Bulwane, Qabathe booted out as Dukwana bolsters Executive Council

Newly elected Free State Premier Mxolisi Dukwana announced his much-anticipated provincial cabinet on Monday, March 14, with same old faces.

Dukwana, who ousted former Premier Sefora ‘Sisi’ Ntombela and took over the baton to lead the embattled province, said he is steering forward to accelerate service delivery and to ensure Free State communities receive their essential needs.

Dukwana said is time for change and he had to be considerate to make changes in what he labelled as his “Team Free State” and that sacrifices had to be made that resulted in the removal of other notable MECs.

After serving in the Free State Legislature for 11 years, Matjhabeng-born Mamiki Qabathe has been booted out by Dukwana, and replaced by Tshidi Koloi as the MEC for social development.

Qabathe who began her political career as an activist in the South African Municipal Workers’ Union and as the first executive mayor of Lejweleputswa district municipality, held a variety of portfolios, most prominently as MEC for Agriculture in 2008, from 2009 to 2011, and from 2013 to 2015.

It is no secret that serving the combination portfolio of police, roads and transport resulted in a nightmare for the outgoing MEC William Bulwane, who only assumed the position in 2021, states of the roads deteriorated in the whole province under his watch, whereas crime rate in the province climbed the ranks, and seemingly it appeared as Bulwane was losing the war against crime.

During last year provincial crime rate statistics, kidnapping increased by 29% compared with 2021.

Robbery at businesses showed a 11% increase, to 224 cases, with the majority of these cases reported at the Park Road station in Bloemfontein.

Murder cases increased from 233 in 2021 to 243 cases in 2022, a 4% increase.

Kathleen Dibolelo Mahlatsi, who was recently sworned in as a member of the Free State Provincial Legislature yesterday, March 13, replaced the under-performing Tshidi Koloi in the portfolio of public works, who has been shoved to portfolio of social development.

Here’s a full list of MECs elected by Dukwana:

• MEC of COGTA & Human Settlement : Ketso Makume
• MEC of Community Safety, Roads and Transport: Queen Letsoha-Mathae
• MEC of Health : Mathabo Leeto MEC of Social Development: Tshidi Koli
• MEC of DESTEA: Thabo Meeko
• MEC of Public Works and Infrastructure: Dibolelo Mahlatsi
• MEC of Sports, Art and Culture : Maki Mahasa
• MEC of Education: Makalo Mohale
• MEC of Agriculture and Rural Development: To be finalized later
• MEC for Finance: Gadija Brown