The man entrusted with leading a highly divided ANC in the Western Cape says he will ensure that there are no factions under his stewardship.

Vuyiso "JJ" Tyhalisisu, the man who has been entrusted with turning around the fortunes of the ANC in the Western Cape, says his first task is to deal with factionalism in the party.

Tyhalisisu was elected as the party's new provincial chairperson at the weekend. It was a watershed moment for the party in the province, which has failed to convene a conference for the past eight years.

He was on the "Rural for Change" slate, which wanted the province to have leaders from the rural parts of the province, unlike before when they came from the Cape Town metropolitan area.

Tyhalisisu is not a man of many words and sometimes gives one-line responses to questions. One of the first people to congratulate him was the ANC national chairperson, Gwede Mantashe.

Coming to the conference, Tyhalisisu was not a candidate for the position but following the surprise withdrawal of former convener Lerumo Kalako, Tyhalisisu was nominated from the floor and in the end came up on top, beating the party's leader in the provincial legislature, Cameron Dugmore.

Tyhalisisu's nomination and victory came as a surprise even to Dugmore, who said he did not expect it.

The new chairperson is originally...