Nkomo-Ralehoko Challenges Lesufi

Health MEC aims to become the first ever female ANC Gauteng chairperson

Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko’s announcement that she will be contesting for the ANC Gauteng chairmanship last week, has officially set the stage for a historic duel with Panyaza Lesufi, the party’s current provincial task team (PTT) convenor and incumbent Gauteng Premier. The PTT deputy coordinator, who doubles as Lesufi’s MEC for Health and Wellness, threw her name into the hat from the podium at the Blessings in Faith Apostolic Church in Katlehong last week at a church service. “I am going to contest the position of provincial chairperson in the province of Gauteng,” Nkomo-Ralehoko boldly told the congregants, while underlining her credentials. She added: “I was (previously) the deputy chair of this province of Gauteng - deputising the provincial chair. I was the deputy chairperson of the African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL), as I am in the NEC or executive of the Women’s League.” The self-assured Nkomo-Ralehoko vowed to the audience that she will never back down with hopes of drawing strength from their prayers. “I believe I can lead the province now as a provincial chairperson. I am not going to back down, and I know that the prayers are going to be there to push me. “I have never been so confident as I am now. I can see myself leading this province,” she stated. Nkomo-Ralehoko’s statements not only set up a looming heavyweight duel between herself and Lesufi but also set off the probability of the ANC having its first ever female chairperson in the province. “I can see myself making history in this province, of becoming the first (female) provincial chairperson of this province,” she declared. While Nkomo-Ralehoko envisages leading the party in the South Africa’s richest province, Lesufi, on the other hand, is assumed to conflicted on whether to contest for provincial power or move into the party’s national structures fray. The Gauteng Premier was elected ANC Gauteng provincial chairperson in June 2022, beating former ANCYL stalwart and current Finance MEC, Lebohang Maile, to the hotseat in a tightly contested showdown at a provincial conference in Benoni. Following the party’s electoral decline in the 2024 general elections – where the party’s support in Gauteng dropped to just below 35% - Lesufi’s tenure as chairperson was cut short with the disbandment of the ANC Gauteng provincial executive committee (PEC) structure, prompting the installation of a PTT. The new interim structure’s installation intended to set off the party’s acclaimed “renewal” processes in preparation for the upcoming local government elections. Currently the PTT Co-convenor, it is believed that Lesufi intends to reclaim the Gauteng ANC hotseat, to finish off his initial “interrupted” tenure as chairperson. With his hands on the ball, Lesufi has fought the good fight against anti-corruption and internal discipline by urging party members to focus more sternly on service delivery. He is also an avid advocate for internal reform, calling for the scrapping of the delegate system in favour of a “one-memberone-vote” system for electing party leaders to reduce patronage and money politics. A pure populist, Lesufi’s is renowned for his hands-on leadership method which has earned him great essential support within the province. His term as Gauteng Premier has, however, been marred by controversies such as his establishment of Gauteng Crime Prevention Warden’s, popularly known as “Amapanyaza”, which was declared irregular and unlawful by Public Protector, Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka in October 2025. According to the Public Protector’s report, provincial governments do not have the authority to exercise policing powers, yet Amapanyaza are said to have participated in over 51 000 police operation, including arrests and searches, without having the essential legal status of policing. This scandal opened Lesufi’s leadership up to challenge, with Nkomo-Ralehoko now openly leading the charge. Born in the rural areas of Eastern Cape, Ngcobo, Nkomo-Ralehoko knows the struggle and is familiar with the harsh realities the working class of South Africa have and continue to endure. As a member of the ANC, she has gradually climbed the political ladder and was once employed in the offices of key female leaders including former Correctional Services Minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and served as Baleka Mbete’s personal assistant - all while being the Secretary-General (SG) of the ANCWL. Nkomo-Ralehoko was later elected as the Gauteng MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development and has since moved on to crucial roles such as being the MEC for Finance and e-Government, MEC for Education, Deputy Speaker of the Gauteng Legislature. In 2022 Lesufi appointed her to the MEC for Health and Wellness portfolio, a position she currently occupies. Not only does she have inherent leadership qualities, but she also has great political and governance experience. During her current stint as Health MEC, Nkomo-Ralehoko has notably extended the Jubilee District Hospital’s maternity ward, and she has ensured that Bertha Gxowa Hospital has a new 60-bed mental health wing. She has also overseen the completion of structural repairs at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital – the world’s largest hospital facility - and ensured that Mamelodi Regional Hospital is fully refurbished, amongst her other leadership milestones. Having successfully introduced and implemented several progressive programmes in her current portfolio, Nkomo-Ralehoko’s work not only showcases her competence, but also displays compassion. This gives her the essential footing and leverage to take on Lesufi, who has displayed his great mobilisation abilities over the past decade. All eyes are now steadily fixed on the looming ANC Provincial Conference, which the mother body has directed that it should be concluded by March 2026. W While more candidates are anticipated to raise their hands to vie for the coveted ANC Gauteng hotseat, their ambitions might be totally eclipsed by the impending mammoth faceoff between Lesufi and Nkomo-Ralehoko, come the provincial conference.