New deputy minister of small business development wears two hats

Newly appointed Deputy Minister of Small Business Development Jane Sithole has commended the government of national unity (GNU) for granting former opposition parties a chance to display their leadership in rendering a service to the communities.

Sithole, who is also a DA leader in Mpumalanga, was one of the ministers and deputy ministers sworn in last week.

She has urged GNU leaders to forget their political affiliations when serving the people of South Africa. “When we are in parliament we must forget our political affiliation and work hard to achieve our common goal – to ensure that our people are well taken care of.

“Due to the unity I saw in the department I’m assigned to, I believe we will achieve a lot. When I met the team for the first time, it seemed like we had known each other for a long time. This gives me hope that it will be easy to work together… The good team spirit I noticed was amazing.

“Another thing that excited me was the warm welcome I received from my predecessor, Dipuo Peters. I’m happy I’m allowed to continue with the good job she did.”

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Sithole, who is a deputy to Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, said the good news of her appointment was delivered to her by DA leader John Steenhuisen.

“I was phoned and informed that my name was submitted to the president as one of the people to be appointed. In the beginning, it felt unreal, I was so excited and surprised… but at the end of the day, I’m happy I was given a chance to serve our people.”

When asked how she was going to handle the two tasks of leading the DA while working as deputy minister, Sithole said she was ready to tackle the challenge. She said the parliamentary schedule was designed to allow members to also perform the duties of their political parties.

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She also said she was a hard worker who had the ability to multi-task. Sithole said it was not the first time she had handled two jobs at the same time.

“I used to work for Eskom while performing DA duties. People who are around me know that I am a hard worker.”

Sithole started her career with the DA about 24 years ago when she served as a party agent in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga. She was promoted to represent the party in the Nkangala district municipality and later moved to the Mpumalanga provincial legislature where she has served for more than 10 years.

“We started at the DA when it was only me and James Masango.

“Those were the hardest times because we led a team of few people. I remember a day when we were campaigning and community members attacked us and pelted us with stones,” she said.

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The politician said she left her full-time job at Eskom in 2014 – where she had worked for 19 years – to focus on her political career. She said the people around her had condemned her thinking that she was losing her mind by leaving a full-time job to follow a political career.

When asked her secret for having had a long political career, Sithole attributed it to the fact that before she does something, she asks herself why. If the answer is positive, she puts 100% effort into it and never looks back.

“I’ve worked for one political party for almost 25 years because, before joining it, I assessed its values and found we shared the same principles,” said Sithole. “I love the party and it has never disappointed me. Everything I know today is because of the DA.”

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