Mxolisi Dukwana becomes Free State’s seventh premier

Office of the Free State Premier has finally been filled-up, just days after Sefora ‘Sisi‘ Ntombela tendered her resignation earlier this week to pave the way for her successor.

The newly elected provincial chairperson Mxolisi Dukwana, has been official sworn in as the new Premier for the province at the provincial legislature on Friday, February 24.

This comes after controversial Free State legislature speaker Zanele Sifuba, had called for a special sitting of the provincial legislature to elect the new premier.

The beleaguered Ntombela, was last month ousted as the provincial chairperson after she lost the contest for the chairperson position to the former Free State cooperative governance MEC – the position [provincial chairperson] which could have kept her in the office as the Premier of the Free State.

It was another massive blow as Ntombela also failed to make the cut as an additional member of the provincial executive committee, and the party in the province resolved to further recall the Premier.

Dukwana garnered 346 votes and surpassed his opponent Ntombela who received 306 votes during the Free State ANC provincial conference in Mangaung held in January following months of delays.

This secured staunch supporter of Ramaphosa to join the list of previous premiers in the province, as he is inaugurated as the seventh premier of the province.

Former premiers of Free State include Mosiuoa Lekota, Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, Winkie Direko, Beatrice Marshoff, Elias ‘Ace‘ Magashule and Sisi Ntombela.

During his sworn in, Dukwana acknowledged and thanked the confidence bestowed on him.