Limpopo has emerged as the ANC's kingmaker. With more than 73% of the vote in 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa is counting on its leadership to deliver a decisive local election victory and set the national tone.

Over the weekend, President Cyril Ramaphosa travelled to Limpopo, the ANC's kingmaker province, to speak at the provincial elective conference while internal squabbling in the Eastern Cape meant its conference didn't get off the ground.

On Sunday in Polokwane, Ramaphosa made an impassioned plea to Limpopo's newly elected leadership to deliver a decisive victory in the upcoming local government elections, expected to be held later this year.

He was speaking at the closing of the 11th provincial elective conference, where more than 1,300 delegates had gathered, in a province where the ANC is at its most organised and finds its most loyal support.

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In the 2024 elections, it polled at more than more than 73%, the highest provincial share for the ANC.

This is a province that Ramaphosa has now anointed as the exemplar for unity and stability and a "template" for how other provinces should conduct their conferences.

He also praised how united the province was in electing leaders and how focused it was on discussing ANC policies.

"Limpopo is the home of the ANC. You must make it a real home of the ANC by giving us 90% in the coming local government elections," he said.

Limpopo municipalities...