Venus Blennies | |
---|---|
Northern Cape MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism | |
Assumed office 28 June 2024 | |
Premier | Zamani Saul |
Preceded by | Abraham Vosloo |
Northern Cape MEC for Youth,Women,Disability,Communication and E-Government | |
In office 26 October 2022 –14 June 2024 | |
Premier | Zamani Saul |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Office abolished |
Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature | |
Assumed office 18 October 2022 | |
Preceded by | David Dichaba |
Personal details | |
Nationality | South African |
Political party | African National Congress |
Profession | Politician |
Lorato Venus Blennies is a South African politician who has been the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Finance,Economic Development and Tourism of the Northern Cape since June 2024 and a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature since October 2022. She was previously the MEC for Youth,Women,Disability,Communication and E-Government between October 2022 and June 2024. Blennies is a member of the African National Congress.
Blennies is a member of the African National Congress as well as a senior member of the party's youth wing,the African National Congress Youth League. In September 2022,Blennies and two other ANC Youth League officials,Khulekani Mondli Skhosana and Stella Mondlane,had been given permission by the Russian government to be election observers of the internationally condemned referendums Russia held in occupied territories of Eastern Ukraine asking citizens if they want their regions to be annexed into Russia. Blennies said in an interview with a Russian journalist that she had spoken to voters in the Donetsk Oblast and they told her:"This is a moment they have always been waiting for. Some of them have stated that it’s been about eight years of waiting for this moment." [1]
The Democratic Alliance Shadow Minister for International Relations and Co-Operation Darren Bergman condemned Blennies and the two other ANC Youth League representatives and wrote to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine,Denys Monastyrsky,calling on him to declare Blennies and the other two as "undesirable persons" so that they could be removed from the Donbass region,which is internationally still considered Ukrainian territory. [2] [3]
On 18 October 2022,Blennies was sworn in as a member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature for the ANC. She replaced David Dichaba who resigned. [4] On 26 October 2022,premier Zamani Saul reconstituted his executive council and announced that Blennies had been appointed the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for the newly created Youth,Women,Disability,Communication and E-Government portfolio. [5]
Following the 2024 provincial election,Blennies became the MEC for Finance,Economic Development and Tourism. [6]
John Fikile Block was the Provincial Chairman of the African National Congress in the Northern Cape Province,South Africa,and was a Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Finance,Economic Development and Tourism in the Northern Cape Provincial Government. Block was found guilty of fraud,corruption and money laundering by the Northern Cape High Court in 2015. In December 2016 he was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment.
Zamani Saul is a South African politician who is the 5th and current Premier of the Northern Cape and a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature. He has also been serving as the Provincial Chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) since his election on 12 May 2017. He previously served as the Provincial Secretary and as the Deputy Provincial Secretary of the party.
Sylvia Nomandla Bloem is a South African politician who served as the Northern Cape MEC for Transport and Safety Liaison from June 2020 until June 2024 2024 and as a member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature from May 2019 until May 2024. From May 2019 to June 2020,she served as the Northern Cape MEC for Land Reform,Agriculture and Nature Conservation and Environmental Affairs. Bloem is a member of the African National Congress.
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Nontobeko Eveline Vilakazi is a South African politician serving as the Northern Cape MEC for Social Development,Youth,Women,People living with Disabilities,Sports,Arts,and Culture since June 2024. She has been a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature since May 2019. From May 2019 to June 2020,she was the Northern Cape MEC for Transport and Safety Liaison and from June 2020 to June 2024,she was the MEC for Social Development. Vilakazi is a member of the African National Congress and the provincial secretary of the party's women's league.
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