Polokwane. Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba’s recent reshuffle of the provincial executive council has prompted immediate criticism from two influential provincial ANC bodies, who say the changes amount to a rollback of hard-won gender representation gains.
ANC Women’s League: gender parity eroded
The ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) in Limpopo said it was disappointed to find that the new executive council no longer meets a 50% representation expectation for women. According to reporting in The Citizen, the new executive council comprises four women and six men, down from a previous composition that included the premier and a total of six women.
“The ANCWL Limpopo is disappointed in the regression of women’s representation in the provincial executive council,” ANCWL provincial secretary Tebogo Mamorobela said, according to The Citizen.
Mamorobela said the league would immediately seek an audience with the premier to discuss the composition and to press for reflection on what the league described as a departure from the ANC’s commitment to gender equality.
Veterans’ League raises concerns about underlying causes
The ANC Veterans’ League in Limpopo also registered alarm at the new line-up. Provincial secretary Sechaba Nkoana pointed to structural issues inside the party that he said had produced an outcome at odds with the organisation’s gender quota principles.
Nkoana criticised the composition of the provincial executive committee (PEC) and the candidate list process, saying both had contributed to a “regression in gender parity”. He highlighted an extended PEC meeting and the work of the provincial list committee on 15 August 2026 as moments when opportunities to correct imbalances were missed, as reported by The Citizen.
What changed: a simple breakdown
The numerical shift in the executive council is straightforward but politically charged. The figures cited in recent reporting are summarised below.
| Composition | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| Previous executive council (including premier) | 6 | 5 |
| New executive council after reshuffle | 4 | 6 |
Political implications for the ANC in Limpopo
The pushback from both the ANCWL and the Veterans’ League points to a broader internal contest over representation and the party’s organisational commitments. The ANC’s declared rule of strict 50% gender parity on structures remains a declared aim, and its apparent non-fulfilment in this provincial reshuffle is likely to trigger engagement between the league structures and the premier’s office.
Sources cited in The Citizen suggest the disagreement is not only about numbers, but also concerns over how lists were compiled and which internal processes were followed. Those processes can have long-term consequences for ward and provincial candidate lists ahead of elections and for who holds decision-making portfolios in the province.
What residents need to know
- The reshuffled executive council now has four women and six men.
- The ANC Women’s League in Limpopo plans to meet the premier to discuss the change and press for corrective measures.
- The ANC Veterans’ League has urged reflection on internal party procedures it says undermined parity, citing meetings and list processes in August 2026.
For Limpopo residents, the dispute matters because the composition of the executive council determines who heads departments that deliver services such as health, education, roads and social development. Changes in leadership can affect continuity and policy emphasis at a provincial level.
What happens next
At the time of reporting, the premier’s office had not been quoted directly in the material referenced. The ANCWL has said it will request an audience with the premier, and the Veterans’ League has signalled it will continue to raise the matter within party structures. How the premier responds — whether by adjusting portfolios or by providing a justification for the configuration — will determine whether the dispute is resolved internally or escalates into a broader contest within the provincial ANC.
Residents who want to follow developments should watch for statements from the premier’s office, the provincial ANC structures and the ANCWL. Any formal complaints or interventions raised within the party could also be reported through ANC national structures, which oversee adherence to organisational rules.
This reshuffle and the reactions it has provoked reveal the ongoing tensions between representation goals and political reality in provincial governance — an issue that continues to shape politics across Limpopo’s communities.
