The ANC regional conferences in Limpopo are now completely controlled by the Luthuli House and Frans Mohlala House.
The resolution is contained in a memorandum that Fikile Mbalula, the head of Luthuli House, sent to Limpopo on Thursday.
In the memorandum, Mbalula is equivocal that the office of his ally, national organiser Mdu Manana, assisted by Limpopo provincial secretary Reuben Madadzhe’s office, will take full control of the registration in the Vhembe regional conference this weekend.
In the same letter, Mbalula lists an unprecedented number of national executive committee (NEC) members deployed to regional conferences in the province, where the ANC has the biggest electoral support.
Manana’s office, which will now be running registration processes as instructed by Mbalula, has also been in charge of the new ANC membership system.
Manana assumes key role in conferences
From now until the national conference in 2027, these developments position Manana as a key player in all ANC conferences.
“Please note that the national organiser, working with the provincial secretary’s office, will take full responsibility for running the registration process,” reads Mbalula’s memorandum to Madadzhe.
“This communique seeks to inform you of the deployment of NEC members to work with the PEC [provincial executive committee] in ensuring that all forthcoming regional conferences in the province are successful, peaceful, and adhere to organisational discipline and are in keeping with the ANC internal democracy and reflective of a united ANC in the spirit of renewal and rebuilding of our movement.”
Five additional NEC members have been added by Mbalula to oversee the regional conferences in addition to the eight NEC deployees to Limpopo.
The other five members, who are all close Mbalula associates under Manana’s leadership, include Zuko Godlimpi, the recently appointed chairperson of the economic transformation subcommittee, and David Makhura, the head of the OR Tambo School.
Thandi Moraka and Mmamoloko Kubayi complete the list of the additional five members, wrapping the list of the now 13 NEC members who will preside over regional conferences in Limpopo.
The deployees to the province are led by Thabang Makwetla and include NEC members such as Andile Lungisa, Njabulo Nzuza, and Enoch Godongwana, among others.
“You are requested to convene an urgent meeting tomorrow morning [Friday] at 10h00 in Vhembe with the PEC employees and the RTT of Vhembe to finalise the preparation of the conference,” reads Mbalula’s memorandum.
Election of new regional leaders
Following the Friday meeting, Mbalula gave the NEC team instructions to move forward with registering the delegates for the regional conference on Saturday.
According to Mbalula, the regional conference must continue on Sunday in order to elect new leaders and address other conference-related matters.
According to insiders, the memorandum was the most obvious sign that Rudzani Ludere, the departing regional secretary for Vhembe, who typically oversees the regional conference, was not aligned with Mbalula and Madadzhe.
“They have stripped Ludere of his powers. VhaMsanda [Madadzhe] is asserting his authority, and Mbalula wants Limpopo to go to the 2027 national conference supporting him,” said one leader with intimate knowledge of the political developments in Limpopo.
