Jobs, housing, water and electricity for rural areas are priority for Limpopo's new premier Phophi Ramathuba

Former Limpopo health MEC Phophi Ramathuba has been elected as the first female premier in the province.

Ramathuba was elected after her political party, the ANC, garnered 74% of the votes in the province in the recent national and provincial elections.

It appears the ANC in Limpopo put aside their internal squabbles and rallied behind the election of Ramathuba. The faction that supported Ramathuba emerged victorious against the one that preferred other candidates including Florence Radzilani.

Ramathuba takes over the reins from Stan Mathabatha who was on Friday sworn in as an MP. Mathabatha is one of the longest serving premiers having been at the helm of the province for 11 years.

“I am humbled and grateful to accept the responsibility entrusted to me as the premier of this great province. I am deeply honoured for the opportunity to lead Limpopo towards a future of progress, prosperity and unity,” said Ramathuba.

“We are called upon to work together to ensure that we create job opportunities for the jobless; houses for the homeless; above all, deliver water and electricity to the most needy in the vast farmlands and far-flung villages of Limpopo.”

She said she was humbled by the “unequivocal and solid voice” of the electorate in Limpopo that gave the ANC an overwhelming majority in the province.

“The people have indeed spoken As the ANC we accept your overwhelming mandate, conscious of the service delivery challenges that lie ahead, and again we dare not fail,” she said.

“It is my intention that a key defining feature of the seventh provincial administration shall be responsibility — a responsibility to create a new environment conducive to the economic growth of our province and the socioeconomic advancement of its people, titled of course in favour of the most vulnerable among us. We also have a responsibility to remain accountable to those who brought us into this chamber and into public office.”

The ANC on Friday was able to install seven of its premiers including Ramathuba in Limpopo. In Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi was elected unopposed, while Mandla Ndlovu took over the reins in Mpumalanga unopposed with Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae being installed as premier in the Free State.

The ANC’s Lazarus “Lazzy” Mokgosi was installed as premier in the North West while Zamani Saul and Oscar Mabuyane also returned to lead the Northern Cape and the Eastern Cape respectively.

It is widely expected that the government of national unity pact that the ANC, the DA and the IFP signed on Friday will also find resonance in the provinces.

It is however unclear if this agreement will also trickle down to the hung municipalities including the metros in Gauteng.

In Gauteng, the parties have agreed to a provincial government of unity.

In Gauteng, the ANC supported the DA for the deputy speaker position where Refiloe Nt’sekhe was elected with Morakane Mosupyoe clinching the speaker position.

Lesufi said the electorate had used their ballots to tell different political parties to work together.

“We’ve been asked to work together, To work together we will do. We’ve been asked to combine our ideas for a better Gauteng. To combine our ideas, we will do together. We’ve been asked to leave no one behind. Today, we all declare that no one will be left behind,” said Lesufi.

“Our mandate is simple: crime and lawlessness your time is up. Our mandate is simple: municipalities play your part, we will play our part. Our mandate is simple: Johannesburg CBD, Alexandra Township, Sethokga hostel, Makause informal settlement, we are ready to make you beautiful again,” he added. 

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