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New Mpumalanga cabinet fails to align with New Dawn outlook

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Mpumalanga premier Refilwe Tsipane's selection of new cabinet members in the province has left the Democratic Alliance in Mpumalanga disappointed.
Mpumalanga premier Refilwe Tsipane's selection of new cabinet members in the province has left the Democratic Alliance in Mpumalanga disappointed.

The Democratic Alliance in Mpumalanga has expressed disappointment about Premier Refilwe Tsipane’s new cabinet of “recycled” MECs who have allegedly failed.

Tsipane – who has discarded her maiden name, Mtshweni, in favour of her husband’s surname – appointed her cabinet last night and the new MECs took their oaths of office before Judge Francis Legodi in Middelburg this morning.

The new cabinet members are: Vusi Shongwe (agriculture, land administration and environmental affairs), Sasekani Manzini (health), Bonakele Majuba (education), Norah Mahlangu (human settlements), Gillion Mashego (public works), Gabisile Tshabalala (community safety, security and liaison), Mandla Msibi (cooperative governance and traditional affairs), Pat Ngomana (finance, economic development and tourism), Thandi Shongwe (social development) and Lindiwe Ntshalintshali (culture, sports and recreation).

Provincial DA leader Jane Sithole said that Tsipane failed to align herself with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s “new dawn”.

Provincial DA leader Jane Sithole says Tsipane failed to align herself with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s “new dawn”.Picture: Alet Joubert

“Some of these appointments like that of Sasekani Manzini in health is going to deepen the problems in the department as she has already shown that she’s incapable of restoring public health,” Sithole said.

She described Ngomana’s appointment as “puzzling”. Sithole said she doubted that Ngomana was the right man for the job because of his lack of experience.

Sithole however commended Msibi’s appointment. Msibi is a former speaker in the City of Mbombela. “Mr Msibi has the required backbone to provide strong leadership to a critical part of government’s service delivery programme,” said Sithole.

The DA leader said that Ntshalintshali’s appointment could only be seen as a reward for her political loyalty.

“Emalahleni municipality collapsed under [her] watch,” Sithole said about the former Emalahleni mayor.

She said that the department of public works would not work under for the public under Mashego’s leadership.

“The return of Mashego is a disaster … there’s no hope of Mashego cleaning this department, which is riddled with corruption and missed service delivery targets,” Sithole said.

A balancing act

Tsipane’s cabinet has been seen as a balancing act in light of the upcoming ANC elective conference as she has appointed individuals known to be interested in taking the reigns since Deputy President David Mabuza’s departure.

Read: Mpumalanga premierRefilwe Mtsweni bids to control ANC

Msibi and Ngomana are believed to be not supporting Tsipane’s ambition to be ANC provincial leader. A senior ANC member, who is in a faction that support the department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs’ head of department Peter Nyoni’s campaign, said that some of Tsipane’s cabinet members would soon be fighting her.

“A showdown is looming,” he said, “There’re many interested in leading the ANC.”

Youth annoyed, disappointed

Even though the ANC Youth League congratulated the new cabinet and provincial legislature members, it said that it was “annoyed” and “disappointed” by the exclusion of young people.

“We expected the premier to be considerate of a cabinet that is inclusive of young people given the fact that she is a former youth activist herself. The exclusion of young people in the cabinet is clear sign that the youth of the province are on their own and we need to fight for our rightful space in all corners of the province. We are worried that young people are not taken serious while problems relating to youth development are piling up and continuously shelved under the carpet,” said the league’s provincial secretary, Pholoso Mbatsane.


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