With the ANC Limpopo 11th Provincial Conference looming from 27 to 29 March 2026 in Polokwane, the focus has shifted from the podiums to the fine print of the National Dispute Resolution Committee (NDRC) report.
In ANC politics, the battle for the stage is won or lost in the audit room. For the “Unity Slate” to achieve its goal of an unopposed coronation, it must first survive the wave of procedural challenges led by the disgruntled camps of Basikopo Makamu and Florence Radzilana.
The 19 Disputes of Norman Mashabane: The most significant hurdle remains in the Norman Mashabane (Mopani) region. Out of 39 initial branch disputes, 19 were escalated to the NDRC after the provincial committee failed to reach a resolution.
The Allegations: Supporters of the Makamu faction allege that multiple Branch General Meetings (BGMs) were “constitutionally delinquent.” The grievances range from the late arrival of scanners to the more serious charge of “gatekeeping,” where branch members loyal to the opposition were allegedly blocked from participating.
The Stake: These 19 branches represent a significant number of delegates. If the NDRC orders re-runs of these meetings, it could delay the conference or, more importantly, shift the voting power away from the “Unity” axis just weeks before the Polokwane sitting.
The Vhembe Factor: In Vhembe, the stronghold of Florence Radzilana, the battle has already spilled into the courts. While the High Court recently struck off urgent bids to interdict regional proceedings, the NDRC still has to rule on several outstanding appeals regarding the legitimacy of the Vhembe delegate list.
Radzilana’s supporters argue that the “Unity” tag is being used as a pretext to bypass the mandatory 70% branch threshold required to convene a legitimate conference. They have petitioned the NDRC to nullify branches they claim were “cooked” in the Polokwane and Mopani regional audits to favor the Ramathuba-Mpe-Shayi ticket.
The Secretary-General’s Final Word: ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has been under immense pressure to “clean up” the Limpopo audit before the 27 March kickoff. The NDRC’s final verdict is expected to follow a strict “renewal” framework:
Strict Audit Compliance: Any branch that failed to use the new digital membership system or bypassed verification protocols will likely be disqualified from voting.
The 70% Threshold: The most dangerous outcome for the provincial leadership is if the NDRC disqualifies enough branches to drop the province below the 70% threshold, which would legally prevent the conference from sitting.
The Final Outlook: As of now, the provincial leadership remains confident, stating that the “overwhelming majority” of disputes have been dismissed as factional noise. However, the history of ANC conferences in Limpopo is one of last-minute interdicts and “midnight” NDRC rulings.
The disgruntled factions know that if they can’t win the vote on the floor in Polokwane, they can still win in the boardroom by proving the process was flawed. For Makamu and Radzilana, the NDRC report is the final weapon in their arsenal to force a negotiated settlement, or a full-blown contest on the conference floor.