Troubled ANC Limpopo provincial chairperson Stan Mathabatha stormed out of the provincial executive committee (PEC) meeting on Friday when he was confronted about his controversial protest “step aside” letter.
Mathabatha stunned the public about a month ago when he unceremoniously announced that he was stepping aside from his ANC post, citing irregularities in Limpopo regional conferences.
After seeking an audience with the ANC top seven, the party’s secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, sent him back to the PEC, saying he must talk to his immediate colleagues instead of burdening the national officials.
It was for this reason that Mathabatha attended and chaired the PEC meeting on Friday, where he explained his strange decision to step aside in protest when the rule is only applied to those who are criminally charged.
Agitated PEC members, especially the regional chairperson of Waterberg, Jack Maeko, confronted Mathabatha, demanding that he explain the double standards contained in his step-aside letter.
Irregularities in regional conferences
In the letter, Mathabatha spoke about irregularities during the Waterberg regional conference but was mum about similar issues that took place during the Peter Mokaba regional conference.
“Comrade Chupu presented his case of why he took the decision, and comrades listened attentively,” said a senior PEC leader who attended the meeting.
“When the opportunity to engage him opened, the regional chair of Waterberg accused him of possibly being behind the people who have taken the recent regional conference outcome to court for review.
“The regional chair was correct, though, because comrade Chupu was selective about regional conferences; he chose to question those in Waterberg and Vhembe, shielding those where there were obvious issues as if he were blind.
“So, when comrade Jack confronted him with facts, he got angry and left the meeting.”
The meeting paused while a mission was initiated to persuade Mathabatha to return. That exercise was successful, as Mathabatha eventually came back, and the meeting proceeded with PEC members grilling him fiercely.
According to PEC members in Limpopo, it is now clear that Mathabatha and provincial secretary Rueben Madadzhe no longer get along.
Many believe that this issue originated during the Nasrec 2 national conference, where Mathabatha attempted to persuade the province to back Zweli Mkhize’s campaign to unseat Cyril Ramaphosa.
It was during this conference that Madadzhe largely emerged victorious, persuading regional leaders to endorse Ramaphosa.
A member of the ANC top seven said Mathabatha made his bed, so he must lie on it.
“What did comrade Stan [Mathabatha] think was going to happen when he opposed President [Cyril] Ramaphosa in Nasrec? That was his biggest blunder, and he must suffer the consequences,” said the leader.
Internal matter
Jimmy Machaka, the spokesperson for the ANC Limpopo PEC, stated that information about ANC meetings was still an internal matter and was unable to confirm or deny Mathabatha’s abrupt departure from the meeting.
Machaka, however, confirmed that the PEC rejected Mathabatha’s “step aside” move and expressed full confidence in him to lead them until the end of the term.
“The PEC did not support the decision of the chair to step aside from his responsibility. The PEC believes that he should continue to lead the party up until the term of office comes to an end because we still have confidence in him,” said Machaka.
“Secondly, the PEC emphasised that the chair cannot step aside because the reasons he advanced in his letter do not fall within the ambit of ‘step aside’ — he has not been criminally charged, he has not been found guilty, and he has not been ordered to vacate his position; therefore, [the] ‘step aside’ [rule] does not arise.
“Other issues he raised, particularly those related to the Vhembe regional conference, are similar to the disputed Peter Mokaba and Norman Mashabane regional conferences, for which the national leadership has established an investigation team that has completed its work.
“Let’s wait for the investigation committee’s findings, as we have been informed that the report is finished, approved, and just awaiting the NWC’s [national working committee] discussion.
“The PEC feels that the national leadership should bring the matter to a close so that everyone in the province can feel clear and at peace.”
