Two women named Free State and Mpumalanga premiers

Sisi Ntombela will replace ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule as the premier of the Free State and Refilwe Mtsweni will be the premier of Mpumalanga, replacing party and state deputy president David Mabuza.

The two will remain premiers-elect until the legislatures of their respective provinces have officially sworn them in.

The ruling party’s secretary-general made the announcement of the two premiers-elect at a media briefing on the party’s national working committee (NWC) meeting held on Monday.

Magashule said the NWC believed that nominating women as premiers-elect was evidence that the ruling party was a nonsexist organisation that recognised the leadership abilities of women within its fold.

He said Mtsweni’s nomination had no objection and that the party’s provincial structures in Mpumalanga were united.

Mtsweni is the MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs in Mpumalanga and was acting premier when Mabuza was elected deputy president of the party. Ntombela is the ANC Women’s League deputy president and MEC for social development in the Free State.

The party came under heavy criticism following the outcome of its elective conference last year that resulted in only one woman making it to its top six leadership structure.

During the briefing, Magashule also made mention of the fact that the NWC meeting touched on issues of national interest, including the Listeria outbreak, VBS Mutual Bank being placed under curatorship and the voter registration weekend.

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