Mokonyane sacked as Gauteng Premier

Makhura replaces Nomvula Mokonyane, who was one of three ANC premiers who were not retained.

Thandi Modise in the North West and Noxolo Kiviet in the Eastern Cape were also not re-appointed and were replaced by the provincial chairpersons Supra Mahumapelo and Phumulo Masualle respectively.

The ruling party made the announcement at its headquarters, Luthuli House in Joburg, after a marathon meeting of the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to finalise the process of appointing the premiers in the eight provinces it governs.

Those retained are David Mabuza in Mpumalanga, Stan Mathabatha in Limpopo, Senzo Mchunu in KwaZulu-Natal, Ace Magashule in the Free State and Sylvia Lucas in the Northern Cape.

The ruling party held its special NEC meeting in Pretoria on 19 May, where each province presented the committee with three names of their preferred candidates.

The committee then consulted and decided on a preferred premier elect.

According to the ANC’s deputy secretary general, Jessie Duarte the party did not want to take a mechanical approach to gender equity, but added that if the premier of a province was a man, 60 percent of the MEC’s must be women.

Makhura was nominated along with Education MEC Barbara Creecy and Finance MEC Mandla Nkomfe.

However, Nkomfe later withdrew his name from the list of candidates, which allowed for Human Settlements and Co-operative Governance MEC, Ntombi Mekgwe to be included on the list.

Mekgwe was appointed as Speaker of the Gauteng legislature.

The ANC’s NEC expressed confidence in the ability of the appointed team of premiers and provincial speakers, who will be at the helm of provincial governments.