A resignation that shakes Limpopo politics

Politics in Limpopo has been thrown into turmoil. Stan Mathabatha, the province’s ANC chairperson and former premier, has dramatically stepped down, 10 months before his term was set to end.

In a letter to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, Mathabatha cited allegations of vote-rigging and rising political divisions within the party’s recent Vhembe and Waterberg regional elective conferences. His resignation letter, which quickly made its way onto social media, read less like a quiet departure and more like a public rebuke of the very movement he has served for decades.

“Un-ANC tendencies” under his watch

Mathabatha, now serving as deputy minister of land reform and rural development, didn’t mince words. He accused his comrades of abandoning core ANC values, saying he could not remain silent in the face of “misconduct and lack of ANC values” happening under his leadership.

“In order to uphold my reputation and integrity, I cannot stand aloof to such unearthing and un-ANC tendencies occurring under my leadership,” he wrote.

For a man who has been both premier and provincial chair, the choice to step away from one of the ANC’s most powerful provincial structures is no small act.

Hero or villain?

Within Limpopo’s corridors of power, the reaction is split. An executive in the provincial government, speaking off the record, suggested Mathabatha’s move could crown him either a hero or a villain, depending on what happens next.

“If the NEC decides that the regions where disputes were raised should go for a rerun, then Mathabatha will be seen as a hero who stood for principle. But if the NEC does nothing and allows the current outcomes to stand, he may be branded a villain, someone who walked away rather than fixing the mess,” the source said.

This tension reflects the high stakes in Limpopo, where the ANC secured a whopping 70% of the vote in the last general election. The province has long been one of the party’s most loyal strongholds, making internal divisions there particularly damaging.

The silence of Luthuli House

Adding to the frustration is the ANC national office’s slow response. After complaints about the conduct of the regional conferences, Luthuli House appointed an investigative team to probe the disputes. Members were told results would be released in two weeks. Two months later, there is still no report.

That silence is fuelling suspicion and Mathabatha’s resignation throws down a gauntlet to Mbalula and the NEC to act.

Public reaction: weary but watchful

On social media, Limpopo residents and ANC supporters voiced a mix of disillusionment and respect. Some praised Mathabatha for refusing to be complicit in flawed processes. Others accused him of abandoning ship when the province needed leadership most.

For ordinary South Africans, the saga feels like another example of political infighting distracting leaders from bread-and-butter issues like jobs, service delivery, and the ongoing energy crisis.

More than one man’s decision

Whether Mathabatha’s resignation turns out to be an act of integrity or political manoeuvring, it has cracked open a larger debate about accountability inside the ANC. Is the party willing to clean up its internal elections, or will it continue to tolerate what critics call “un-ANC tendencies”?

For Limpopo, the answer could decide more than who chairs the provincial executive. It could shape how the province maintains its reputation as the ANC’s strongest bastion or loses it to apathy and division.

As one political analyst put it on X (formerly Twitter): “Mathabatha has thrown the ball into Luthuli House’s court. How they respond will determine who walks away with the hero label.”

{Source: The Citizen}

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