Makume will be acting as the provincial premier till 18 June 2023. The spokesperson to the premier, Sello Dithebe, confirmed that the premier, Mxolisi Dukwana, will be out of action after a medical procedure. 

“MEC Makume will, as Acting Premier during this period, be responsible for the performance of the duties of the Premier and the concomitant delegated powers attached to the said post,” he added. The Executive Council has also wished Dukwana well. “We have confidence in the capabilities of Makume, who is by no means a novice to matters of governance, to steer the ship competently in the weeks ahead. In effect, all programmes of the government in the Free State remain on course.”

ALSO READ: DA wens Rossouw Botes sterkte toe met hartprosedure

The DA in the province has wished its councillor in the Mangaung Metro, Rossouw Botes (65), well with his heart surgery. OFM News previously reported that after the Covid-19 pandemic, fewer hearts were available for transplants. After several consultations, Botes was advised to undergo surgery in Cape Town where he would be given an artificial heart to support his own heart. The DA’s Johan Pretorius said Botes does not qualify for a heart replacement due to his age. A new pump will be installed in his heart to help pump blood into his heart.  

Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Willie Koen performed preliminary tests at the Chris Barnard Memorial Hospital for implantation of the left ventricular assist device. Pretorius wished Botes and his family well and also asked the public to keep him and his family in their prayers.

ALSO READ: Dukwana's Exco: Out with the old, in with the new

Back to the provincial government, Dukwana was elected as the premier on 24 February 2023 following his election as the provincial chair earlier this year. Makume was elected as Dukwana’s successor on 14 March 2023. Dukwana was previously the MEC of Cogta and Human Settlements, which is now Makume’s portfolio. Before he assumed the position of MEC, he was sworn in as a member of the Free State Legislature with three others.

OFM News