Stan Mathabatha has been re-elected as chair for a third term to lead the ANC in Limpopo in a comfortable victory over Dickson Masimola during the provincial conference which did not encounter many delays or conflicts over credentials.
In a clean sweep, Mathabatha and his entire slate were elected at the 10th provincial conference which was held at The Ranch in Polokwane on Saturday. Mathabatha beat his opponent Dickson Masemola by nearly 400 votes as he received 781 votes while Masemola received 389 votes.
With Mathabatha re-elected to lead the ANC in Limpopo as chair, the organisation will have the task of finding the next candidate eligible of becoming the province’s next premier-elect. Mathabatha will serve until 2024 when the country goes to the polls for the national government elections, where he will not be allowed to lead the office for a third term.
Ruben Madadzhe got the nod for the position of secretary, while Soviet Lekganyane received 451 votes. Madadzhe was a late addition to the slate, following the decision by the national executive committee to bar those affected by its contentious step-aside resolution to not contest for any positions in the party. Influential Danny Msiza was left out because of the resolution and was replaced by the former youth league leader.
In his victory and acceptance speech, Mathabatha made it clear to the new leadership and the delegates that being appointed as a leader was not about the person but about the organisation. He said being a servant of the people in the community or branches, the person needs to gain trust from those who vote.
Source: Daily Maverick, Sowetan Live, Eyewitness News, ENCA, image from Twitter
