The fate of the current regional chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) in the Vhembe region, Falaza Mdaka, is likely to be sealed at the party’s elective regional conference in two weeks’ time.

The region will hold its conference at last from October 9 to 11 at the North Gate Lodge in Louis Trichardt. The region has been postponing its conference for some time now and was unable to meet the national deadline of the end of September. The top leadership position in the region will be contested by the two political heavyweights, former Chief Whip of the Makhado Municipality, Moses Tseli and the current chairperson of the ANC in the region, Falaza Mdaka.

Mdaka and Tseli are said to be intensifying their efforts to garner support for the top leadership position. Vhembe is the third biggest region, following Sekhukhune and Mopani, with 92 branches. The two ANC top politicians of the Vhembe Region are lobbying for support for leadership positions ahead of the conference.

Although the serious contest is for the secretariat, which is a key position in the ANC, the contestants for these positions were not yet known at the time of going to press. However, the delegates are mainly focusing on the top position, which is the chairmanship.

Tseli, a former spokesperson for the MEC of Economic Development and Tourism in Limpopo, who is now the Minister in the Presidency, Collins Chabane, is currently a councillor at the Vhembe District Municipality. He is the longest-serving regional secretary in the Vhembe region, having served as the regional secretary for three consecutive terms. He is said to be having overwhelming support from many branches to become the party’s main man for the next two years. Mdaka, who has been in the driving seat as the chairperson of the ANC in the region for two consecutive terms, is also considered as a favourite to fill the posi-tion again.

According to the current secretary of the ANC in the region, Mr Paul Mainganye, one cannot tell who is going to compete for the key positions, because the nominations at branch level are still continuing. “It is through the nominations that we can tell who is going to contest for which positions. We are now in the process of finalising the audit, which will determine the candidates,” said Mainganye.

He acknowledged that the conference had been postponed as a result of logistical problems. It is also not known whether Mainganye will retain his secretariat position.