“The Jossey Buthane factor” and ANC by-election victory in Limpopo

THE ANC Peter Mokaba region in Limpopo has moved to dispel public sentiment that the recent victory in the Polokwane Ward 10 by-election was solely hinged on the return to the party of former EFF provincial leader, Jossey Buthane.

Buthane’s return to the ANC, along with other former members of EFF, was announced with much fanfare three weeks before the Ward 10 by-election. He was then included in the regional election team on the directive of ANC provincial secretary, Reuben Madadzhe.

The election team was also bolstered by the party’s national leaders such as David Mahlobo and Thoko Didiza, and member of the national assembly, Rosina Semenya.

The EFF has won the ward on three consecutive occasions in the past when Buthane was still in the party.

ANC regional chairperson, John Mpe, spoke in length to the media on Friday on what has become known as “the Jossey Buthane factor” in the by-election victory. He said:

“The ANC is an oiled machine comprising of various individuals with various capacities, talents and abilities. No one possesses a monopoly on those abilities. Jossey Buthane joined a team that has already been oiled.

“It doesn’t mean there were no discussions with Jossey. He knows there have been long discussions. He would have joined us earlier. But in the ANC there’s what we call time and space. You can do the right thing at the wrong time and at the end it doesn’t achieve its intended objective.

“Of course, we also planned, but at some stage our plans almost failed. We knew Jossey is a product of the ANC. We knew his abilities. But over and above that, we knew that where Jossey was there were other talents that we needed.

“We had to make sure his coming back tactfully benefits the organization. It was timed of course that it must have the necessary impact on our campaign.”

However, EFF elections manager, Makgabo Mapoulo, did not want to dwell much on “the Jossey Buthane factor”, dismissing him [Buthane] as a “non-entity”.

He blamed the loss in the by-election on what he termed “the ANC alliance with the IEC”, saying certain procedures were flouted, and that there was vote-buying by the ANC.

“We are trying to follow up. We are not crying babies,” he said.

He did not believe the outcome of the by-election was a yardstick. He said the party has actually increased the number of votes in the ward despite the loss.

“We won’t be shaken. You are going to see a vast difference on the 29 May,” Mapoulo said.