future conferences but by the needs of the provinces and members”.
“There is no official discussion about 2027. Leaders and members of the ANC have been firmly advised against any discussion of that sort.” Bhengu-Motsiri said.
She said deployments were meant to strengthen the organisation by utilising the available expertise, and she added that the party would not entertain divisive tribal narratives.
An ANC insider said Kubayi, who is “one of the most hard-working NEC members of the ANC,” had in fact requested not to be deployed as a convenor in Limpopo.
Kubayi declined to comment, saying Luthuli House was best suited to speak on the matter.
ANC Limpopo spokesperson Jimmy Machaka said the matter of NEC deployments was the decision of the national executive and not the province, and any queries should be directed to Luthuli House.
“All that we can say is that as a province, we welcome the deployment of the NEC deployees to Limpopo province, and we are looking forward to engaging and working with them,” said Machaka.
He said: “The ANC Limpopo has never embarked on the succession debate, and we will only do so at an appropriate time; therefore, the issue of who becomes what does not arise at this stage.
“The ANC Limpopo will not be drawn into any debate that seeks to divide our society on tribal lines. To our knowledge, there is no tribal cabal takeover in the province,” he added.
Machaka said the topic was divisive, and “the ANC Limpopo is not prepared to engage with it beyond the answers we have provided”.
