Executive Council of the Northern Cape

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The Executive Council of the Northern Cape is the cabinet of the executive branch of the provincial government in the South African province of the Northern Cape. The Members of the Executive Council (MECs) are appointed from among the members of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature by the Premier of the Northern Cape, an office held since the 2019 general election by Zamani Saul of the African National Congress (ANC).

Contents

Jenkins premiership: 2009–2013

On 11 May 2009, shortly after the 2009 general election, newly elected Premier Hazel Jenkins announced her new Executive Council. [1] The council remained in place under Grizelda Cjiekella, the Education MEC, who acted as Premier after Jenkins suffered a stroke while delivering her 2012 State of the Province Address.

Northern Cape Executive Council 2009–2013
PostMemberTerm
Premier of the Northern Cape Hazel Jenkins 20092013
MEC for Finance, Economic Affairs and Tourism John Block 20092013
MEC for Health Mxolisi Sokatsha 20092013
MEC for Education Grizelda Cjiekella 20092013
MEC for Roads and Public Works Dawid Rooi 20092013
MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison Patrick Mabilo 20092013
MEC for Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Norman Shushu 20092013
MEC for Environment and Nature Conservation Sylvia Lucas 20092013
MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs Kenny Mmoiemang 20092013
MEC for Social Services and Population Alvin Botes 20092013
MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture Pauline Williams 20092013

Lucas premiership

First term: 2013–2014

In May 2013, Sylvia Lucas was sworn in as Northern Cape Premier after Hazel Jenkins formally resigned from the office. She retained Jenkins's Executive Council until 4 June 2013, when she announced a minor cabinet reshuffle, moving some MECs to new portfolios and appointing Tiny Chotelo and Mac Jack to fill vacancies created by her own election as Premier and the election of Kenny Mmoiemang as the Speaker of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature. [2] [3]

Northern Cape Executive Council 2013–2014
PostMemberTerm
Premier of the Northern Cape Sylvia Lucas 20132014
MEC for Finance, Economic Affairs and Tourism John Block 20132014
MEC for Health Mxolisi Sokatsha 20132014
MEC for Education Grizelda Cjiekella 20132014
MEC for Roads and Public Works Dawid Rooi 20132014
MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison Mac Jack 20132014
Patrick Mabilo 20132013
MEC for Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Norman Shushu 20132014
MEC for Environment and Nature Conservation Patrick Mabilo 20132014
MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs Alvin Botes 20132014
Kenny Mmoiemang 20132013
MEC for Social Development Tiny Chotelo 20132014
MEC for Social Services and Population Alvin Botes 20132013
MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture Pauline Williams 20132014

Second term: 2014–2019

Lucas was elected to her first full term as Premier in the 2014 general election and she announced her new Executive Council on 30 May 2014. Although several MECs changed portfolios, only two from the previous term – Patrick Mabilo and Pauline Williams – were dropped entirely; Lebogang Motlhaping and Barbara Bartlett were appointed in their stead. [4] In late February 2016, Lucas announced a wide-ranging reshuffle in which only three MECs retained their original portfolios, although none were fired. Three vacancies had arisen due to the death of Education MEC Grizelda Cjiekella, the resignation of Finance MEC John Block, and the resignation of Public Works MEC Dawid Rooi; three new MECs – Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, Gift van Staden, and Pauline Williams (who had been an MEC until 2014) – were appointed in their stead. [5] [6]

On 10 May 2017, Lucas announced a controversial reshuffle, in which Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba and Mxolisi Sokatsha swopped portfolios, and, more significantly, Finance MEC Mac Jack and Transport MEC Pauline Williams were fired and replaced by Gail Parker and Alexandra Beukes respectively. [7] The Northern Cape branch of the ANC said that it had not been consulted about the reshuffle and responded with "absolute disgust", calling it "grossly irresponsible, reckless and self-serving" and alleging that it constituted an attempt by Lucas to influence the outcomes of a party elective conference scheduled for the next weekend. [8] The provincial party called for Lucas to reverse the reshuffle and the ANC National Executive Committee ultimately intervened to instruct her to do so; [9] on 1 June, Lucas announced that she would comply, meaning that Parker and Beukes would lose their new positions. [10]

In February 2018, Lucas announced another reshuffle, removing Alvin Botes and Lebogang Motlhaping from the Executive Council and appointing Bentley Vass and Fufe Makatong. Lucas said that her decision had been influenced by the ANC's decision to move Botes to the National Assembly and by the need to ensure that senior party officials were represented in the Executive Council; Vass and Makatong were the Northern Cape ANC's Deputy Provincial Chairperson and Provincial Treasurer respectively. [11]

Northern Cape Executive Council 2014–2019
PostMemberTerm
Premier of the Northern Cape Sylvia Lucas 20142019
MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism Mac Jack 20172019
Gail Parker 20172017
Mac Jack 20162017
John Block 20142015
MEC for Health Fufe Makatong 20182019
Lebogang Motlhaping 20162018
Mac Jack 20142016
MEC for Education Barbara Bartlett 20162019
Grizelda Cjiekella 20142015
MEC for Infrastructure and Public Works Mxolisi Sokatsha 20172019
Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba 20172017
Mxolisi Sokatsha 20162017
Dawid Rooi 20142016
MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison Lebogang Motlhaping 20182019
Pauline Williams 20172018
Alexandra Beukes 20172017
Pauline Williams 20162017
Barbara Bartlett 20142016
MEC for Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Norman Shushu 20142019
MEC for Environment and Nature Conservation Pauline Williams 20182019
Tiny Chotelo 20142018
MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs Bentley Vass 20182019
Alvin Botes 20142018
MEC for Social Development Gift van Staden 20162019
Mxolisi Sokatsha 20142016
MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba 20172019
Mxolisi Sokatsha 20172017
Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba 20162017
Lebogang Motlhaping 20142016

Saul premiership: 2019–present

First term: 2019–2024

On 29 May 2019, after the 2019 general election, newly elected Premier Zamani Saul announced his new Executive Council, which retained only three MECs from the previous administration and which merged the province's Agriculture and Land Reform portfolio with Environmental Affairs and Conservation. [12] [13] After Berenice Sinexve and Barbara Bartlett resigned, Saul announced his first reshuffle on 26 June 2020; all but two MECs changed portfolios, but none were fired. [14]

Education MEC Mac Jack died in August 2020 and was replaced by Zolile Monakali in September. [15] On 26 October 2022, Saul appointed Venus Blennies as MEC for Youth, Women, Disability, Communications and E-Government, a newly created portfolio located in the Office of the Premier. [16]

Northern Cape Executive Council 2019–2024
PostMemberTerm
Premier of the Northern Cape Zamani Saul 20192024
MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism Abraham Vosloo 20202024
Maruping Lekwene 20192020
MEC for Health Maruping Lekwene 20202024
Mase Manopole 20192020
MEC for Education Zolile Monakali 20202024
Mac Jack 20192020
MEC for Roads and Public Works Fufe Makatong 20202024
Abraham Vosloo 20192020
MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison Nomandla Bloem 20202024
Nontobeko Vilakazi 20192020
MEC for Land Reform, Agriculture and Nature Conservation and Environmental Affairs Mase Manopole 20202024
Nomandla Bloem 20192020
MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs Bentley Vass 20192024
MEC for Social Development Nontobeko Vilakazi 20202024
Barbara Bartlett 20192020
MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture Desery Fienies 20202024
Berenice Sinexve 20192020
MEC for Youth, Women, Disability, Communications and E-Government Venus Blennies 20222024

Second term: 2024–present

On 27 June 2024, following the 2024 general election, Saul named his executive council for his second term as premier. [17] Saul reduced the number of portfolios from ten to seven, while keeping the ten departments. [18] Saul recreated the formerly standalone Transport, Safety and Liaison and Sports, Arts and Culture portfolios during a cabinet reshuffle in January 2025. [19]

Northern Cape Executive Council 2024–present
PostMemberTerm
Premier of the Northern Cape Zamani Saul 2024Incumbent
MEC for Health Maruping Lekwene 2024Incumbent
MEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform Mase Manopole 2024Incumbent
MEC for Social Development, Youth, Women and People living with Disabilities Nontobeko Vilakazi 2024Incumbent
MEC for Sports, Arts, and Culture Mangaliso Matika 2025Incumbent
MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism Venus Blennies 2024Incumbent
MEC for Roads and Public Works Fufe Makatong 2024Incumbent
MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements, Traditional Affairs Bentley Vass 2024Incumbent
MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison Limakatso Koloi 2025Incumbent
MEC for Education Abraham Vosloo 2024Incumbent

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Northern Cape MECs announced". South African Government News Agency. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  2. ↑ Mokoena, Michael (5 June 2013). "No surprises in N Cape reshuffle". IOL. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  3. ↑ "John Block remains as Northern Cape reshuffles executive". Sunday Times. 5 June 2013. Archived from the original on 7 May 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  4. ↑ "Formal Announcement of Members of the Northern Cape Provincial Executive Council". Northern Cape Provincial Government. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  5. ↑ Mere, Boipelo (2 March 2016). "NC council reshuffled". News24. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  6. ↑ Wildenboer, Norma (1 March 2016). "No Surprises In Reshuffle". Diamond Fields Advertiser. Retrieved 20 January 2023– via PressReader.
  7. ↑ "Northern Cape Cabinet Reshuffle". Office of the Premier. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  8. ↑ "Urgent reshuffle in Northern Cape cabinet". News24. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  9. ↑ "National ANC intervenes in Northern Cape feud Sylvia Lucas's Cabinet reshuffle". The Mail & Guardian. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  10. ↑ Mathope, Gosebo (1 June 2017). "Northern Cape premier told to 'rescind' her cabinet reshuffle". The Citizen. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  11. ↑ "Northern Cape Premier #SylviaLucas reshuffles her cabinet". OFM. 15 February 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  12. ↑ "Statement by the Premier of the Northern Cape, Dr Zamani Saul, on the announcement of the Members of the Executive Council". Office of the Premier. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  13. ↑ Makhafola, Getrude (29 May 2019). "Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul unveils reduced cabinet". IOL. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  14. ↑ "Statement by the Premier of the Northern Cape, Dr Zamani Saul, on the announcement of the Executive Council Reshuffle". Office of the Premier. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  15. ↑ "Premier Zamani Saul Appoints Mr Zolile Monakali as New Member of the Executive Council for Education". Northern Cape Provincial Government. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  16. ↑ "Premier Zamani Saul Appoints Ms Lorato Venus Blennies as the New Member of the Executive Council for Youth,Women, Disability, Communication and E-Government". Office of the Premier. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  17. ↑ OFM. "Northern Cape premier reduces departments as he names MECs". OFM. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  18. ↑ Kemp, Charné. "Priority issues discussed soon". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  19. ↑ OFM. "Northern Cape premier appoints two new MECs". OFM. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
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