ANC's 2027 race plays out behind scenes in Limpopo

National office takes control of Vhembe elective conference

- By Setumo Stone and Queenin Masuabi

Although Luthuli House has put a gag on the ANC’s 2027 leadership succession race, behind the scenes, the horse trading is in full swing.

This became apparent this week when the national office unprecedentedly took control of the regional elective conference in Vhembe, Limpopo.

The resolution is contained in a directive that Fikile Mbalula, the head of Luthuli House, sent to Limpopo on Thursday, in which the ANC secretary-general is unequivocal that the office of his ally, national organiser Mdu Manana, assisted by Limpopo provincial secretary Reuben Madadzhe’s office, will take full control of the registration in the Vhembe regional conference this weekend.

In the same letter, Mbalula enumerates a group of national executive committee (NEC) members who have been deployed to regional conferences in the province, an area where the ANC holds the highest level of electoral support.

Manana’s office, which will now be running registration processes as instructed by Mbalula, has also overseen the new ANC membership system.

Another regional conference had also been scheduled for this weekend in Mopani, but Sunday World understands that it was postponed after 19 branches complained about “bogus delegates” taking part in the proceedings, including names of members who had long died.