Justin Arenstein and Mfanakaziwa Ndaba
Mpumulanga Premier Ndaweni Mahlangu consolidated his position this week by purging four of his most outspoken critics from the provincial legislature and axing two unpopular MECs.
The purge of the “Nandos Club” so called because they meet at a Nandos outlet in Nelspruit to allegedly plot against the premier is scheduled to be announced on June 29 and will see local government MEC Tsietsi Tolo, housing and land administration MEC David Mabuza, African National Congress chief whip Lassy Chiwayo, and prominent ANC legislators Boy Nobunga, Wilson Mdau and Vusi Windvoel redeployed to Parliament in Cape Town.
The redeployment is the largest yet of ANC leaders in the province and may be the precursor to more radical changes that could cost Mahlangu and his closest lieutenants their positions.
Chiwayo and his three fellow legislature members are all outspoken Mahlangu opponents, with Nobunga heading the only ANC region in the province that has refused to give Mahlangu a blanket vote of support.
Their axing appears to have been conducted under the guise of a wider restructuring initiative designed to quell a power struggle within the ANC’s provincial structures. The restructuring initiative was authorised by the party’s national executive committee (NEC) after an internal tribunal headed by Minister of Safety and Security Steve Tshwete heard evidence of widespread irregularities and infighting.
The crisis dates back to 1998 when strife between factions loyal to former premier Matthews Phosa and two contenders for his position brought the ANC and provincial government in Mpumalanga to the verge of collapse. Phosa and his protagonists were removed from the province in 1999, but his successor and former Bantustan strongman has failed to build a broad support base or unite the warring factions.
Mahlangu appears to be attempting to consolidate his power base by appointing former KwaNdebele ruling party Intando ye Sizwe members Jabu Mahlangu and Mighty Mgidi among the party’s replacements to the legislature. Others include ANC NEC member Thabang Makwetla, Mohammed Bhabha, Ifram Mogale and MS Ginindza.
Makwetla, who serves on Parliament’s joint committees on intelligence and defence, has been tipped for the housing MEC portfolio. Bhabha is the leading candidate for the local government position.
Their predecessors, Tolo and Mabuza, are both implicated in irregularities expected to further embarrass the already tainted Mpumalanga administration.
Tolo is accused of abusing his authority to authorise a double salary from the province’s legislature and the Highveld District Council. He was previously found guilty of instigating an ANC branch mutiny in Middelburg where his supporters refused to elect the ANC’s appointed executive mayor. He refused to comment on the allegations.
Mabuza has been implicated in the province’s 1998 matric results scandal, when officials inflated the exam pass rate to 71% in an apparent attempt to win kudos from national government. He has since been named in a low-cost housing tender scam and allegedly tried to smear a critic by inventing an assassination conspiracy. Mabuza was unavailable for comment on Thursday.
Mpumalanga ANC representative Jacques Modipane confirmed hearing “speculation” about a reshuffle but refused to comment on the issue pending a press conference on Friday.
None of the Mpumalanga leaders named in the reshuffle would comment, but Makwetla readily confirmed he was being redeployed to Mpumalanga. “I was informed of the move by party leadership on Tuesday, but am not sure in what capacity I will be redeployed.”
Party insiders believe the redeployment will be accompanied by a Cabinet reshuffle designed to strip as much authority as possible from Mahlangu’s right-hand man Steve Mabona, the veteran of a litany of scandals since 1995.
The party, however, is concerned about his influence in the key KwaNdebele constituency and has elected to keep him until possible alternative powerbrokers such as Jabu Mahlangu are able to build local support bases. Jabu Mahlangu previously distinguished himself in Mpumalanga as a key ANC legislature committee member.
Meanwhile, Makwetla, Tshwete, Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs Thoko Didiza and ANC investment specialist John Nkadimeng continue to serve as fully-fledged members of the provincial executive committee with voting and other rights after ANC secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe deployed them to the province last month.
A separate four-person national organising team consisting of ANC head office staff has also been deployed to the province to help strengthen party administration and restructure branches. African Eye News Service