Steady hands that kept the fires burning in provinces
After the country went through a major election this year, the premiers are under pressure to demonstrate their commitment to economic growth and social progress. They must balance the need to address pressing issues such as poverty and inequality with the need to ensure the country’s economic stability and security.
Phophi Ramathuba
Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba is a rising political star. She is known for her assertive and hands-on leadership style, even if it means ruffling feathers.
Love her or hate her, Ramathuba’s legacy as premier promises to be as provocative as her approach when she was health MEC – unafraid, unapologetic and hopefully impactful. Rating: Hit
Lazarus Mokgosi
North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi has swaggered onto the political stage with an audacious plan, rallying his fellow premiers from the forgotten corners of South Africa – Northern Cape, Limpopo, Eastern Cape, Free State and Mpumalanga.
His mission? To flip the script on budget allocations that have left these provinces languishing in the shadows of their urban counterparts. Mokgosi’s crusade is stirring the pot, demanding a new distribution formula that champions fairness over the old guard’s favouritism. He has inherited a legacy of fiscal chaos, with underspending being the ghost of governance past. But to his credit, he is tightening the screws on financial management and municipal performance, daring to dream of a bureaucracy that actually delivers. Rating: Hit
Zamani Saul
Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul has somehow managed to skate past the harsh spotlight of political accountability. Or could it be that he’s just cosily nestled within the bosom of a power bloc in the ANC? “Doc,” as he is endearingly called, seems to have mastered the art of political wizardry.
He preaches accountability and transparency in government. These two words typically send shivers down the spine of public officials. But lo and behold, the May 29 general elections delivered a not-so-subtle slap of reality. Saul, the once-untouchable, now stands with only a whisker of dignity left, as he’s one of the trio of ANC premiers who couldn’t muster an outright majority. Rating: Caution
Alan Winde
Meet Alan Winde, the man who is trying to sell you the Western Cape as an economic utopia while sweeping its social ills under the plush carpet of Cape Town’s affluent suburbs.
Winde’s pro-business, economic growth mantra echoes through the corridors of power, playing well with investors and the wealthy elite.
Sure, Western Cape flaunts stronger economic numbers compared to its neighbouring provinces, but let’s not kid ourselves – plenty of folks are still stuck in poverty’s grip. Winde’s approach seems more like a corporate brochure than a comprehensive social policy. Winde loves his data, but are spreadsheets solving the gang violence tearing communities apart? Rating: Caution
Oscar Mabuyane
Oscar Mabuyane, the premier of the Eastern Cape, is the poster boy for economic transformation, fiercely advocating for infrastructure and job creation in a province starved of growth. With a laser focus on development, Mabuyane paints himself as a messiah for the Eastern Cape, aiming to lift it from the doldrums of historical neglect.
His leadership style is as much about calculated moves and strategic alliances as it is about actual governance. Mabuyane’s political journey is a rollercoaster of factional battles. Even within his beloved ANC, he’s not immune to rivals nipping at his heels. The national ANC’s chaos spills into the Eastern Cape, creating a power struggle that Mabuyane navigates with a mix of loyalty and self-preservation. He’s a loyal ANC soldier, sure, but not without his own agenda. Rating: Caution
Panyaza Lesufi
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi is the unsung hero or the slick opportunist? It really depends on who you ask. His fans claim that without his shining interventions, like the job-creating Nasi Spani and those dashing AmaPanyaza crime busters, the ANC’s electoral nosedive could have been a full-on crash landing.
The critics, clutching their pearls, cry foul, accusing Lesufi of being nothing more than a populist showman.
Enter the jilted DA, left pouting in the corner when Lesufi gave them the cold shoulder in the provincial unity government. Is anyone shocked? Lesufi has become the accidental resistance hero against the ANC’s coalition courters and now stands in their crosshairs. His prize? A lobby calling to disband the Gauteng ANC executive he chairs. Rating: Hit
