MP Mamabolo open to ANC talks before another legal bid over ‘manipulated candidate list’

Despite ANC MP Boy Mamabolo feeling cheated of a parliamentary seat by the governing party, he is open to resolve the matter internally before finalising court papers for another legal challenge over the “manipulated parliament candidate list”. 

Mamabolo is accusing the ANC of illegally removing his name from the list after “240 branches” elected him. The Johannesburg high court on Tuesday dismissed his urgent application with costs, citing no substantial reasons to have the case heard urgently. This means Mamabolo will not return to parliament.

He told TimesLIVE he would initiate talks with the party before deciding to take the case to court again.

“I am considering legal options but before I decide, I will approach the party yet again to try to find an amicable solution. I am open for discussions on this court issue. People cannot be arrogant about this matter,” he said. 

There are no plans to leave the party.

 “I will remain in the organisation and continue to work for the party. I have a foundation. Even if I do not get deployed I will focus on the foundation, my branch and serve my community. All is not lost. I am young and I can work. But I will not go anywhere, I will stay in the ANC,” Mamabolo said.

The MP said he would welcome whatever deployment the organisation will assign to him after he leaves parliament. The possibility of an appointment to the National Council of Provinces is unclear as his relationship with the ANC is strained.

Mamabolo's attorney Fundile Sangoni argued in court that his client was unfairly disqualified from making it to parliament for another term due to factionalism within the party. Based on documents he received from the ANC, Sangoni said the party had moved Mamabolo from number five on the Limpopo national candidate list to 22. 

“The province of Limpopo has been allocated 20 seats by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), and [this means] only 20 people from Limpopo can be allocated seats in the National Assembly. They took him from number five, without explanation, to 22, which exceeds the number of seats. That is an effective removal. That is why the IEC's list doesn't have his name because anyone who is at 21 and onwards cannot be on the list,” he said. 

Mamabolo said in May 2023 he received a text from electoral committee secretary Chief Livhuwani Matsila advising him to align with the ANC chairperson in the Peter Mokaba region, John Mpe, to “avoid problems” relating to the list.

In court, the ANC argued Mamabolo did not make the cut to parliament because he allegedly failed to provide matric certificate when asked. The University of Johannesburg confirmed to TimesLIVE on Thursday the MP has a diploma.

Limpopo ANC spokesperson Jimmy Machaka said a verified diploma or proof of matric certificate would not change Mamabolo's removal from parliament list.

“There will not be any change because if the ANC makes a decision about who goes where, it is based on the information available to them at that time. He was afforded an opportunity to provide proof. If he had brought that proof before a decision was made maybe we could have not been where we are now.” 

TimesLIVE