Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba has categorically denied interest in the ANC deputy presidency seat, framing a reported lobby for her candidacy as a “sinister” ploy by “enemies of progress” designed to derail her work in the province.
Ramathuba says she has no interest in becoming ANC deputy president, saying the campaign is intended to defocus her.
This follows a Sunday World report about a group pushing for the outspoken politician to make herself available for the former liberation movement’s second most powerful job.
Was never approached
Ramathuba, in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the ANC anniversary celebrations in North West, said no one had approached her, and she was not interested.
“I am also surprised as to where this rumour originates from. The ANC has just honoured me by giving me a responsibility as the premier of a province,” she said.
“A first woman premier, for that matter. I was not given this task on my behalf; it was on behalf of all those women who came before me. These are the women who fought to ensure that today, Limpopo has a female premier.
“Having been given that particular responsibility, it is upon me not to fail those women. My focus is on Limpopo to ensure I do not let them down. My ambition is to make sure that people have water, people have electricity, the economy thrives and people have jobs.
“That is where I am currently; I am not in the space of wanting to be an ANC deputy president. My ambition is to give people of Limpopo services they deserve, especially now that we keep on winning elections, which means they have hope and confidence in us.”
Cards close to chest on Limpopo leadership race
On being lobbied to run for ANC provincial chairperson in a conference billed for March, Ramathuba was coy. She said she would respond to the call once it is officially made by branches that will be going to branch general meetings to nominate their candidates for the provincial conference.
“Some regions, especially in the recent Waterberg regional conference, have
officially endorsed Ramathuba to stand for provincial chairperson,” Ramathuba said.
She, however, said the provincial conference was a conference of ANC branches, and she would await the call to come from the basic unit of the ANC – a branch.
“Yes, the lobbying is being done in a correct way within the guidelines and framework as adopted by the NEC. So, I cannot come here and start talking because I would be taking away the power from the branches.
“We need to allow the branches to pronounce at the right time, and then we will be going to the conference. I respect the branches of the ANC because those are the branches we are going to be leading,” she said.
Premier to slug it out with mayor
Ramathuba, as things stand, will go pound-for-pound with ANC Peter Mokaba regional chairperson and Polokwane mayor John Mpe. The political relationship between the two has been described as frosty.
But Ramathuba sought to downplay this, saying she was working well with Mpe in their respective roles in the ANC as well as in government.
“We relate very well from the political angle of him chairing the Peter Mokaba region and me as a PEC and PWC member. He is deployed as executive mayor of Polokwane, and I am deployed as premier, and we relate very well. There is no way as a premier you cannot work with your executive mayor.
“I work with Comrade John very well, and he works with me very well. It might not even be Comrade John and Phophi who contest for provincial chairperson; it might be any member of the ANC. Contestations are there, differences in opinion are there, but we are united by the NDR that we are in towards a national democratic society that we want to build.”
