08-05-2025
Irate mob chases ANC mayor away as tensions rise in Limpopo ahead of regional party conference
Lepelle Nkumpi Municipality ANC Mayor Meriam Molala was allegedly accosted by an angry mob of residents who ended up stoning her vehicle during a meeting. She has opened a criminal case.
Elsewhere, her political ally, Polokwane ANC Mayor John Mpe, told residents they could either listen to him or leave an important Integrated Development Plan meeting.
The two ambitious ANC leaders are political allies and have their eyes set on leading the ANC in Limpopo and the provincial government after next year's provincial elective conference.
Angry Lebowakgomo residents chased away Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipality ANC Mayor Meriam Molala and allegedly pelted her vehicle with stones on Wednesday.
This was one of two dramatic meetings in Limpopo municipalities this week, which also saw a march to the ANC's provincial headquarters, as the ANC's Peter Mokaba region gears up for an elective conference on the weekend.
In the other heated municipal meeting, Molala's ally, Polokwane Mayor John Mpe, faced a hostile crowd after he told residents they could leave an Integrated Development Plan (IDP) meeting on Monday if they didn't want to listen to him.
On Wednesday evening, videos of Molala's ordeal earlier in the day at the Lebowakgomo Civic Centre began doing the rounds.
It shows her clutching her water bottle and anxiously trotting away from a crowd boiling with rage.
A few men protected her before she got into a vehicle that sped away from the scene.
An ANC source with intimate knowledge of the incident said: 'She left the meeting running today [Wednesday] after she was stoned by community members during Integrated Development Plan [meeting] at Lebowakgomo.'
Her office told News24 she opened a criminal case against a group of men, some of whom she said aren't even from her community.
Molala's spokesperson, Lazzy Ledwaba, told News24: 'Indeed, the mayor was whisked away during the attack, and fortunately she was not harmed in any way.'
Ledwaba confirmed shots were fired at the crowd, but no injuries were reported.
'The situation was brought under control and we urge everyone who has complaints or wants to know more about the municipality's operations and services to use the proper channels,' Ledwaba said.
Meanwhile, Mpe also had bad days at the office on Monday and Wednesday.
He faced pressure on two fronts: an uproar over comments he made at the municipality's IDP meeting on Monday, and a mutiny within party ranks over the upcoming regional elective conference, where he is standing for a third term as chairperson of the ANC's Peter Mokaba region.
In a video of Monday's Integrated Development Plan meeting with the Molepo, Chuene and Maja communities - his traditional support base - Mpe told residents there is no money to deliver roads across all rural areas.
He said those who want to listen to him can stay, and those who don't, could leave.
'That statement was taken out of context. We are busy tarring quite a number of roads in that cluster. I'm from there. People came to disrupt and demand more roads. Some were not even sober,' Mpe told News24.
'They were organised by some politicians because of the [regional] conferences.
'When we were talking, those people were talking. We're doing what's called ward-based planning, meaning every ward must benefit [over time],' Mpe said.
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He said it would've been irresponsible to commit to building other roads while they were still busy with planned roads.
He said the total budget for roads at the municipality is R300m and that the municipality would not be able to tar every road in the same financial year.
'We need to tell our people the truth. But those people were aggressive.'
The municipality issued a statement, saying he was taken out of context and that he was addressing a disruptive individual.
'Unfortunately, the clip deliberately omits the broader context of the discussion, which centred on the equitable allocation of municipal resources — particularly with regard to road infrastructure development across all wards,' Polokwane Municipality spokesperson Thipa Selala said.
He said Mpe was explaining that 'due to budgetary constraints and the principles of fair service delivery, it is not feasible to tar all roads in a single area within one financial year'.
However, an ANC Limpopo source said: 'He told residents the municipality can't afford to tar every road in the villages, but if the audience doesn't want to listen to what he is telling them, then they can leave that IDP meeting. He is finishing the movement.'
Two days later, several branches of the ANC's rank and file marched to Frans Mohlala House, the ANC's provincial headquarters in Polokwane.
They accused the Peter Mokaba regional task team of being behind several irregularities ahead of the regional conference at the weekend, including tempering with the nomination of delegates and branch packages.
This prompted ANC Limpopo MPL Thabo Mabotja, of Polokwane, to post on Facebook: 'Stop tempering (sic) with packages please. Let's run a fair process, please stop abusing your office and privilege.'
According to ANC sources, Mpe and Molala are allegedly a part of a regional bloc called the 'third termists' within the ANC - and it's believed their ultimate goal is to remove ANC leader Dr Poppy Ramathuba as the premier, with Mpe then taking over that role.
