By Setumo Stone
North West SACP leader Madoda Sambatha allegedly survived Premier Lazarus Mokgosi’s cabinet reshuffle after an ANC horse-trading proposal to remove another MEC be-came tied to a demand that Sambatha should also leave the provincial executive.
ANC insiders said Economic Development MEC Bitsa Lenkopane was among those Mokgosi considered removing during ANC consultations preceding his reshuffle this week.
But the discussions produced a political trade-off that ultimately helped Lenkopane and Sambatha survive. Sambatha was allegedly vulnerable because of the SACP’s decision to contest the municipal elections on November 4, independent of the ANC-led alliance.
Sources said some ANC leaders argued that if Lenkopane was removed, Sambatha should also make way for former MEC and current North West legislature deputy speaker Collen Maine. Mokgosi, however, was not prepared to bring Maine back into the executive and chose instead to retain Lenkopane, effectively closing the route through which Sambatha could have been removed.
“The discussion was that if Bitsa goes, then Sambatha must also go and Maine comes back,” an ANC insider familiar with the consultations said. “The premier was not comfortable with that arrangement. He would rather keep Bitsa than bring Maine back into the executive.”
The negotiations expose the calculations behind Mokgosi’s first major reshuffle and the competing interests confronting him inside the ANC provincial executive committee led by provincial chairperson Nono Maloyi. Mokgosi is Maloyi’s deputy in the ANC provincial leadership.
The premier removed Education MEC Viola Motsumi while shifting other members of his executive. Former speaker Desbo Mohono was appointed Education MEC. Virginia
Tlhapi took over Community Safety and Transport Management, while Wessels Morweng moved to Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation.
The ANC publicly backed Mokgosi’s changes but insiders said the consultations went considerably further than the three portfolios eventually affected.
Lenkopane’s future became a difficult question after her court battle with Mokgosi over control of the North West Development Corporation.
She approached the North West High Court after a dispute over her decision to dissolve the NWDC board and appoint an interim structure without the premier and the provincial treasury’s approval.
Last month, the court ruled against her and ordered her to personally pay the costs.
ANC insiders said her decision to take Mokgosi to court had angered sections of the provincial leadership and strengthened arguments for her removal.
“There were people who felt taking your own premier to court was a step too far,” a
provincial ANC source said.
“But once her removal was linked to Sambatha leaving and Maine returning, it became a completely different discussion.”
Government sources said there were also concerns about instability inside Lenkopane’s department, where several officials have allegedly been suspended for long periods while receiving their salaries. The sources said the issue had raised questions about the department’s management, although it was not enough to force Lenkopane out during the reshuffle.
Maine’s proposed return presented Mokgosi with another problem. Government insiders said relations inside executive council meetings were sometimes tense when Maine had served as an MEC, with disagreements between him and Mokgosi occasionally becoming confrontational.
Similar tension was reported between Mokgosi and Motsumi before her removal this week.
Maine left the executive after the 2024 elections when changes were made to accommodate a female representative.
The political contest may now shift to the legislature. ANC sources said a permutation under discussion is for Motsumi, a former deputy speaker, to replace Mohono as speaker. Another possibility is for Motsumi to become deputy speaker, which would require a rearrangement involving Maine.
The speaker and deputy speaker are elected by members of the provincial legislature, meaning any proposed changes would have to be processed through the ANC caucus and ultimately put to a vote.
But ANC insiders warned that the composition could create another centre of tension for Mokgosi. “There is concern about what it would mean politically if Maine and Motsumi were effectively running the legislature,” a source said.
“You would have people who have had serious disagreements with the premier occupying two of the most important positions in the House.”
Mokgosi said his reshuffle was intended to strengthen government performance as North West battles unemployment of about 38%. “It cannot be business as usual,” he said when announcing the changes.
- North West SACP leader Madoda Sambatha survived Premier Lazarus Mokgosi’s cabinet reshuffle after ANC consultations linked his removal to that of Economic Development MEC Bitsa Lenkopane.
- ANC insiders said removing Bitsa Lenkopane would require Sambatha to also leave, allowing former MEC Collen Maine to return, but Mokgosi preferred retaining Lenkopane over bringing Maine back.
- Lenkopane's court case against Mokgosi over control of the North West Development Corporation strained relations with the provincial ANC leadership and increased calls for her removal.
- Mokgosi removed Education MEC Viola Motsumi, appointed former speaker Desbo Mohono as Education MEC, reassigned Virginia Tlhapi to Community Safety, and moved Wessels Morweng to Arts and Culture.
- Discussions include possible legislative changes where Motsumi could replace Mohono as speaker or become deputy speaker, which may create political tension for Mokgosi due to past disagreements with Maine and Motsumi.
