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According to ANC guidelines if a premier is a male, females should make up 60% of the cabinet. In Mpumalanga and North-West it was the other way round.

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Sizwe sama Yende

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Mpumalanga premier, Mandla Ndlovu, has reshuffled his cabinet just two months after composing it due to an error in allocating positions without considering ANC guidelines on gender equity.

Ndlovu removed Culture, Sport, and Recreation MEC, Fidel Mlombo, and replaced him with former Nkangala district and Emalahleni mayor, Leah Mabuza.

According to ANC guidelines if a premier is a male, females should make up 60% of the cabinet. In Mpumalanga it was the other way round. Ndlovu appointed five male MECs against four women.

North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi is  also facing the same predicament and is yet to reshuffle his cabinet to drop one male MEC.

Ndlovu said it was a tough decision to make, but he had extensive discussions with the tripartite alliance and Mlombo. Mlombo is a former Cosatu secretary in Mpumalanga.

“I had to flip the coin many times until I decided on Comrade Fidel Mlombo. One male had to be invited out of cabinet and my decision was not influenced by performance,” Ndlovu said.

“In just three months, Comrade Fidel has left his mark in the department,” he added.

Ndlovu said the tripartite secretariat would discuss and agree where Mlombo should be deployed. Currently, he drops to be an ordinary legislature member.

Mabuza’s appointment comes as no surprise as she is the candidate of another ANC alliance partner, the South African Civic Organisation (SANCO), which did not have any representation in the cabinet.

There was already a push from SANCO to have one of their own to replace Mlombo. Others within the ANC had felt that the axe should fall on Community Liaison, Safety and Security MEC Jackie Macie as he was the only regional ANC chairperson in cabinet while those from Nkangala and Gert Sibande regions were executive mayors in their districts.

Macie is, however, Ndlovu’s strongest ally who leads a region that is his stronghold.

Except for Mlombo, the Mpumalanga cabinet remains unchanged.

ANC provincial deputy chairperson, Speedy Mashilo, remains Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC and the rest are Thulasizwe Thomo (Public Works, Roads and Transport); Bonakele Majuba (Finance); Jacky Macie (Community Liaison, Safety and Security); Cathy Dlamini (Education); Sasekani Manzini (Health); Nompumelelo Hlophe (Agriculture, Rural Development, Land Reform and Environment) and Brenda Moeketsi (Social Development).

Thomo is Mpumalanga ANCYL chairperson. His appointment has appeased the league, which tried to twist former premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane’s hand to appoint him last year.

Meanwhile, Mokgosi will also have to apply his mind carefully when he removes one male from the North-West cabinet. Geographical representation will be an important factor to consider when Mokgosi finally decided to drop one male MEC.