Sisi Ntombela will replace ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule as the premier of the Free State. Magashule, the ruling party’s Secretary-General, made the announcement a media briefing on the party’s national working committee (NWC) meeting held on Monday.
Ntombela is the ANC Women’s League deputy president and MEC for Social Development in the Free State.
Refilwe Mtsweni will be the premier of Mpumalanga, replacing party and state deputy president, David Mabuza.
The two will remain premiers-elect until the legislatures of their respective provinces have officially sworn them in.
Magashule said the NWC believed that nominating women as premiers-elect was evidence that the ruling party was a non-sexist organisation that recognised the leadership abilities of women within its fold.
The party came under heavy criticism following the outcome of its elective conference last year that resulted in only one woman making it to its top six leadership structure.
Makhosandile Zulu/Citizen
