Executive Council of Limpopo explained

The Executive Council of Limpopo is the cabinet of the executive branch of the provincial government in the South African province of Limpopo. The Members of the Executive Council (MECs) are appointed from among the members of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature by the Premier of Limpopo, an office held since June 2023 by Phophi Ramathuba.

Mathale premiership: 2009–2013

Cassel Mathale was elected to his first full term as Premier in the 2009 general election and on 6 May 2009 announced his new Executive Council, in which seven of ten MECs were new to the provincial cabinet.[1] In August 2009, Public Works MEC Pandelani Ramagoma died and was replaced by George Phadagi.[2] However, Phadagi and others were moved to new portfolios on 28 January 2011, when a cabinet reshuffle was announced.[3] A subsequent reshuffle was announced on 13 March 2012 and saw four ministers exit the Executive Council: Phadagi, Dikeledi Magadzi, and Joyce Mashamba were fired, while Soviet Lekganyane resigned pursuant to his election as Provincial Secretary of the Limpopo ANC.[4]

Term!Party
Premier of LimpopoCassel Mathale20092013ANC
MEC for TreasuryDavid Masondo20112013ANC
Saad Cachalia20092011ANC
MEC for Health and Social DevelopmentNorman Mabasa20122013ANC
Dikeledi Magadzi20112012ANC
Miriam Segabutla20092011ANC
MEC for EducationDickson Masemola20092013ANC
MEC for Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and TourismPinky Kekana20122013ANC
Pitsi Moloto20092012ANC
MEC for AgricultureJacob Marule20122013ANC
Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba20092012ANC
MEC for Safety and SecurityFlorence Dzombere20122013ANC
George Phadagi20112012ANC
Dikeledi Magadzi20092011ANC
MEC for Public WorksThabitha Mohlala20112013ANC
George Phadagi20092011ANC
Pandelani Ramagoma20092009ANC
MEC for Roads and TransportPitsi Moloto20122013ANC
Pinky Kekana20092012ANC
MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional AffairsClifford Motsepe20122013ANC
MEC for Local Government and HousingSoviet Lekganyane20092012ANC
MEC for Sports, Arts and CultureDipuo Letsatsi-Duba20122013ANC
Joyce Mashamba20092012ANC

Mathabatha premiership

First term: 2013–2014

Stan Mathabatha was elected Premier in July 2013 after the ANC asked Mathale resign. On 19 July 2013, he announced the composition of his first Executive Council, firing eight of Mathale's ten MECs; only Dickson Masemola and Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba retained their spots in the cabinet, although they were moved to new portfolios.[5]

Term!Party
Premier of LimpopoStan Mathabatha20132014ANC
MEC for TreasuryRudolph Phala20132014ANC
MEC for HealthDipuo Letsatsi-Duba20132014ANC
MEC for EducationDikeledi Magadzi20132014ANC
MEC for Economic DevelopmentSeaparo Sekoati20132014ANC
MEC for AgricultureRosina Semenya20132014ANC
MEC for Human SettlementsIshmael Kgetjepe20132014ANC
MEC for Roads and TransportLehlogonolo Masoga20132014ANC
MEC for Public WorksDickson Masemola20132014ANC
MEC for Safety and SecurityJoyce Mashamba20132014ANC
MEC for Sports, Arts and CultureMirriam Ramadwa20132014ANC

Second term: 2014–2019

In the 2014 general election, Mathabatha was elected to a full term as Premier and announced his new Executive Council, which disbanded the former roads and transport portfolio, merging roads with safety and liaison and roads with public works.[6] On 27 May 2015, he announced a reshuffle affecting only three portfolios (education, health, and treasury); a vacancy had arisen after the death of Education MEC Thembisile Nwedamutswu in January 2015, and Rudolph Phala was the only MEC to be fired.[7] Another three-portfolio reshuffle was announced on 15 September 2016, two months after the death of Agriculture MEC Joy Matshoge.[8]

Mathabatha effected a more comprehensive reshuffle in October 2017 ahead of the ANC's 54th National Conference; his critics, including in the provincial ANC Youth League, labelled the reshuffle a purge of supporters of national President Jacob Zuma because it entailed demotions for Zuma loyalists, such as Mapula Mokaba-Phukwana and Makoma Makhurupetje.[9] Finally, in July 2018, Mathabatha made two appointments to fill vacancies created by the death of Agriculture MEC Joyce Mashamba and the resignation of Sports, Arts and Culture MEC Onicca Moloi.[10]

Term!Party
Premier of LimpopoStan Mathabatha20142019ANC
MEC for TreasuryRob Tooley20152019ANC
Rudolph Phala20142015ANC
MEC for HealthPhophi Ramathuba20152019ANC
Ishmael Kgetjepe20142015ANC
MEC for EducationIshmael Kgetjepe20152019ANC
Thembisile Nwedamutswu20142015ANC
MEC for Economic DevelopmentSeaparo Sekoati20142019ANC
MEC for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentBasikopo Makamu20182019ANC
Joyce Mashamba20172018ANC
Mapula Mokaba-Phukwana20162017ANC
Joy Matshoge20142016ANC
MEC for Public Works, Roads and InfrastructureNandi Ndalane20172019ANC
Jerry Ndou20142017ANC
MEC for Transport, Safety and LiaisonMakoma Makhurupetje20172019ANC
Nandi Ndalane20162017ANC
Mapula Mokaba-Phukwana20142016ANC
MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional AffairsJerry Ndou20172019ANC
Makoma Makhurupetje20142017ANC
MEC for Social Development and WelfareMapula Mokaba-Phukwana20172019ANC
Joyce Mashamba20142017ANC
MEC for Sports, Arts and CultureThandi Moraka20182019ANC
Onicca Moloi20162018ANC
Nandi Ndalane20142016ANC

Third term: 2019–2024

See also: 2019 Limpopo provincial election. On 22 May 2019, shortly after he was re-elected in the 2019 general election, Premier Mathabatha announced his new Executive Council, with wide-ranging changes from the cabinet installed in his previous term.[11] [12] On 23 March 2020, he announced his first second-term reshuffle, a minor reshuffle affecting two departments in which one MEC, Monicca Mochadi, was fired.[13]

In June 2022, Mathabatha was re-elected to a third term as ANC Provincial Chairperson in a hotly contested party elective conference. Although he said after the conference that internal party competition would not lead him to reshuffle his executive, he announced a reshuffle at the end of the same month.[14] In the reshuffle, Public Works MEC Dickson Masemola swapped portfolios with Social Development MEC Nkakareng Rakgoale, while Education MEC Polly Boshielo swapped portfolios with Community Safety MEC Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya. This was perceived as a demotion for Masemola and Boshielo and was linked to the ANC elective conference, at which Masemola had run against Mathabatha. Then, in October 2022, Mathabatha announced a wider-ranging reshuffle, affecting five departments, in which he fired Masemola and Boshielo outright; he also sacked the MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture, Thandi Moraka, who, like Masemola and Boshielo, had failed to gain re-election to the ANC Provincial Executive Committee at the party conference in June.[15]

Term!Party
Premier of LimpopoStan Mathabatha20192024ANC
MEC for TreasurySeaparo Sekoati20192024ANC
MEC for HealthPhophi Ramathuba20192024ANC
MEC for EducationMavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya20222024ANC
Polly Boshielo20192022ANC
MEC for Economic Development, Environment and TourismRodgers Monama20222024ANC
Thabo Mokone20192022ANC
MEC for Transport and Community SafetyFlorence Radzilani20222024ANC
Polly Boshielo20222022ANC
Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya20202022ANC
Dickson Masemola20192020ANC
MEC for Public Works, Roads and InfrastructureNkakareng Rakgoale20222024ANC
Dickson Masemola20202022ANC
Monicca Mochadi20192020ANC
MEC for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentThabo Mokone20222024ANC
Nandi Ndalane20192022ANC
MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional AffairsBasikopo Makamu20192024ANC
MEC for Sports, Arts and CultureNakedi Sibanda-Kekana20222024ANC
Thandi Moraka20192022ANC
MEC for Social DevelopmentNandi Ndalane20222024ANC
Dickson Masemola20222022ANC
Nkakareng Rakgoale20192022ANC

Ramathuba premiership: 2024–present

Following the 2024 general election, the MEC for Health, Phophi Ramathuba, was elected to succeed Mathabatha as Premier of Limpopo. She named her executive council on 18 June 2024 and the new MECs were sworn in two days later on 20 June.[16] [17]

Term!Party
Premier of LimpopoPhophi Ramathuba2024IncumbentANC
MEC for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentNakedi Sibanda-Kekana2024IncumbentANC
MEC for Economic Development, Environment and TourismTshitereke Matibe2024IncumbentANC
MEC for EducationMavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya2024IncumbentANC
MEC for HealthDieketseng Masesi Mashego2024IncumbentANC
MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional AffairsBasikopo Makamu2024IncumbentANC
MEC for Public Works, Roads and InfrastructureSebataolo Rachoene2024IncumbentANC
MEC for Sport, Arts & CultureJerry Maseko2024IncumbentANC
MEC for Transport and Community SafetyViolet Mathye2024IncumbentANC
MEC for Social DevelopmentFlorence Radzilani2024IncumbentANC
MEC for Provincial TreasuryKgabo Mahoai2024IncumbentANC

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 6 May 2009 . Limpopo's newly elected premier announces his Exco . 2022-12-30 . South African Government News Agency . en.
  2. Web site: 20 August 2009 . Appointment of the MEC for Public Works South African Government . 2022-12-30 . South African Government.
  3. Web site: 28 January 2011 . Cassel Mathale reshuffles Limpopo cabinet . 2022-12-30 . Politicsweb . en.
  4. Web site: 2012-03-14 . Mathale shakes up Limpopo Cabinet . 2022-12-30 . The Mail & Guardian . en-ZA.
  5. Web site: 19 July 2013 . New premier Stan Mathabatha fires 8 of 10 Limpopo MECs . 2022-12-30 . News24 . en-US.
  6. Web site: 21 May 2014 . Limpopo's Dickson Masemola runs out of lives . 2022-12-30 . News24 . en-US.
  7. Web site: 2015-05-28 . Premier announces 3 changes to cabinet . 2022-12-30 . Polokwane Observer . en-US.
  8. Web site: 15 September 2016 . Limpopo cabinet reshuffled . 2022-12-30 . eNCA . en.
  9. Web site: Dube . Mpho . 27 October 2017 . Mathabatha angers Zuma's supporters over Limpopo cabinet reshuffle . 2022-12-04 . City Press . en-US.
  10. Web site: Makhafola . Getrude . 27 July 2018 . Limpopo ANC appoints new members to the executive council . 2022-12-30 . IOL . en.
  11. Web site: 23 May 2019 . Women dominate Stanley Mathabatha's cabinet . 2022-12-30 . Sowetan . en-ZA.
  12. Web site: 2019-05-22 . Lim's new look cabinet . 2022-12-30 . Polokwane Observer . en-US.
  13. Web site: 2020-03-23 . Limpopo premier Mathabatha shuffles provincial cabinet, axes Monica Mochadi . 2022-12-30 . The Citizen . en.
  14. Web site: Sadike . Mashudu . 30 June 2022 . Premier Stan Mathabatha demotes two MECs in Limpopo cabinet reshuffle . 2022-12-30 . IOL . en.
  15. Web site: Sadike . Mashudu . 7 October 2022 . Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha fires three MECs from executive committee . 2022-12-30 . IOL . en.
  16. Web site: Premier Phophi Ramathuba on appointment of Limpopo Executive Council South African Government . 2024-07-03 . www.gov.za.
  17. Web site: Limpopo swears in newly appointed Members of Executive Council, 20 Jun South African Government . 2024-07-03 . www.gov.za.