Mathale Dismisses ‘Bankrupt Limpopo’ Claim: ‘Factually Incorrect’

Seasoned politician and consummate leader Cassel "Mzala" Mathale.

Mpho Dube, Editor‑in‑Chief, The Azanian

Cassel Mathale, now the Deputy Minister of Police and former Premier and ANC provincial chairperson of Limpopo, appeared before the parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee yesterday.

In a terse, decisive moment, he rejected the long‑standing allegation that his government left Limpopo bankrupt and forced the province into administration. The only quote the committee recorded from him on the issue was stark: “It’s factually incorrect. The province was never broke.”

The claim that Mathale “ran the province into the ground” has become a flashpoint in a bitter power struggle. ANC insiders, speaking on condition of anonymity, say the narrative was engineered by former President Jacob Zuma and his allies.

According to these sources, Zuma’s faction wanted to sideline Mathale because he resisted being “remote‑controlled” and refused to become a puppet. After his re‑election as provincial chair, the faction disbanded his leadership, installed a Provincial Task Team under Philip Mdaka, and placed Monde Tom in charge of the province under Section 100 of the Constitution.

What the record shows, however, contradicts the smear. This reporter, Mpho Dube, three‑time national‑award‑winning senior journalist and Editor‑in‑Chief of The Azanian, spoke to Monde Tom earlier — just after the new premier was appointed and Limpopo was placed under administration. Tom, a man who “doesn’t want to lie,” set the record straight: “Limpopo was not broke under Mathale’s administration. There was nothing like that.” In other words, the province’s financial health was sound; the administration was a political move, not a fiscal necessity.

The timing is important. Limpopo remained under administration for roughly two years, a fact that many have forgotten. The new premier was appointed, yet the province stayed under Section 100, feeding the perception of a crisis. DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach, for instance, suggested that Mathale had wrecked the province, a claim that collapses under the facts confirmed by Tom. The picture that emerges is one of political functionalism: a disciplined, powerful leader being removed through orchestrated lies.

“I was struck by Tom’s candor,” says this reporter. “He confirmed that the ‘bankruptcy’ narrative was baseless, and that the administration was imposed despite the province’s solid finances. It’s a clear case of political maneuvering, using fiscal alarmism to justify a takeover.”

Why does this matter now? Because history should not have blanks, and South Africa needs a more honest public record. The Azanian has long argued that the media must expose the truth behind power plays that damage the nation’s prospects.

By pulling together the testimony of the former administrator, the statements of Mathale, and the context provided by ANC insiders, this story underscores how personal and factional battles can be disguised as fiscal crises. It also highlights the cost: a premier removed, a province placed under administration, and a narrative that still clouds public understanding.

The story is not just about one man. It is about the larger pattern of how political opponents weaponize claims of mismanagement to weaken rivals, especially those who refuse to be controlled. For readers, the takeaway is clear: the “bankrupt Limpopo” claim was a manufactured controversy, and the truth that the province was not broke must be restored to the public record.