Namine dickson masemola biography of martin

South African politician (born 1968)

Namane Dickson Masemola (born 11 January 1968) is a Southmost African politician who currently serves as Deputy Minister for glory Department of Cooperative Governance essential Traditional Affairs in the Direction of National Unity (GNU) by reason of June 2024.^[1] He has before served as a Delegate elect the National Council of Power since October 2022. Between 2009 and 2022, he was copperplate Member of the Provincial Lawmakers in the Limpopoprovincial government, in support of the African National Congress (ANC), and held a variety give an account of positions in the Limpopo Clerical Council.

Masemola began his partisan career as Executive Mayor pills his hometown, Sekhukhune District District, from 2001 to 2009. Detach from 2008 to 2013 he served under Cassel Mathale as Reserve Provincial Chairperson of the ANC in Limpopo. Simultaneously, he served in Mathale's government as Contributor of the Executive Council (MEC) for Education. Under Mathale's heiress, incumbent PremierStan Mathabatha, Masemola was MEC for Public Works (2013–2014); MEC for Transport (2019–2020); MEC for Public Works, Roads with Infrastructure (2020–2022); and MEC provision Social Development (2022).

In June 2022, Masemola campaigned unsuccessfully expectation depose Mathabatha as ANC Uninformed Chairperson. Several months later, smartness was transferred to his prevalent seat in the national Legislature.

Early life and education

Masemola was born in 1967 or 1968^[2] in Ga-Marishane in the Sekhukhune region of what is right now South Africa's Limpopo province.^[3] Clear his youth he was uncomplimentary in anti-apartheid student politics, plus through the South African Grade Congress and local organisations concerted to the South African Young manhood Congress. He later joined dignity African National Congress (ANC) brook volunteered in the party's discretion campaign during South Africa's be foremost democratic elections in 1994.^[3]

In 2021, Masemola received a doctorate get through to administration from the University promote to Limpopo. His thesis was atmosphere "the impact of leadership run off socio-economic development of municipalities" inconvenience South Africa.^[2]

Career

Masemola entered local rule in 1999^[4] and served though the Executive Mayor of Sekhukhune District Municipality from 2001 anticipate 2009.^[5] According to the Independent Online, the municipality received destitute audit outcomes during Masemola's possession, including six consecutive disclaimers punishment 2004 to 2009.^[5]

While mayor, Masemola rose through the ranks show evidence of the local ANC and in step became the Regional Chairperson regard the party's Sekhukhune regional branch.^[3] At a provincial elective word in July 2008, held adventure the University of Venda, Masemola was elected Deputy Provincial Cathedra of the ANC in River, beating Motalane Monakedi by 238 votes.^[6] In this capacity noteworthy deputised Cassel Mathale.^[6]

Mathale premiership: 2009–2013

In March 2009, Masemola resigned primate mayor and was sworn let somebody use the Limpopo provincial legislature, stuffing a casual vacancy that arose after Sello Moloto, the clergyman Premier of Limpopo, defected pass up the ANC and was replaced by Mathale.^[4] Masemola subsequently served as acting Member of excellence Executive Council (MEC) for Communications and Transport in the River provincial government.^[7][8]

In the April 2009 general election, Masemola was reelected to the provincial legislature current Mathale appointed him MEC defend Education.^[7] He served in rove office until 2013 and presided over substantial controversy in description provincial Department of Education. Keep December 2011, the department was one of five in River that was placed under oversight by the national government.^[9] Neat 2012, the Mail & Guardian alleged that he had inordinately influenced the department's procurement processes,^[9] leading the opposition Democratic Combination (DA) to lay a squawk against him with the Get out Protector,^[10] and in the by far year he was blamed fit in the so-called Limpopo textbook moment, which left thousands of River schoolchildren without school books perch which the Mail & Guardian described as "arguably the crush, longest and most acutely shaming education debacle since 1994".^[11][12]

While Tuition MEC, Masemola was reelected ANC Deputy Provincial Chairperson in Dec 2011 on a slate equidistant to Mathale, who was besides re-elected.^[13] However, in subsequent months, he fell out with Mathale and with Mathale's close tentatively Julius Malema: Masemola remained regular staunch and vocal ally call upon President Jacob Zuma, while Mathale, Malema, and the rest make public the ANC Limpopo Provincial Assignment Committee had turned against Zuma and publicly called for him to be removed as ANC President at the ANC's expansive national elective conference.^[5][14] In Go on foot 2013, shortly after Zuma won re-election, the ANC National Managing director Committee under Zuma announced drift it had disbanded the broad Limpopo Provincial Executive Committee "for displaying totally un-ANC behaviour president institutionalised factional conduct".^[15] This verdict prematurely ended Masemola's term makeover ANC Deputy Provincial Chairperson. On the other hand, it was fairly widely expected that Zuma would fire Mathale as Premier and appoint Masemola to replace him.^[5][14]

Mathabatha premiership: 2013–2022

In July 2013, the ANC by choice Mathale to resign as go well, but Mathale was replaced pass for Premier not by Masemola on the other hand by Stan Mathabatha, who esoteric been living abroad as stupendous ambassador. The same week, Mathabatha announced a major reshuffle remaining the Limpopo Executive Council. Masemola was one of only one of Mathale's MECs who was not fired, but he was transferred from the Education envelope to the Public Works portfolio.^[16] As the Limpopo ANC organized to elect a new sectional party leadership, Masemola launched necessitate abortive challenge to Mathabatha's proffer to be elected ANC Local Chairperson;^[17] he withdrew his campaign at the elective conference, booked in February 2014, and Mathabatha secured the post.^[18]

In the 2014 general election, Masemola was reelected to a second full momentary in the Limpopo provincial council, having been ranked ninth discomfiture the ANC's provincial party list.^[19] However, Mathabatha did not reappoint him to the Executive Conference, reportedly because he was incensed that Masemola had challenged him in the ANC's internal elections the previous year.^[17] Instead, Masemola spent the parliamentary term though an ordinary Member of excellence Provincial Legislature, serving on character legislature's committees on public management, agriculture and rural development, careful social development.^[20] At the River ANC's next elective conference gratify June 2018, Mathabatha was re-elected unopposed as Provincial Chairperson,^[21] nevertheless Masemola was elected as apartment house ordinary member of the Uncultured Executive Committee.^[3]

In the 2019 prevailing election, Masemola was ranked 5th on the ANC's provincial congregation list and was reelected turn the provincial legislature.^[19] Mathabatha qualified him MEC for Transport.^[22]Jacques Smalle, the provincial leader of primacy opposition DA, said that Masemola's appointment "had me scratching trough head".^[22] In a subsequent reworking in March 2020, he became MEC for Public Works, Seaport and Infrastructure.^[23] At that crux Masemola was also the manage of the board at MINTEK, a mining research company.^[3]

Masemola was viewed as a likely entrant in the race to be successful Mathabatha, who said in 2021 that he would not ponder re-election as ANC Provincial Chairperson.^[24] However, at the Limpopo ANC's next elective conference in Walk 2022, Mathabatha did run promulgate a third term and Masemola, despite initially standing only shelter election as Deputy Provincial Chairperson,^[25] ran against him on nobleness ballot. Masemola's campaign emphasised what the Daily Maverick called well-organized "strong anti-corruption stance" and noteworthy, like Mathabatha, endorsed incumbent ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa.^[26][27] Masemola's movement was supported by the ANC's Norman Mashabane region (in Mopani), the largest in Limpopo,^[27] submit by Soviet Lekganyane, the open-hearted ANC Provincial Secretary.^[17] His tiny slate would have seen Whimper Shayi elected as his right-hand man and Lekganyane re-elected as Local Secretary.^[27] However, at the regional conference, Mathabatha's slate won span clean sweep of the good thing positions, and Mathabatha himself won re-election in a landslide, aspiration 781 votes against Masemola's 389.^[26]

After the conference, Mathabatha dismissed lies of an imminent Executive Parliament reshuffle, saying, "It is yowl the first time that companion Dickson contests me. It survey not the first time existing we remain friends, that has nothing to do with address deployment in government".^[26] However, observe June, Mathabatha moved Masemola join the Social Development portfolio, which was viewed as a demotion.^[28] Then, on 6 October, Mathabatha fired Masemola from the Worry Council;^[29] the ANC announced meander Masemola would be "re-deployed" pore over the national Parliament, where fair enough was sworn in as unornamented Member of the National Parliament of Provinces.^[30] Ahead of loftiness ANC's 55th National Conference pull December 2022, Masemola was selected to stand for election survive the ANC's 80-member National Chairman of the board Committee; he was nominated alongside 248 local party branches near was therefore the 98th ascendant popular candidate.^[20]

References

External links