Poster: Conny Ramothwala.
The African National Congress (ANC) faces severe internal divisions in Ward 10 of the Greater Tzaneen Municipality ahead of the upcoming election on 4 November.
Intense fighting over candidate selection, broken party structures, and prominent members joining rival campaigns have placed the governing party in a vulnerable position. Party leaders now worry that the ANC could lose the ward entirely as support splits between opposition parties, an independent candidate, and the official party nominee.
The Fight for the Ward Candidate Spot
The dispute began during the candidate selection process within the Mokwape Edwin Malatji Branch. Key leaders within the Branch Executive Committee (BEC) and the Norman Mashabane Region pushed heavily to secure the candidacy for Lazarus Ntjatjapa Malatji.
Reports indicate that other hopeful candidates were pressured to withdraw their applications to clear the path for Malatji.
With strong financial backing and support from regional leaders, Malatji initially performed strongly at the Branch General Meeting. However, community meetings across three local areas—Marirong, Motupa, and Kubjana—showed a different picture. During these community consultations, Conny Ramothwala emerged as the favourite candidate among local residents.
Despite Ramothwala winning community approval, regional leaders attempted to discard the result. A second process took place that briefly named Malatji as the winner. Ramothwala and her supporters formally challenged this outcome, calling the process improper and unfair.
The case moved up through internal party channels. First, the Provincial Dispute Resolutions Committee reviewed the complaint. Eventually, the Provincial List Committee acted as the final judge on the matter. The list committee ruled in favour of Ramothwala, confirming her as the official ANC candidate for Ward 10 and submitting her name to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
Discontent Leads to Independent Campaign
The final decision by the party leadership did not restore peace within the branch. Instead, members loyal to Malatji refused to support the official decision. Malatji chose to break away from the official party ticket to run as an independent candidate in Ward 10, which covers areas including Bolobedu South, Motupa, Kubjana, and Marironi.
Campaign posters for Matome “NJAJAPA” Lazarus Malatji have started to circulate across the ward. The posters feature the slogan “Together We Can” alongside messages in Sepedi directly challenging party interference. The text argues that true leaders are chosen by the community, not imposed by party officials.
Crucially, Malatji has retained the support of influential vocal members of the local ANC BEC. Rather than uniting behind Ramothwala, key local organizers are actively campaigning against their own party’s candidate.
Branch Collapse and Rising Opposition
The decision by party members to back different candidates has caused the local party structure to fracture. Key leaders have shifted their allegiance to opposing political parties:
*Branch Leadership Splits: Branch chairperson Molebatsi Masedi left party lines to campaign alongside Shadrack Ngoako Shokane, the South African Communist Party (SACP) candidate for Ward 10.
*Losses in Key Villages: In the village of Kubjana, local political figure Ngoako Ndlovu moved his support to ActionSA, pulling away traditional voters from the ANC base.
*Multi-Front Opposition: The ANC now faces competition from three distinct directions in the same ward: ActionSA, the SACP, and a well-funded independent candidate backed by former ANC executives.
High Stakes for the 4 November Vote
The internal collapse in Ward 10 places the ANC in a difficult position ahead of the 4 November vote. In previous elections, strong branch unity allowed the party to maintain a solid hold on local government seats. However, with key organizers split between independent campaigns and alliance rivals, party support is deeply divided.
Political observers note that when a governing party splits its own vote across multiple factions, opposition parties and independent candidates gain a significant advantage. With polling day approaching rapidly, the ANC faces the real possibility of losing Ward 10 in Greater Tzaneen as voters decide whether to back the official party line or follow broken-away local leaders.
Poster: Matome “NJAJAPA” Lazarus Malatji.