'Too old to be a coward’: ANCYL blasts Limpopo ANC Chair Stanley Mathabatha over resignation letter

The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in Limpopo has criticised provincial chairperson Stanley ‘Chupu’ Mathabatha’s decision to step aside, calling him a coward for "running away" from problems they claim he created within the party.

The youth league has argued that if Mathabatha feels overwhelmed by internal challenges, he should quietly resign rather than being “dramatic”.

Speaking to IOL News, the youth league's provincial secretary-general, Phineas Sebola, said they received Mathabatha’s decision with mixed emotions.

“We received the letter with mixed emotions. Chupu is a seasoned cadre of the movement; however, this behaviour is a foreign tendency, and we think he was too dramatic for his age to even think of stepping aside,” said Sebola.

Mathabatha has requested to step aside as ANC provincial chairperson in Limpopo, citing concerns about misconduct and a departure from the party’s core values.

In a letter dated September 1, seen by IOL News, Mathabatha cited widespread unethical conduct and a breakdown in organisational integrity, particularly during the recent regional conferences in Vhembe and Waterberg, as the reason for his decision.

Sebola, however, said the ANCYL believes these challenges stem from Mathabatha’s own leadership.

“He has been a provincial chairperson for almost 11 years. Yes, there are challenges in the ANC – but these are challenges we encountered during his tenure, and it’s his responsibility to resolve them, not run away,” Sebola told IOL News.

Mathabatha, who is also a member of the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC), has served as provincial chairperson since 2014. 

He was premier of Limpopo from 2013 until 2024, before being appointed as the Deputy Minister of Land Reform and Development by President Cyril Ramaphosa after the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) following the May 2024 general elections.

His decision comes after growing discontent within party ranks about the ANC’s reputation for corruption, internal opportunism and failures in service delivery.

Sebola said Mathabatha’s move was a sign of weakness.

“We have reason to believe he is doing so as a sign of cowardice. He issued this letter before the Waterberg conference could even conclude, yet he cries foul about it,” he said.

“He used to command support across the province, and I have every reason to believe he is just running away because things are not going the way he wants.”

When asked about specific problems faced under Mathabatha’s leadership, Sebola accused him of encouraging “institutionalised factionalism”.

“Factions were treated like constitutional structures. He would even address factional gatherings himself, and beyond that, he would disappear from action,” Sebola alleged.

“This has caused instability in the province. Our membership has lost the moral character of the ANC. This led to us losing municipalities for the first time – Modimolle-Mookgophong and Thabazimbi.”

Sebola said the ANCYL wants the party to reject Mathabatha’s decision to step aside.

“The ANC must reject his step-aside and tell him to either resign or go back to the office,” he said.

“We still treat the letter as dog food adverts. I don’t think even a primary school child can be convinced by these stunts Chupu is pulling.”

“He is too old for this behaviour. If he thinks his integrity is too clean for the ANC, he must stop being a coward and resign now – as chairperson of the ANC, as a Member of Parliament and as a Deputy Minister,” Sebola said.

Political analyst Solly Rashilo, said the youth league taking a jab at Mathabatha, calling him a “coward” for “running away” from ANC problems, feels like a cheap shot. 

“Their frustration with party dysfunction is valid, but slamming a decade-long leader like Mathabatha as he steps aside amid scandals in Vhembe, Waterberg, and the chaotic Peter Mokaba regional conference is divisive and shortsighted.”

He pointed to the May 2025 elective conference in Peter Mokaba, which descended into fistfights, chairs being thrown, and walkouts over bogus delegates, disqualified branches, and vote-rigging claims - yet John Mpe was re-elected unopposed.

“It’s less about reform and more about factional noise, which the ANC can ill afford before 2026 elections.”

He said Mathabatha’s decision to step aside, citing “widespread misconduct” and a “collapse in integrity” in Vhembe and Waterberg, could be seen as dodging accountability for issues that grew under his leadership.

“Including the Peter Mokaba mess, where disputes over disqualified branches fell short of quorum. Yet, it smells more like genuine frustration with the ANC’s ethical slide - think stolen conferences, violence, and eroded values across regions.”

Rashilo said Mathabatha’s move, while late, aligns with the party’s step-aside ethos and could spark renewal if the NEC acts decisively on all probes, including Peter Mokaba. 

“Without independent scrutiny, it’s hard to say definitively, but his exit seems more principled than defeatist. The ANCYL should push for investigations, not insults, to fix the rot,” Rashilo said.

The ANC confirmed that it has received Mathabatha’s letter and has summoned him to Luthuli House in Johannesburg to explain his reasons and to elaborate on his concerns about the “erosion of ANC values”.

The party’s secretary general Fikile Mbalula, has convened a meeting with Mathabatha to deliberate on the issues raised, to be followed by a meeting with the Limpopo provincial leadership on Thursday.

“The ANC will, at an appropriate time, communicate the outcomes of the engagement with the Limpopo provincial leadership,” the party said in a statement.

However, the party expressed disapproval over how the letter was first circulated on social media before internal communication channels were used.

“The ANC registers its dismay that this correspondence first surfaced on social media before internal party protocols were observed.

“We reiterate that proper organisational procedures must always be followed, and internal discipline respected, as guided by the constitution of the ANC,” the party said.

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

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