The political landscape in the Mopani District is gearing up for a major shakeup. ActionSA has officially announced a high-profile tour to unveil its new mayoral candidates for the region.
The party is making a strategic push into rural areas that have traditionally voted for the African National Congress. This massive campaign will feature top party leaders and includes official visits to prominent traditional leaders.
The political roadshow will be led by ActionSA President Herman Mashaba, Deputy President Dr. Mbahare Kekana, and ActionSA Limpopo Chairperson Victor Mothemela. Together, they aim to show that the green party is a serious contender ready to challenge the status quo in Limpopo.
ActionSA will introduce its mayoral candidates for six key areas. These include the main Mopani District Municipality, as well as the local municipalities of Greater Tzaneen, Greater Letaba, Greater Giyani, Maruleng, and Ba-Phalaborwa.
This latest move shows how much the party has grown in the province. In the past, political analysts considered the rural parts of Limpopo to be safe zones for the ruling party.
ActionSA previously faced difficulties in areas like Greater Giyani due to a lacklustre showing by Ponani Makhubele, a politician known for moving between different political organisations. However, the party has successfully changed its fortunes. By enlisting strong local leaders like Maripe Mangena and Mikia Ramothwala, and later bringing in influential figures like Reuben Mosila and City Modjadji, ActionSA has managed to make serious inroads into the heart of the ANC hinterland.
The upcoming two-day tour is carefully organised to balance political messaging with deep respect for local customs and traditional authorities. On the first day of the visit, Friday, 10 July, the ActionSA leadership will focus entirely on connecting with local royalty and traditional councils.
The schedule starts at 11:30 with a courtesy visit to the Maake Traditional Council Offices in Ga-Maake. Directly after that, at 12:35, the entourage will head to the Nkuna Traditional Council in Muhlaba.
The final royal stop of the day will take place at 14:00, when Herman Mashaba and his team visit the Modjadji Royal Nation at the Khethlakoni Royal Offices. Meeting with the Modjadji leadership is a highly symbolic move, given the deep cultural historical significance of the Rain Queen’s nation in Limpopo and across South Africa.
Mashaba would love for royalty to appear at his Mopani Mayors public announcements. However, outside of the Maake Traditional Council acting as a host and her son getting the nod for the Mopani District, the rest are most unlikely to attend. This is especially true for the Modjadji Royal Council, who traditionally only show up for the ANC and the SACP as the recognised government.
By visiting these traditional leaders before holding public rallies, ActionSA is sending a clear message to voters. The party wants to show that it respects traditional leadership structures and acknowledges the vital role that traditional authorities play in rural community governance.
The second day of the tour, Saturday, 11 July, will be focused on mobilising ordinary citizens and public supporters. The main event of the weekend is scheduled to begin at 10:30 at the Bulamahlo Community Hall. This is where the highly anticipated mayoral candidates will be formally introduced to the community. Attendees will get to hear firsthand accounts of how ActionSA plans to fix failing local government services, address water shortages, and bring economic development to the Mopani District.
Following the main speeches and announcements, Herman Mashaba and the provincial leadership will embark on a twenty-minute walkabout around the venue at 13:30. This walkabout is designed to give local residents a chance to interact directly with the party leadership, ask questions, and share their daily struggles. The tour will conclude at 13:50 when the president and his entourage depart from the region.
With all the major parties having now criss-crossed Mopani like the SACP, ANC, EFF, and Afrika Mayibuye, and still more visits to come before the election results are called, the ANC will be given a serious run for its money this time around. The ruling party will not sit snugly in power as it is highly expected to shed seats. It is no wonder that the ANC provincial leadership is deeply worrying over the Mopani region, an area that historically used to give the party its best polling numbers, but will not do so this time.
The recruitment of leaders like Modjadji, Mosila, Mangena, and Ramothwala has given ActionSA a distinctly local flavour hat resonates with the resident population. As the weekend approaches, all eyes will be on the Bulamahlo Community Hall to see how the community responds to the green wave. The upcoming local elections are shaping up to be a historic battleground, and ActionSA is making sure it is fully prepared to fight for every single vote in Mopani.