Mtshweni-Tsipane takes offence in claims she is controlled by Mabuza

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Mtshweni-Tsipane takes offence in claims she is controlled by Mabuza
INDEPENDENT: Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane says she is her own woman, independent and successful. PICTURE BY Youtube.

She says the perception being created that a woman can only get certain things in life because she has given sexual favours to somebody in power is not at all good.


Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane takes offence in claims that she is deputy president DD Mabuza’s stooge and allegations that the man continues to run the province through her.  

She told the SABC on Monday this week that she personally takes exception to the distortion.

She said this supported the notion that whenever a woman gets a powerful position she has to “go into bed with a particular man”. She says she was an “independent woman” and Mabuza runs his own things nationally. 

She said there was no way Mabuza could run Mpumalanga as he “has his own responsibilities”.

“That distortion is there and ill-informed and I personally take strong exception. It is misleading to the community. I am an independent woman,’ the Premier told the public broadcaster during an exclusive interview unpacking the State of the Province Address (SOPA) she delivered a week ago 5 July 2019.

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Mtshweni-Tsipane who since she took over in February 2018 was somebody accused of being given the position by former Premier Mabuza because she was his “girlfriend”.

Early this year it appeared that the premier is married to Lawrence Tsipane – this occurred after she asked that all ANC and government documents should include her marital name, in countering claims of her being Mabuza’s woman. 

The first document bearing her man’s surname was the ANC’s list conference nomination results late last year, where for the first time she was called Refilwe Tsipane and no longer Refilwe Mtshweni as it has been the case since she came to the legislature in 2014. 

It is believed she got married to Tsipane around that time in 2014. 

She said although sex for positions might have been the case years ago, it must be understood that she was part of “another generation that did not subscribe to sex for success”.

(edited by MLM) 

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