Polokwane - Limpopo has its own Boko Haram – and their sole purpose is to topple premier and ANC provincial chairman Stan Mathabatha.
A clandestine group of disgruntled party members calling itself Boko Haram – a Nigerian terror group recently in the news for abducting schoolgirls – apparently have late-night meetings to discuss Mathabatha’s downfall.
Mathabatha spoke out against this group, albeit without mentioning it by name, at the ANC provincial executive lekgotla at the weekend.
“The emergence, very early in our term of office, of some factional tendencies, as manifested by the many secret meetings being held across the province, will not be tolerated,” he told the party lekgotla on Saturday.
“The ANC is an organisation that subscribes to democratic centralism where the view of the majority prevails and the question of discipline is non-negotiable.”
It’s understood “Boko Haram” got together after Mathabatha had appointed his executive council of mainly loyalists, dropping his political opponents Dickson Masemola and Lehlogonolo Masoga.
The two are alleged to have previously ignored the premier’s advice not to contest the post of ANC deputy secretary.
Some ANC members aligned to this group confirmed its existence to The Star.
Mathabatha also hinted that some mayors would be booted out. Among them is Freddy Greaver of Polokwane.
Greaver’s imminent sacking was precipitated by his biting criticism of people in the ANC who he said were gunning for his removal.
Delivering his State of the City address last week, Greaver said his detractors were obsessed with power.
Mathabatha has urged the ANC’s provincial executive to take action against the Mogalakwena municipality in Mokopane, where the ANC seems to be at war with itself.
The Star