Mopani ANC Regional Chairperson Dagma Mamanyoha.
The battle to control the Mopani District Municipality has turned nasty. Behind the closed doors of the African National Congress in the Norman Mashabane region, a brutal political war is exploding out into the open.
What began as quiet background whispers has now become a public fight over power, tribal identity, and political survival.
At the centre of this storm is the mayoral chain of the Mopani District. The post is opening up because the current mayor, Pule Shayi, was elected to a higher provincial role in the party. In normal times, the path of power in the party is smooth and predictable. When a top leader moves up, the regional chairperson steps into the open executive role. That means Regional Chairperson Dagma Mamanyoha was supposed to take charge of the Mopani District Municipality naturally. But inside the region, someone is trying to hijack that transition.
A small group within the region has launched a fierce campaign to block Mamanyoha from taking the top seat. Instead, they are pushing for Basani Shivambu, a member of the mayoral committee for community services in the district. Their main argument is not about leadership skill or track record. Instead, they are playing a dangerous card: tribalism. Supporters of Shivambu claim that it is now the turn of someone from the Giyani area to wear the mayoral chain.
Mamanyoha has decided that he will no longer stay quiet. Speaking at the Nelson Mandela Memorial Lecture organized by the ANC Women’s League in the Ba-Phalaborwa sub-region, he came out firing. He openly slammed his critics for using cheap ethnic divisions to grab power. He reminded the crowd that the party was built to unite all African people, not to split them into tribal camps like the old apartheid government used to do.
Mamanyoha challenged his enemies directly during his speech. He told the audience that if people think he is unfit to lead, they should say so based on his ability, not based on where he comes from. He said that telling people he cannot be chairperson because he comes from Ha-Matshwi is wrong. He challenged his detractors to prove he lacks capacity rather than using his birthplace as an excuse to shut him out.
However, the fight over tribalism is only half of the story. Deep anger is building across the region over how party decisions are being made. Many local leaders claim the region is being run as a one-woman show by Regional Secretary Sonia Ngobeni. They accuse Ngobeni of taking total control, ignoring official party structures, and acting like the sole decision-maker for the entire area.
Tensions boiled over when the regional proportional representation list for the Greater Tzaneen Municipality was put together. Party members say Ngobeni hand-picked her personal favourites for the list while completely ignoring established leaders. In a move that shocked many, Women’s League Chairperson Lettie Hlangwane was left off the candidate list. This decision caused outrage among female activists and pushed the Women’s League to organize the lecture in Phalaborwa as a public fightback.
A leader from the ANC Women’s League Young Women’s Desk spoke out sharply against this central control. She insisted that official resolutions must come from proper meetings with recorded minutes. She stated clearly that the secretary is not the entire party structure on her own. She added that they are not trying to fight anyone, but if elected leaders refuse to step up, the youth and women will lead themselves.
Her strong words were echoed by prominent Giyani leader Oscar Mashangu Maswanganyi. Taking to social media, Maswanganyi sent an urgent wake-up call to top party officials, including Chairperson Mamanyoha, Deputy Secretary Tsheko Musolwa, and Treasurer Mabunda Hetisani Sydwell. He reminded them that they were elected by the members to lead, not appointed as puppets. He declared publicly that the one-woman show must come to an end immediately.
The fight for Mopani is far from over. As the local government elections approach, the battle between factional control, tribal politics, and legitimate leadership will determine who ultimately holds the power in the region.
However, the ANC regional leadership has publicly downplayed these rumours of a succession battle and an imminent vacancy. Responding directly to these reports, the ANC Norman Mashabane Regional Spokesperson, Peter Ngobeni, dismissed the talk of an immediate transition. Ngobeni clarified that the position of the Executive Mayor of Mopani District Municipality is not vacant, and further stated that the regional structure does not know anything about Comrade Pule Shayi’s potential deployment to the provincial cabinet.
Mopani ANC Regional Secretary Sonia Ngobeni.
Mopani ANC Regional Chairperson Dagma Mamanyoha.