The elective conference, that pits Premier Sello Moloto against ANC provincial secretary Cassel Mathale in the race for the party's provincial chairmanship, is a culmination of a hostile nomination process characterised by acts of violence.
Violent clashes between the Moloto camp -- a pro-Mbeki faction, and the Mathale camp -- a pro-Zuma faction, resulted in the disruption of branch meetings and the arrest of several ANC members in the province during the build up to conference.
At one stage, even Moloto, whose supporters include the provincial ANC Women's League, found himself caught up in the violent skirmishes when he almost traded blows with former ANC Youth League provincial secretary Julius Malema - a Zuma supporter who led a public campaign against him.
Still riding the wave of its recent accomplishments after having successfully campaigned for Zuma's election at the Polokwane conference, the ANCYL used the provincial nomination process to discredit Moloto, branding him a "dictator and tribalist".
Some of its acts designed to undermine Moloto in the build up to the conference included its members shouting him down during the funeral service of the former ambassador to Indonesia, Norman Mashabane.
On the eve of the conference on Tuesday, the ANCYL told Sapa it had done enough to persuade voters to reject Moloto.
"People are fed up with him - he does not have any support at the branches," said an ANCYL member.
He cited Moloto's decision to endorse Mbeki's third term bid during last year's elective conference in Polokwane, as one of the main reasons the Limpopo Premier had become unpopular in the province.
"There is no ways the people of this province will vote for him - he had betrayed their trust," he said.
While the ANCYL claimed that it had done enough to thwart Moloto's attempts to retain his position as the province's chairman, those familiar with the province's political dynamics hold a different view.
Political analyst Tinyiko Maluleka said he did not think that the Mathale camp had done enough to dislodge Moloto from power.
"Indications are that Moloto will return his chairmanship, " he said.
Mathale's supporters, particularly members of the ANCYL who had constantly attacked Moloto in public, made some serious blunders during the build up to the conference.
Malema's recent statement that the ANCYL was prepared to kill for Zuma did not help matters either. On the contrary, it played into Moloto's favour as some voters interpreted it as an indication that the Zuma camp was likely to resort to violence when things did not go its way.
"They have committed a number of mistakes and gone a bit on the extreme. I think they have overplayed their hand," Maluleka said.
Should the Moloto camp prevail at the University of Venda, Limpopo would become the second province to retain a pro-Mbeki leadership following last month's rejection of pro-Zuma candidates at the North West provincial conference.
ANC provincial spokesman Benny Boshielo said 437 branches had qualified to take part in the provincial conference between July 17 and 20.
Proposed candidates for the Mathale camp are Dickson Namane Masemola (deputy chairman), Joe Maswanganyi (secretary), Pinky Kekana (deputy secretary) and Dipuo Letsatsi (treasury).
On the other side, the Moloto camp candidates include Motalane Monakedi (deputy chairman), Jerry Ndou (secretary), Godfrey Molekoa (deputy secretary) and Makoma Makurumetje (treasury).
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