MEC Mmaphefo Matsemela resigned with immediate effect on Tuesday 6 December 2022. A leaked letter of her resignation indicated that she resigned as a member of the North West Provincial Legislature (NWPL). 

In the letter, Matsemela thanked Premier Bushy Maape for allowing her to serve the people of the North West Province with honour. Her resignation comes after Maape recently executed a cabinet reshuffle.

“Dear Honourable Speaker, Resignation Letter: Mmaphefo Lucy Matsemela hereby render my resignation as a member of the NWPL with immediate effect, from the 6th December 2022. Thank you for allowing me to serve the people of the North West Province with an honour. Hope you find this in order, yours sincerely,” Matsemela says in her resignation letter.

In November 2022, Premier Maape announced that the newly appointed Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) and ANC Chairperson, Nono Maloyi, will now be the new MEC for Cooperative Governance (Cogta).

He also announced that he has since transferred two MECs from their initial posts with MEC Keneetswe Mosenogi, now being moved to head the Arts and Culture Department after being removed from the Department of Economic Development and Tourism.

Among further changes in this cabinet reshuffling, MEC Virginia Tlhapi was brought from her Arts and Culture Department to replace Mosenogi in Tourism and steer the ship.

ALSO READ: North West premier effects cabinet reshuffle

Since Maloyi took over the reins of ANC Chairperson in the province, at least two MECs have left their positions whilst others were reshuffled.

Earlier, the North-West University's political analyst, André Duvenhage, told OFM News that Maloyi could become premier sooner than expected by ousting Premier Maape.

He said this could be done by the province, following in the footsteps of Gauteng and KwaZulu–Natal, where premiers resigned after failing to return seats as chairpersons of the PEC.

“The legislature is the point where the party and the bigger political systems are connecting and I think if you would like to control the provincial structures it is very important to be a representative within the bigger legislature. This makes a lot stand from a strategic perspective,” Duvenhage adds.

Asked if Maloyi was to become the premier, how significant his leadership can be for the province with several municipalities failing to deliver the most basic services, Duvenhage said:

“It is difficult to say, there were a lot of huge expectations when it came to the president of the country after 2017 and not a lot happened, and I'm now referring to Cyril Ramaphosa. Now the same process is going on here in North West.

At the moment there are many high expectations and what I can say positively about Nono Maloyi, is that he immediately took action with regard to the crises in the Ditsobotla Local Municipality in Lichtenburg, where there are serious problems. He disciplined members of the ANC.”

ALSO READ: ‘ANC North West chairperson will become premier’ – analyst

OFM News