ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has wielded an axe against Vhembe regional secretary Rudzani Ludere, stripping him of his responsibilities of running the registration processes and finalising the preparations for the region’s elective conference.
In a letter directed to the ANC Limpopo provincial secretary Ruben Madadzhe, the Luthuli House boss has instructed the province to convene an urgent meeting on Friday, 02 May 2025, with Vhembe regional task team (RTT) to finalise amongst others things, registration of delegates.
Mbalula also ordered that the elective conference be convened on Sunday, 4 May 2025, in line with the adopted roadmap of the RTT approved by the PEC.
“You are requested to convene an urgent meeting tomorrow morning at 10h00 in Vhembe with the PEC deployees and the RTT of Vhembe to finalise the preparation of conference.
“To attend and receive all discrepancies and challenges related to the delegates records, assist the electoral committee with nominations related matters, registration of delegates to take no later than Saturday, 03 May 2025 and receive the provincial and national dispute resolution committee reports,” Mbalula said.
He further empowered the party’s national organiser, Mdu Manana and Madadzhe to assume the full responsibility of running the conference’s registration process.
These are Ludere’s responsibilities as the regional secretary. However, Mbalula’s recent pronouncement relegates him to the bench.
To stamp his authority on the Limpopo regional conferences, Mbalula beefed it up with national executive committee (NEC) deployees in the province with the party’s bigwigs such as Manana, Mamoloko Kubayi, David Makhura, Thandi Moraka and Zuko Godlimpi, to assist with convening the regional conferences.
“This communique seeks to inform you of the deployment of NEC members to work with the PEC ensuring that all forthcoming regional conferences in the province are successful, peaceful and adhere to organisation discipline and keeping with the ANC internal democracy and reflective of a united ANC in the spirit of renewal and rebuilding of our movement,” he said.
The party’s NEC deployees in Limpopo is headed by ANC veteran Thabang Makwetla.
The ANC regional conferences have been marred with chaos and rocked with several postponements due to branch disputes and failure to reach the threshold.
The vhembe regional elective conference is nothing short of contest with the incumbent regional secretary Ledure expected to battle with Vhembe district municipal spokesperson Ralushai Matodzi for the secretary position.
The MEC of economic development and tourism, Tshitereke Matibe and current regional chairperson is pitted against REC member Simon Mavikane for the top position.
