By: Saneliso Mlambo
ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa’s campaign visit to Majakaneng, North West, was briefly interrupted on Saturday after a woman claiming to be a member of the Bapo ba Mogale Royal Family confronted him over the community’s unresolved traditional leadership dispute. The incident happened as Ramaphosa arrived at the Bapo ba Mogale royal family’s premises during the ANC’s final voter registration campaign ahead of the November local government elections.
The woman blocked the President’s path and demanded to be heard before he met the recognised traditional leadership. She accused Ramaphosa of disrespecting her family and insisted that government had ignored their concerns despite years of appeals.
“We are going to be here the whole day. There is no King in Bapo. This is my grandfather’s land. You are going to listen to me,” she told the President as officials and supporters looked on. The confrontation created a brief standoff between the President’s convoy and the woman before Ramaphosa instructed his security detail not to remove her.
The woman said her family had exhausted every avenue in trying to resolve the dispute, including approaching officials in the Presidency. She specifically referred to businessman Robert Hlongwane, claiming the family had sought assistance through the Presidential office without success.
“The reason we are doing this is because we have exhausted all corners of the ANC, including speaking to Robert Hlongwane in the Presidential office. Nobody there knows us,” she said. She further claimed that her branch of the Bapo ba Mogale Royal Family has not been recognised despite being part of the legitimate royal lineage.
Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli attempted to calm the situation, telling the woman that Ramaphosa had come to greet the community and suggesting the matter be discussed away from the public gathering. The exchange ended without further incident, allowing the President to continue with his programme.
The confrontation stems from a longstanding chieftaincy dispute within the Bapo ba Mogale Traditional Community. In 2016, the North West provincial government appointed a commission to investigate competing claims and determine the rightful traditional leader. However, the dispute has continued through legal and administrative processes, with rival factions maintaining competing claims to the throne.
The Bapo ba Mogale Traditional Community, situated near Rustenburg, has experienced longstanding disputes over traditional leadership. The issue has attracted significant public interest over the years because the community administers land with substantial mining interests, making the recognition of traditional leadership important for governance, representation and the administration of community resources.
Ramaphosa’s visit formed part of the ANC’s campaign encouraging eligible South Africans to register or update their details during the Electoral Commission’s final voter registration weekend ahead of the 2026 local government elections. Despite the interruption, he continued with his scheduled engagements after the exchange with the woman.
Neither the ANC nor the Presidency had issued an official statement on the confrontation by the time of publication. However, the incident has once again drawn national attention to the unresolved Bapo ba Mogale chieftaincy dispute, with members of the royal family continuing to call for direct intervention from the country’s highest political office.