Limpopo premier Stan Mathabatha has been placed at the centre of a possible collapse of the tripartite alliance in province ahead of the ANC’s elective conference in December.
This after the SACP and Cosatu labelled Mathabatha as being counter-revolutionary following his recent reshuffle of the provincial cabinet.
Mathabatha, who has been nominated to become the next national chairperson of the ANC, purged his detractors and replaced them with his allies. The new cabinet members include Lepelle Nkumpi mayor Nakedi Sibanda-Kekana and former Vhembe district mayor Florence Radzilani, who invested R150-million and R300-million, respectively into the defunct VBS Mutual Bank without following proper procedures.
Sibanda-Kekana, who is the ANC provincial treasurer, was appointed as the MEC for sport, arts and culture. Radzilani, the deputy provincial chairperson of the ANC, now heads the department of transport and community safety.
To make way for his allies, Mathabatha axed Dr Dickson Namane Masemola, the former social development MEC who contested him for the ANC provincial chairperson position, sport, arts and culture MEC Thandi Moraka, transport, safety and liaison MEC Polly Boshielo, agriculture and rural development MEC Nandi Ndalane, and Jerry Ndo, the former deputy speaker.
Cosatu deputy chairperson in Limpopo, Hangwani Mashau, said: “Cosatu has consistently held the view that it continues to fight against corruption wherever and whenever it raises its head. The federation also decries the recklessness that afflicts the decisions concerning the Limpopo provincial executive council.
“There is no plausible explanation for the reshuffle, except a lame and feeble explanation that it was as a result of performance assessment.”
Cosatu, which backed the SACP in rejecting the cabinet reshuffle, said the reconfiguration had nothing to do with service delivery but was a result of the outcomes of a provincial conference held in June.
Mashau said: “This is a consolidation of factions rather than seeking to eliminate them. It is about rewarding those who belonged to the faction that won and purging those who are seen to have lost the conference. This does not bode well for the unity and renewal of our ally, the ANC.”
The SACP also warned the ruling party to refrain from “political recklessness”.
SACP provincial secretary Chuene Malebana said earlier: “Our understanding and commitment to renewal is clear and unwavering. It’s about uprooting everything bad about the past and ensuring a corruption-free administration and governance.
“Our position against corruption and self-inducing reputational damage on issues of deployment was made very clear during our recent alliance political council. It remains the view of the SACP that the latest reshuffle is an insult to the poor victims of the VBS looting.”
However, the ANC in the province has since dismissed its alliance partners’ call for Mathabatha to withdraw the reconfigured cabinet.
ANC provincial spokesperson Jimmy Machaka said: “Off course not all changes will make SACP happy, they remain our ally and should begin to live with this fact and reality.
“It is unfair of them to judge the new MECs without first allowing them the opportunity to execute the task at hand. It is also unfair to always raise the VBS issue against the appointed MECs, more over when there are no findings against them, when they are not investigated or charged by any law-enforcement agency.
“We have not yet engaged the SACP, however, we reject their call for the premier to withdraw the reconfigured exco [executive committee]. We are in full support of the changes, and we are prepared to defend the changes with everything at our disposal.”
The alliance partners in the province have confirmed that they will meet soon to deal with their differences.
Meanwhile, Machaka said the ANC in Limpopo stands by its decision to support President Cyril Ramaphosa for second term, Paul Mashatile as his deputy, Nomvula Mokonyane as the deputy secretary-general, and Mathabatha as the national chairperson.
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