The proposal to install the provincial secretary as chairperson of the ANC in Limpopo has already reached the ears of those who sit in the ANC top 7, taking it to the doors of Luthuli House. The initiative, advanced by traditional leaders, seeks to break a factional deadlock that threatens the party’s dominance in the province.
The deadlock pits factions loyal to Premier Phophi Ramathuba against those of Polokwane mayor John Mpe. With neither side able to secure a decisive majority, traditional leaders have intervened to propose Madadzhe as a unity candidate.
“When local structures are paralysed by factionalism, the national leadership has a duty to intervene and enforce the ANC’s constitution,”
One anonymous senior leader stated, underscoring why Luthuli House’s role is critical.
Central to the negotiation are tribal demographics: the Pedi population dominates four regions, the Venda one. A “unity slate” elevating Madadzhe, a traditional leader, is designed to address concerns of a “total Venda takeover” and balance ethnic power in the provincial executive committee. “We have seen how tribalism destroys liberation movements. It is not a secondary issue; it is an existential threat that must be addressed head-on,” another leader asserted, framing the delicate ethnic calculus as a matter of survival.
The objective is party stability ahead of local government elections. The ANC’s electoral dominance in Limpopo is linked to its alliance with traditional leaders, whose influence makes this calculus a national concern. “Unity is not a favour we do for each other; it is the foundation of our power. Without it, we all fall,” a third elder warned, stressing that the proposed compromise is non-negotiable for electoral success.
ANC Limpopo officials could not be reached for comment on internal processes. The provincial conference is set for March.
