Mbalula tells Free State ANC Dukwana is Luthuli House’s preferred candidate for premier

African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has written a letter to ANC Free State provincial secretary Polediso Motsoeneng, informing him that Mxolisi Dukwana is Luthuli House’s preferred candidate for the position of Free State premier.

Ntombela resigns as premier

This follows Premier Sisi Ntombela’s decision to resign from office, after losing the contest for the position of ANC provincial chairperson to Dukwana at the 9th Free State provincial conference in January.

ALSO READ: Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela to resign from office on Tuesday

During a media briefing on Tuesday, in Johannesburg, on the outcomes of the ANC’s recently held special national executive committee (NEC) meeting, Mbalula confirmed that Ntombela informed him of her intention to step down.

He said the newly installed ANC Free State provincial executive committee (PEC) had already taken a decision to restructure the provincial government, with Dukwana at the helm of government.

Mbalula said Ntombela’s imminent departure from office was not a crisis, adding that the ANC’s national officials were expecting a smooth transition.

“There is no crisis. The people of the Free State and everywhere else must understand that there is no crisis. These things of changing positions do happen… we concur with the changes that are about to happen,” he said.

ANC’s preferred candidate for premier

In a letter to Motsoeneng, dated 21 February 2023, Mbalula said three candidates were interviewed by the ANC’s national officials to replace Ntombela.

These included Dukwana, ANC provincial deputy secretary Dibolelo Mahlatsi, and her deputy chair Ketso Makume.

The ANC secretary-general said the national officials agreed that Dukwana was the right candidate to take over the job due to his “experience and the challenges faced by the Free State”.

“Based on these interviews, the national officials are of the view that all three candidates are of a very high calibre and have the potential to play meaningful roles as deployees in a number of spheres of government.

“In the current conjuncture, given his experience and the challenges faced by the Free State, the national officials are of the view that comrade Mxolisi Dukwana is the preferred ANC candidate for the position of premier of Free State,” said Mbalula.

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Ntombela’s resignation as premier and member of the provincial legislature will reportedly be effective from Friday, 24 February, according to a letter seen by SABC News.

ANC provincial spokesperson Jabu Mbalula told the public broadcaster the new premier will be announced by the end of the week to prepare for the State of the Province Address (Sopa) next week.

“The provincial executive committee of the ANC has expressed a wish that Mxolisi should take over the premiership,” he said.

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