/ 14 March 2018

ANC elects female premiers for Mpumalanga and Free State

Sisi Ntombela was the Social Development MEC in Free State.
Sisi Ntombela was the Social Development MEC in Free State.

The ANC has appointed Mpumalanga Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Refilwe Mtsweni and ANC Women’s League deputy president Sisi Ntombela as premiers-elect for Mpumalanga and Free State, respectively.

Mtsweni was acting premier of Mpumalanga. She succeeded former premier David Mabuza, after he was appointed deputy president of South Africa.

Ntombela was the Social Development MEC in Free State.

They are premiers-elect until legislature confirms their positions.

ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule announced the names on Wednesday, following the party’s National Working Committee meeting on Monday.

The two replace Mabuza and Magashule, who was the premier of Free State.

The ANC has previously been criticised for failing to appoint women to the key provincial positions. While the party governs eight provinces, it previously had one female premier – Sylvia Lucas in the Northern Cape. —New24