A core of ANC national executive committee (NEC) members are quietly brokering talks to forge a unity pact between North West chairperson Nono Maloyi and Premier Lazarus Mokgosi in a bid to avert a bruising contest at the province’s looming elective conference.
Multiple senior party sources say the intervention is being driven from Luthuli House, with at least one senior NEC member regarded as a close ally of President Cyril Ramaphosa involved in the discussions.
“The NEC wants to intervene and forge a pact between Lazzy and Nono so that there is no animosity,” said one source, using Mokgosi’s nickname. But the problem is that Nono has a pact with Deputy President Paul Mashatile for his ANC presidential ambitions, and Lazzy is aligned with ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, the person added.
The scenario makes the North West battle a proxy for national succession dynamics.
According to insiders, the NEC-brokered unity formula would see Maloyi retained as provincial chairperson while Mokgosi remains premier. However, the arrangement is fraught with political contradictions.
“If you keep Nono as chair and Lazzy as premier, you maintain two centres of power,” said a senior provincial figure. “That has always been a problem.”
Another proposal – that Maloyi become Mokgosi’s deputy in the ANC – has reportedly been rejected informally because it would mean a demotion for Maloyi, who is currently deputised by Mokgosi at the Gertrude Mphekwa House provincial headquarters in Mahikeng.
Behind the unity language lies a deeper national calculation.
“The NEC plan is that the chairperson must not be contested,” one insider said. “That has been Mbalula’s mantra – even at national level in 2027 there must be no contestation. That is what Mbalula wants. That is why he has also had talks with Paul.”
But uncertainty remains high.
“National is creating a problem for us because they are not giving clear direction,” one provincial leader complained.
“The only thing we hear clearly is that they do not want Patrice Motsepe. But his campaign is taking shape.”
While the NEC attempts to calm tensions, provincial formations are splintering below.
The Mokgosi-aligned lobby, known as M26, is itself an offshoot of the broader N12 grouping that originally championed Mashatile’s presidential ambitions. M26’s proposed deputy chairperson is the current provincial treasurer, Sello Lehari, elected alongside Maloyi – underscoring how deeply intertwined the rival slates remain.
What complicates matters further is the shadow of former North West premier Supra Mahumapelo. Except for Mokgosi, most of the key figures in both camps previously worked closely with Mahumapelo.
“Supra might be the kingmaker,” one source said. “He is like the Dalai Lama – the spiritual leader. He can still influence the outcome of the conference.”
Within the N12 ecosystem itself, fractures are widening. The lobby is divided over the deputy chairperson position, with one slate backing former ANC Youth league (ANCYL) president Collen Maine and another favouring current provincial secretary Louis Diremelo.
“It’s fluid,” a source said. “There are two or three slates. Some are even mischievous. Anyone can generate something and circulate it.”
Regional dynamics are adding further instability. In Ngaka Modiri Molema, a breakaway group known as “Baipolai ka Di-Bomo” (suicide bombers) has emerged after failing to secure the N12 backing during regional slate negotiations. The group is fronted by regional secretary Malebo Nkolisa and another local figure, Tebogo Seitisho.
Meanwhile, ANC youth leader Tshiamo Tsotetsi is linked to a separate push for provincial secretary, reportedly backed by elements of the ANCYL..
Allegations of manipulation have already surfaced as branch nomination processes begin, particularly in Dr Ruth Segomotso Mompati region in Vryburg, where branches are meeting this weekend to nominate provincial leaders.
Some within the party argue that regional conferences should be concluded before the provincial gathering proceeds. Ngaka Modiri Molema, for example, has yet to finalise its regional leadership process due to pending membership verifications and audits.
As the provincial conference approaches, the NEC’s unity push faces a stark reality: beneath the language of stability lies an intense struggle for control of the provincial state machinery and, by extension, influence over the ANC’s national succession battle.
“We will see at nominations what is fact and what is fiction,” one senior source said. “But make no mistake, this is about power.”
