Phophi’s reshuffle: These Limpopo MECs could face the chop

Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba. Picture: Limpopo Provincial Government/Facebook An imminent cabinet reshuffling in the Limpopo provincial government is on the cards, with allegations of betrayal, infidelity, and corruption flying in the wake of Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba wielding her axe. The Citizenhas been reliably informed that three MECs in Ramathuba’s cabinet, labelled the “Triple M,” are facing the chop.

The three are MEC for sports, art and culture Jerry Maseko; MEC for roads and community safety, Violet Mathye; and MEC for health, Dieketseng Mashego. All three did not make the list of ANC Limpopo provincial executive committee (PEC) at the ANC Limpopo’s 11th provincial elective conference. The conference, which elected Ramathuba as the first female ANC Limpopo provincial chair since the advent of democracy in 1994, was held at the Pietersburg Cricket Club in Polokwane three weeks ago.

The three MECs could also not make the list of three co-opted comrades to beef up the PEC list, days after the conference. Instead, the party co-opted comrades Orginia Mafefe, Delly Matjomane, and Dingane Ngonyana into the PEC. After the conference, allegations of betrayal, infidelity and corruption among those who did not make the cut began to fly.

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Party insiders, who asked for their names to be withheld for fear of victimisation, singled out the three MECs as the obvious sacrificial lambs when Premier Ramathuba finally reconfigures her executive council. “Maseko and Mashego are accused of having bitten the hands that fed them. They had a political beef with their political heavyweights in the Sekhukhune region, where they come from.

Once they occupied their comfortable air-conditioned offices in the capital, Polokwane, they became hostile to their leaders,” said the source. “And as for Mathye, her sin was to turn a deaf ear to her principles in the Norman Mashabane region. Soon after her appointment, she became big-headed and refused to take instructions from anyone.

“What broke the camel’s back was when she brushed aside a list compiled by regions for the appointment of new traffic officers. Instead, she chose to do things by the book and appointed people based on merit, without the involvement of the regions,” alleged the source. Maseko and Mathye refused to comment on the allegation and imminent cabinet reshuffle, referring all queries to the ANC in the province and the Limpopo provincial government. Mashego did not respond to calls for comment.

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