New PAC leader faces tough challenge

Jabhi Takalani Ligege, 43, who was elected unopposed as the new chairperson for the PAC during the provincial congress held at Burgersfort last weekend, admits that: “Our main challenge is to forge for unity amongst our members across the province. Before, there was too much infighting in our party. That happened from national to provincial level, especially in Limpopo.”

He added that they must also go to the branches and communicate with members in order to understand their views and concerns about the party “so that they can be part of solution.”

Ligege was a provincial organizer when Mr Maxwell Nemadzivhanani, now an ANC member, was still a provincial leader from 2001 until 2003, when the provincial leadership was disbanded by PAC President Stanley Mokgoba, when Nemadzivhanani was challenging for the presidency.

Ligege, who is taking over from Patrick Mathebula, says Nemadzivhanani failed because he led the party in a military way by refusing to listen to the grievances from party members.

He says he is also concerned that PAC only has 75 branches out of 474 wards in the province.

“Our main challenge is that we do not have membership which is the reason why we are performing badly during elections,” says Ligege.

Ligege, who was a regional chairperson for Vhembe before last week’s congress, says he is also concerned that the PAC failed to get a seat in the provincial legislature. The PAC only managed to get three seats in the national parliament since the 1994 elections.

The full PAC provincial structure is as follows: Morwamoche Ntwampe, who was the first premier candidate for the PAC in 1994, was elected as deputy chairperson, also unopposed; Elvis Molapo (secretary), Advocate David Mahapa (deputy secretary), David Kholophe (treasurer) and Tekedi Mohlona was elected as provincial organizer.

News - Date: 25 August 2006

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