×

We've got news for you.

Register on SowetanLIVE at no cost to receive newsletters, read exclusive articles & more.
Register now

Delegates in Limpopo back Mashatile's deputy president bid

Nomazima Nkosi Senior reporter
ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile delivering a key note address at the party's Limpopo elective conference on Friday.
ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile delivering a key note address at the party's Limpopo elective conference on Friday.
Image: Thapelo Morebudi

Delegates at the Limpopo ANC conference in Polokwane implicitly appeared to voice support for ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile's bid for deputy presidency of the party in December.

Mashatile was received with a rousing welcome at the 10th provincial conference in Limpopo where delegates broke into song that hinted they support his leadership.

After a lengthy introduction by national executive committee member Nomvula Mokonyane, delegates broke into the song:  "ixesha lifikile"  as he went to address them.

The ANC deputy president race has many faces vying for it including that of NEC members Ronald Lamola and more recently Jeff Radebe.

An endorsement from Limpopo, the ANC's second biggest province, would mean a huge boost for Mashatile's campaign.

Mashatile has slowly been making strides having also opened Mpumalanga's provincial conference. Party president Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to close the conference on Sunday as he did in Mpumalanga and in the Eastern Cape.

Limpopo chair Stanley Mathabatha, who is seeking a third term, delivered a strong political message that touched on VBS Mutual Bank corruption, Covid-19 looting and the general decay of the ANC. Mathabatha said the truth that the ANC was plagued by challenges that had weakened the party could not be ignored.

He said they did not emerged out of nowhere but had been brewing for decades, ever since "comrades" came in close proximity to power and state resources.

"The central challenge facing the ANC is to address the fight for control and access to resources. All the paralysis and divisions of our structures are consequence of this cancer," he said.

Mathabatha said many within the organisation were too quick to sacrifice the moral standards of the ANC to amass wealth.

He said the ANC 54th national conference had sought to address these challenges under the theme of unity and renewal, but Mathabatha added things had gotten worse.

"There's not been any visible improvement since the Nasrec conference. Things are getting worse. Can it be our organisation is resistant to the renewal medication? It might be that we're resistant to the medication. The ANC must be rescued from the grip of these tendencies," Mathabatha said.

Several municipalities in Limpopo invested hundreds of millions in the VBS saga. One of the PEC members was alleged to have influenced many of them to invest in the bank.

On VBS, Mathabatha said there were allegations that they had done nothing against those implicated in the VBS scandal.

"That is simply not true," he said.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.