A leadership structure aligned to Msiza won the race in Limpopo at the weekend and pronounced support for President Cyril Ramaphosa to be re-elected.
Sowetan understands the delegation from the Eastern Cape included suspended Amathole regional secretary Terris Ntutu and Nelson Mandela Bay regional secretary Luyolo Nqakula.
An insider at the meeting said Msiza was firm that whoever wanted Limpopo’s support must in return back its candidate for ANC national chair, Stan Mathabatha.
An insider from the Eastern Cape delegation said they initially proposed Masualle as SG and former finance deputy minister Mcebisi Jonas as a candidate for chairperson or deputy president.
“Limpopo affirmed it wants Stan [Mathabatha] as chairperson. We were sort of demobilised and Paul [Mashatile] is firm on being deputy president.
“The priority names in the province are Phumulo [Masualle] and Mcebisi [Jonas]. Limpopo said they would work with us if we give them what they want,” the insider said.
Over the weekend, the treasurer-general of the ANC, Mashatile, got the nod from Limpopo delegates for the deputy president position.
One senior ANC leader linked to the Msiza camp in Limpopo said discussions had not been finalised yet but confirmed the two provinces had long-held relations.
Describing this weekend as a conference within a conference, the leader said Limpopo had an overwhelming consensus that Mashatile would become the next deputy president.
“There’s nothing conclusive yet. It’s still early days and those were exploratory discussions. The formal conversation will kick-start once the NEC gives the go-ahead for branch general meetings to sit for the national conference.
“Only then will we begin to have a greater picture which will emerge once more provinces talk. But Limpopo and the Eastern Cape are twin provinces. We’ve got an understanding,” the senior leader said.
Should Mathabatha, who was re-elected provincial chair, be propelled to the national office, Florence Radzilani, a strong ally of Msiza, who is the ANC Limpopo deputy chairperson, will likely assume the provincial chairperson position until an election.
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Limpopo will also be pushing for the ANC’s step-aside rule to be amended to allow for those placed on ice to return to their positions if their legal matters are not concluded in 10 months.
Asked what this would mean for the likes of Msiza, the senior ANC leader from Limpopo said: “It means that he’s back. It means he’s back right in the thick of things overtly and not covertly.”
After KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo with 131,469 registered members will bring the second-biggest delegation to the ANC’s elective conference in December.
One ANC insider in Limpopo said if anyone wanted to get anything done at the ANC’s national conference, they needed the buy-in of KZN, Limpopo, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga, which would easily guarantee them 50% at the conference.
“You need to consolidate these provinces if you want to achieve anything.”
