Mamanyoha Tipped to Take Over as Mopani Executive Mayor
POLOKWANE: ANC Norman Mashabane Regional Chairperson Dagma Mamanyoha is expected to be appointed as the new Executive Mayor of Mopani District Municipality next week, following his resignation as mayor of Greater Letaba Municipality on Friday.
Mamanyoha’s expected deployment will see him move from the local municipality to the district’s highest political office, succeeding Pule Shayi, who has been serving as Mopani executive mayor and is now positioned for a new political role.
The development follows a political trajectory that has seen Mamanyoha steadily rise through the ranks of the African National Congress (ANC) in the Norman Mashabane region.
Mamanyoha was elected mayor of Greater Letaba Municipality in November 2021.
He subsequently became an influential figure in the ANC’s regional structures, serving in senior leadership positions before being elected Deputy Chairperson of the ANC Norman Mashabane Region at the party’s regional elective conference in 2025.
He secured 185 votes against Greater Tzaneen Mayor Gerson Molapisane’s 115 votes, while Pule Shayi retained the regional chairperson position for a third consecutive term.
Mamanyoha has also been closely associated with Shayi’s political camp.
Reports following the 2025 regional conference described him as a close ally of Shayi, with his election as deputy chairperson strengthening the political relationship between the two leaders.
His political influence extends beyond the Norman Mashabane region.
Mamanyoha has also been described as having close political ties with ANC Limpopo Provincial Deputy Secretary-General Pule Shayi, who has been a dominant figure in the region’s political leadership.
The expected Mopani deployment is therefore likely to mark another significant step in Mamanyoha’s political career, while also signalling a change in the district’s political leadership.
Mamanyoha’s background in the ANC includes leadership at regional and sub-regional level. Before his election as regional deputy chairperson, he served as a regional deputy secretary and was involved in the internal political processes of the Norman Mashabane region.
His tenure at Greater Letaba has also placed him at the centre of municipal service-delivery issues, including water, roads, revenue collection and infrastructure.
The formal appointment as Mopani Executive Mayor will, however, still have to follow the required municipal council processes.
If confirmed, Mamanyoha will inherit a district facing major challenges around water provision, deteriorating infrastructure, roads and service delivery, issues that have featured prominently in political debates across the Mopani region.
His expected move to Mopani is likely to attract considerable political attention as the ANC prepares for the next phase of local government politics in the region.
