The African National Congress (ANC) has rejected Limpopo provincial chairperson Stanley Mathabatha’s request to step aside from his position.
This follows a high-level meeting on Thursday between ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, members of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), and the Limpopo Provincial Executive Committee (PEC).
ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu confirmed that the meeting considered Mathabatha’s letter of intention but resolved that the matter should first be dealt with at provincial level. She said the meeting agreed to refer the issue back to the province to allow space for the concerns raised by Mathabatha to be addressed internally. Once provincial deliberations are concluded, the outcome will be formally communicated to national officials.
Mathabatha, who has served as Limpopo chairperson since 2014, wrote to Mbalula earlier this week, citing allegations of misconduct and what he described as “un-ANC conduct” during the Vhembe and Waterberg regional conferences.
The ANC has, however, dismissed these claims, insisting that all regional conferences in Limpopo were “concluded successfully.”
The decision effectively places responsibility back on the provincial structures to resolve the tensions, while Mathabatha remains in his position for the time being.
