First Female Chairperson Elected Unopposed as ANC Limpopo Conference Overcomes Legal Challenge in Polokwane

Dr Phophi Ramathuba makes history as the first female ANC Limpopo chairperson after an unopposed election following a dismissed High Court interdict.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 28, 2026, 4:59 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from IOL

A Historic Shift in Provincial Leadership

Dr Phophi Ramathuba, the current Premier of Limpopo, has officially broken the glass ceiling within the African National Congress by becoming the first female provincial chairperson in the region. Her election took place in the early hours of Saturday morning at the Polokwane Cricket Club, marking a definitive end to the tenure of outgoing chairperson Stanley Mathabatha. The transition was solidified when Ramathuba stood unopposed, a result of intense internal negotiations aimed at presenting a united front for the province's future governance.

High Court Ruling Clears Path for Delegates

The path to this leadership change was nearly obstructed by legal action in the Polokwane High Court, which sat on Friday afternoon to hear an urgent application to interdict the gathering. The challenge was brought forward by Nhlanhla Basil Mabasa, a branch member who questioned the legitimacy of delegate verification processes in the Collins Chabane region. However, the court struck the application from the roll, a decision the ANC welcomed as it allowed more than, 1,000 delegates from five regions to proceed with the scheduled business of the elective conference.

Strategic Intervention Prevents Internal Contests

The unopposed status of the new leadership team was not a matter of chance but the result of deliberate mediation by regional leaders. Ahead of the Polokwane summit, representatives from Limpopo’s five regions intervened to discourage a potential showdown between Ramathuba and Polokwane Municipality Mayor John Mpe. By encouraging the two prominent figures to agree on a unity slate, the party managed to avoid the public divisions that have characterized other provincial contests, ultimately resulting in Mpe being elected as deputy chairperson without a single vote cast against him.