The ANCWL's provincial secretary, Bitsa Lenkopane, says even though the league did not get its way, they still rally behind the ANC National Executive Committee’s (NEC) decision to elect Bushy Maape as the premier candidate. She says even before the appointment of former Premier Job Mokgoro, the league had preferred a woman. However, contrary to their wish, the NEC went with Mokgoro. 

The current acting premier, the MEC for Finance Motlalepula Rosho, was one of the candidates interviewed by the NEC for the position. Lenkopane says despite the election of struggle stalwart and former Robben Island prisoner, Maape, the league will continue to raise issues affecting women.

“We continue to raise our issues. [We know the ANC] is non-sexist and understand the struggle and the issues that women are faced with, especially [socio-economically]. So, even in this case of Maape and his deployment we will continue to support the position of the ANC and we will continue to raise issues of women. We say, whilst we agree that this has not landed in the ears of the ANC that we would prefer a woman as the premier, once the decision of Maape has been announced, we rally behind Maape and we will support him. [We hope] that he will also to listen to us as women because he understands what the ANC’s position is, in terms of issues of women,” Lenkopane adds.

On Wednesday Maape, was sworn in as MPL by the Speaker, Susana Dantjie, and is now expected to be voted in as the Premier on Tuesday 7 September, after the debate in the Provincial Legislature.

The swearing-in of Maape comes few days after the former premier, Job Mokgoro, resigned controversially following a fallout between him and the ANC's Interim Provincial Committee.

Maape replaces Mokgoro at a time when most municipalities in the province are in financial distress and dysfunctional.

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