Is Premier Phophi Ramathuba's leadership style undermining ANC unity in Limpopo?

Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba’s “highly individualistic” leadership is allegedly fracturing the collective ethos of the African National Congress (ANC) in the province, with IOL having received some complaints from ANC members.

When IOL reached out to the aggrieved members, it emerged that some senior ANC figures accuse the premier of blatantly overshadowing her executive colleagues. The complaints focus on Ramathuba’s seemingly "relentless visibility" at official government engagements, which has led to the perception that she has a "vice grip" on Limpopo politics.

“Ramathuba’s relentless visibility has created the perception that she wants to be both premier and MEC for every department. Rarely does an ANC-led government event in Limpopo unfold without her at the forefront. She often leads programmes, launches projects, and positions herself as the main story,” one senior ANC activist in Limpopo told IOL.

“While hands-on leadership is commendable, this approach sidelines MECs and shrinks their political space. A premier should be the conductor of the orchestra, not the only performer drowning out the ensemble.”

The activist, who asked not to be named, said the premier is failing to empower her team. Other ANC members raised concerns that Ramathuba is leveraging her public profile to further her own political ambitions within a party already struggling with internal divisions.

Her constant media appearances and prominent positioning at projects are seen as feeding speculation that she may contest for the position of ANC Limpopo chairperson.

“Politics thrives on visibility, but personal branding must not blur the lines of institutional leadership. Ramathuba’s approach risks alienating her colleagues and feeding the narrative that she alone carries Limpopo’s governance burden. Among her loyalists, talk is growing that she should be the next ANC Limpopo chairperson. Her constant media profile fuels this belief, but such optics threaten to fracture a movement already struggling with internal divisions,” the source told IOL.

“The ANC’s strength has always been collective leadership, even amid strong personalities. When one leader overshadows the whole, unity is undermined—not because of ideological differences but because of perceptions about who owns the spotlight.

“None of this is to say Ramathuba lacks leadership ability. She is energetic, articulate, and bold in tackling difficult issues—qualities sorely lacking in South African politics. But her greatest challenge is tempering visibility with humility, recognising that governance is not a solo act.”

The aggrieved members urged Ramathuba to reconsider her approach to governance, particularly as the province faces pressing issues that "demand collective leadership".

“True leadership is not proven by how often one is seen or heard, but by how effectively one empowers others," another source told IOL.

"A conductor who insists on playing every instrument risks turning the orchestra into noise.”

IOL also reached out to independent political analyst Elvis Masoga for his observations on Limpopo’s political climate amid the accusations against the premier. Masoga explained that the ANC in the province is navigating a familiar paradox in liberation-era politics: the tension between reclusive and pervasive leadership.

“In any structural mainstream of party-centred bureaucracy, you will unavoidably encounter two contradictory leadership complexes – reclusive leadership style and pervasive leadership style,” Masoga said.

A reclusive leader delegates governance and service delivery to subordinates, allowing party members access to political levers, patronage, and privilege. Many liberation movements, including the ANC, SWAPO, ZANU-PF, Chama Cha Mapinduzi, and FRELIMO, have historically favoured this approach.

In contrast, Masoga said a pervasive leader is omnipresent across all areas of governance, often bypassing institutional protocol and directly influencing bureaucratic processes, policy formulation, and service delivery.

“Pervasive leaders do not subscribe to any established decorum of established institutional protocol and procedure. They derive enjoyment from partaking in all bureaucratic spheres of governance, oversight and monitoring, policy formulation and service-delivery implementation. Most party-political members are highly rebellious towards pervasive leaders. They are seen as a stumbling block towards access to political patronage and privileged entitlement,” Masoga said.

“It is relatively probable that Limpopo Premier, Dr Phophi Ramathuba may happen to be an unrelenting proponent of pervasive leadership. We are more likely to witness an unrelenting political friction between Premier Ramathuba and her loyal supporters on the one side, and the disenchanted party members on the other.Liberation movements are characteristically antagonistic towards leaders that are ‘everywhere and anywhere at all material times’.”

The ANC in Limpopo categorically dismissed assertions that Ramathuba is peddling personality politics in the province.

“I can assure you that she is not a lone ranger within the politics of the ANC and in governance. She believes in collective leadership of her cabinet in the level of the state, and within the body politics of the ANC. Any criticism that is directed at her, that she is a lone ranger, is disingenuous.

“Perhaps what those that are criticising her are claiming, if they can point out the specifics which will enable us at the level of the party to respond, the better. She is somebody who is very firm on gender activism. She strongly believes women are capable enough, must be given the responsibility both in the party and in the state. There is nothing wrong with her sentiment,” ANC Limpopo provincial spokesperson Jimmy Machaka told IOL.

Last month, IOL reported that the ANC in Limpopo, a province often regarded as one of the party's strongest holds, is grappling with a significant internal shake-up after its Provincial Executive Committee confirmed that its provincial chair, Stan Mathabatha, insisted on vacating office.

Mathabatha formally informed the party's national executive committee (NEC) of his decision to ‘step aside’ from his duties as provincial leader with immediate effect. However, the ANC rejected Mathabatha’s intention to step aside, following a high-level meeting convened by Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, at Luthuli House.

IOL has previously reported that Ramathuba, a leading candidate to succeed Mathabatha as provincial chair, was accused by aggrieved ANC members of manipulating votes in some regional conferences. The heating-up race to replace Mathabatha has seen two names emerge – Premier Phophi Ramathuba and another Limpopo politics heavyweight, current Peter Mokaba regional chair and City of Polokwane Executive Mayor, Makoro John Mpe.

Machaka said the sharp grievances raised against Ramathuba are probably linked to the ANC leadership race in the province.

“People could be criticising her on the basis of the leadership race, as you are aware the ANC in Limpopo has taken a decision to call for an early provincial conference. That has opened up for various members of the ANC to tout the leadership of their choice. Perhaps it is in that context that those who do not prefer her could be criticizing her, even when it is not necessary,” he said.

Mathabatha, who has served as Limpopo provincial chairperson since 2014 and is also the former premier of the getaway province, has not publicly commented on the political developments.

The ANC’s handling of the matter signals a cautious approach to leadership changes, particularly in provinces seen as crucial to its national support base ahead of the next electoral cycle, signified by the 2026 local government elections.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

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