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Acting Mpumalanga premier, Refilwe Mtshweni, may be on the top of the list of candidates for the province’s top job, but she says she’s not interested in taking over from David Mabuza, who left the provincial leadership for the national number two spot.
Mtshweni, who is cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC, tops the list of three names of those to take over until the general elections next year, but said she has no ambitions for the job.
The provincial executive committee has also submitted the names of Social Development MEC Busi Shiba and Agriculture MEC Vusi Shongwe (also ANC treasurer), to the national executive committee to consider for the vacancy left by Mabuza.
Mabuza appointed Mtshweni to act in his position whenever he was not available, but it caused a furore among opposition political parties.
Mabuza’s spokesperson, Zibonele Mncwango, said that the former premier appointed Mtshweni as acting premier in the morning on Wednesday and he then resigned in the afternoon.
“Nothing was wrong. It was Mabuza’s right as a premier to appoint somebody to act in his position,” Mncwango said.
Mabuza’s decision was later ratified by the Mpumalanga executive council and Mtshweni was sworn in again on Thursday.
A provincial executive committee member, who spoke anonymously, said that Mtshweni was not seen as a threat when she acted as premier because she had no ambitions to lead the ANC.
“The three names were submitted to the national executive committee on Thursday and she is number one on the list. For the transitional period, she is okay because she is not a force in ANC structures. She’s not even in the provincial executive committee,” he said.
Mtshweni was, according to insiders, expected to reshuffle her cabinet on Friday afternoon but she did not. President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Education MEC Reginah Mhaule as international relations deputy minister last week Monday and that left a vacancy in the Mpumalanga cabinet.
City Press has been reliably informed that the delay in appointing a new cabinet had a lot to do with discussions among the candidates contesting to replace Mabuza.
One of the contenders for the ANC provincial chairpersonship, Mandla Msibi, who is City of Mbombela speaker and a provincial executive committee member, was expected to be deployed as MEC but he declined.
Msibi, a source told City Press, wanted to work in the ANC. He was negotiating with ANC secretary and acting chairperson, Mandla Ndlovu, to withdraw and rather contest as secretary.
Ndlovu was in pole position to succeed Mabuza after Mabuza himself announced last week that he trusted Ndlovu to leave the ANC in his hands. It is believed that Mabuza still wields power in provincial ANC structures and Ndlovu’s prospects look good.
With Msibi out of the chairpersonship contest, Ndlovu will now square off with Lucky Ndinisa (former ANC secretary), Peter Nyoni (cooperative governance and traditional affairs department head), Fish Mahlalela (member of Parliament), David Dube (Mpumalanga legislature member), and Charles Makola (former deputy chairperson).
It’s likely though that more discussions could take place to trim down the number of contestants when the provincial general council sat early next month.
ANC insiders have also told City Press that irrespective of who became ANC chairperson, it was now time for Mpumalanga to have a woman premier because the province had not had one.
The contenders were likely to have a woman as a running mate in order for them take over as premier in 2019.
The imminent cabinet reshuffle, insiders said, could see Mpumalanga legislature speaker Thandi Shongwe getting a post in the executive as social development MEC. Deputy speaker Violet Siwela could be speaker and her deputy could be South African Communist Party provincial secretary, Bonakele Majuba.
Shiba could be moved to human settlements and the current MEC, Speedy Mashilo, could go to cooperative governance and traditional affairs. Public Works MEC, Sasekani Manzini, could be moved to replace Mhaule.
Ndlovu was not available to confirm if the cabinet reshuffle would take place.
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