Conny Ramothwala, ANC Ward 10, Greater Tzaneen Municipality, Councillor Candidate following Provincial Ruling.
The Provincial Dispute Resolution Committee (PDRC) of the African National Congress (ANC) in Limpopo has officially upheld the dispute filed by candidate Conny Ramothwala, confirming her as the legitimate ANC councillor candidate for Ward 10 (Mark Shope) in the Greater Tzaneen Municipality.
The ruling, signed by PDRC Chairperson Comrade Esther Mokoele, nullified an irregular voting process that had previously attempted to install rival candidate Lazarus Malatji. The verdict brings clarity to a candidate selection process that exposed deep divisions and administrative breakdown within the local branch.
The Mokwape Edwin Malatji Branch verdict is one of several branch disputes where the province had to intervene to save the day. Provincial leadership was forced to step in after the region’s overreach to call for reruns beyond its powers resulted in branches descending into chaos.
A Contested Selection Process
The internal dispute arose following the candidate selection process held in June 2026. Ramothwala initially emerged victorious following a legitimate Branch General Meeting (BGM) on 19 June 2026, which formally endorsed her candidacy building on initial branch-led meetings held on 7 June 2026.
However, political friction intensified when a parallel grouping within the branch attempted to bypass the original outcomes. A poster circulated on 23 June 2026, attributed to Deputy Chairperson Moses Sebopetsa, announced an unexplained re-run of the process. This led to a controversial region-led voting activity conducted across four secret-ballot stations on 28 June 2026.
The unauthorized re-run produced a conflicting set of results that favored Lazarus Malatji. Appellants pointed out severe procedural flaws during the 28 June activity, including the absence of written grounds for a re-run, non-communication to valid candidates, and presiding officers allowing non-ANC agents into voting stations.
Furthermore, election results were announced locally rather than being centralized and formally submitted to the branch.
The PDRC Findings and Verdict
Determined to challenge the illegal re-run of the community meetings, Ramothwala, along with fellow candidate Kgaugelo Mokgwathi, lodged a formal dispute with the PDRC.
During the dispute resolution hearings, the PDRC uncovered widespread failure and systemic dysfunction within the Branch Executive Committee (BEC). The branch secretary repeatedly failed to sign or submit the final official documentation from the legitimate meetings on 17 and 19 June.
When questioned, the BEC could not provide vote tallies per candidate, claiming that only the branch secretary held that information.
Crucially, key members of the BEC failed to attend the PDRC hearing to defend or explain the anomalies. During the proceedings, the BEC members present ultimately conceded that the initial selection processes of 7 June were fully legitimate, while admitting that the subsequent re-run on 28 June was unprocedural and invalid.
In its decision, the PDRC explicitly ruled that the chaotic activity of 28 June was invalid and upheld the original results of the selection meetings. This ruling firmly reinstates Conny Ramothwala as the validly nominated candidate for Ward 10.
Branch Facing Threat of Dissolution
Beyond resolving the candidate dispute, the PDRC outcome has cast serious doubt on the future of the Ward 10 branch executive structure.
In its assessment, the committee noted that the branch appears deeply riddled with internal problems, highlighting a complete lack of operational coherence among BEC members in managing basic party procedures.
Because the BEC failed to properly execute its constitutional duty to run Steps 1 through 3 of the Local Government Candidate selection process, higher party structures are now intervening.
The PDRC has formally called for urgent, direct oversight from higher governance bodies, including the Regional Executive Committee (REC) and the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC). These bodies must step in to manage the branch’s affairs and ensure that Ramothwala’s documentation is correctly registered with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
Given the complete breakdown of administrative discipline and the failure of leadership during the dispute hearings, regional leaders indicate that the Ward 10 BEC now stands on the brink of potential dissolution.
While dissatisfied parties retain the right to appeal the verdict to the Provincial List Committee, the PDRC’s direct intervention marks a major victory for Ramothwala and sends a firm message regarding procedural compliance within the region.