Norman Mashabane Regional Secretary, Sonia Ngobeni.
Internal factional warfare within the ANC’s Norman Mashabane Region in Mopani has escalated into open rebellion during Women’s Month, as widespread allegations emerge that the Regional Secretary’s Office (RSO) is systematically imposing personal allies onto candidate lists to consolidate regional power.
The crisis, which critics describe as the fallout of an emerging “one-woman show” following the departure of former Regional Chairperson Pule Shayi to provincial structures, has sparked fierce backlash across multiple sub-regions. At the centre of the storm is Regional Secretary Sonia Ngobeni, who faces mounting accusations of side-lining popular branch nominees on both Proportional Representation (PR) and ward lists.
Mayoralty Struggle: Chairperson Fights Rear-Guard Battle
Amidst this deep structural turmoil, Regional Chairperson Dagma Mamanyoha finds himself fighting an intense rear-guard battle to succeed his predecessor, Pule Shayi, as the Executive Mayor of the Mopani District Municipality.
Party insiders reveal that Mamanyoha’s path to the mayoral seat has been besieged by a web of political hurdles. Forces within the region are calling for a special regional council to officially elect a Regional Chairperson, while rival factions are increasingly stoking tribal preferences and geopolitical considerations to block his ascension to the district helm. This leadership deadlock has only further paralyzed the region, leaving executive oversight fractured at a critical juncture.
High-Profile Stalwarts and Regional Treasurer Sidelined
The alleged administrative gatekeeping within the candidate selection pipeline extends well beyond branch-level activists, reaching into the upper ranks of the Regional Executive Committee (REC).
Among the high-profile victims of the substitution process is Norman Mashabane Regional Treasurer, Hetisani Sydwell Mabunda. Reliable sources reveal that despite Mabunda receiving a formidable 25 branch nominations from the Giyani sub-region, he was never extended an invitation for vetting and interviews by the Regional Secretary’s Office.
Mabunda’s blatant omission follows a recent social media reminder issued by a prominent Giyani sub-region leader directed at top regional officials—including Chairperson Mamanyoha, Deputy Secretary Tsheko Musolwa, and Treasurer Mabunda. The leader publicly exhorted that they were elected by branches to serve as legitimate Officials of the ANC Norman Mashabane Region, not co-opted figures. “The one-woman show must end,” the leader warned, adding that things will not end well if popular candidates continue to be purged.
ANCWL-YWD Blows the Whistle
The boiling tension broke into full public view after the ANC Women’s League Young Women’s Desk (ANCWL-YWD) in the region released a public campaign poster declaring solidarity with aggrieved female cadres.
Featuring ANCWL-YWD Regional Convenor Cde Motsatsi Mmola, the poster carries a direct charge against the administrative leadership:
“ANCWL-YWD Norman Mashabane is in solidarity with all women that were nominated by branches as PR candidates but never received any communication from Norman Mashabane RSO.”
Accompanying campaign hashtags #UnChainWomen and #Justice4Women highlight the systematic exclusion of seasoned female leaders—including ANCWL Regional Chairperson Lettie Lydia Hlangwane and senior figure Sophy Raganya—who were allegedly bypassed in favour of inexperienced preferences aligned with the RSO.
Frivolous Elections and Appeal Failures
The practice of overwriting branch decisions has also stirred unrest in grassroots wards. In Ward 10 of the Greater Tzaneen Municipality, branch members report that a legitimately nominated candidate was improperly replaced following a contested, “frivolous” community election process. Despite lodging formal appeals with both the Provincial Dispute Resolution Committee (PDRC) and the Provincial List Committee (PLC), local delegates say their petitions failed to yield relief, further fuelling suspicions of institutional bias.
Dispute Resolution Machinery Strained
With the ANC far from concluding its overall Councillor Candidates Nomination process, the Norman Mashabane Region remains paralyzed by internal friction. Excluded candidates, bumped nominees, and aggrieved branch delegates are currently compiling sworn affidavits and petition packages to escalate their cases directly to Luthuli House.
Party insiders warn that unless the NEC’s Electoral Committee steps in to audit the RSO’s interview lists against actual Branch General Meeting (BGM) submission logs, the region faces potential litigation and voter apathy ahead of local polls.
Neither the Regional Secretary’s Office nor the ANC Provincial Executive Committee had issued a formal statement regarding the pending disputes at the time of publication.