Tshitereke Matibe, the Limpopo MEC for tourism, environment, and development, has been able to hold onto his role as the ANC’s chairman in the Vhembe region.
Given the squabbles that occurred in the lead-up to the conference, where some branches expressed their displeasure and sought legal intervention, Matibe’s re-election to the top seat at the 9th ANC Vhembe elective conference, which took place at Kalahari Waterfront in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, was a relief.
Disgruntled ANC members filed two court applications, requesting that the national executive committee and the provincial executive committee of the party halt the elective conference until they were satisfied with the credentials of some of the participants.
However, Judge Thogomelani Tshidada, who presided over both cases, struck their court applications off the roll, claiming that “key respondents, the ANC national dispute resolution committee and the ANC secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, had not been served with answering affidavits.
The ANC spokesperson in Limpopo, Jimmy Machaka, said they were happy that the conference went well after the court found no procedural irregularities.
“The court outcome paved the way for the long-awaited ANC regional conference in Vhembe, which was concluded successfully,” said Machaka.
Fikile Mbalula, the organisation’s secretary general, has since warned against members who always run to court whenever things don’t go their way. “We are not going to be governed by people who run to the courts when they are losing a conference, that’s anarchy,” he said.
To help during the conference, the ANC national office sent a powerful representative a few days prior to the elections.
Mdu Manana, a national organiser, was assigned to support Reuben Madadza, the secretary of the province of Limpopo, whose office was supposed to take over registration at that point.
Matibe team in the elected top five are Mfiyeni Chauke (deputy chairperson), Matodzi Ralushai (secretary), Dorcus Mboyi (treasurer), and Fistos Mafela (Maemu).
