Busi Shiba needed as deputy chair in new Refilwe Tsipane slate

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Busi Shiba needed as deputy chair in new Refilwe Tsipane slate
PULLED IN: Mpumalanga legislature speaker Busi Shiba has now entered the leadership fray in the race up to the ANC's 13th provincial congress, being punted as the deputy chairwoman in Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane's slate. PICTURE BY 013NEWS/ZK

They want this in order to include more women than men in the slate.


Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane’s ANC camp wants former Chief Albert Luthuli mayor and current legislature speaker Busi Shiba as her deputy chair when a provincial congress is convened soon.

Previously the camp had announced they would support treasurer Vusi Shongwe to come serve as Tsipane’s deputy, with Ermelo’s ANC PEC member Sibusiso ‘The Great’ Sgudla becoming treasurer.

They will now support The Great Sgudla to be an ordinary PEC member while pumping Pat Ngomane to be the provincial secretary, deputised by health MEC Sasekani Manzini, Tsipane at he helm as chairwoman, deputised by Shiba in a slate that retains Shongwe for another tenure as provincial treasurer.

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“Shiba has a strong support base in the Gert Sibande region,” one of the lobbyists said when speaking to the 013NEWS reporter.

“She is somebody who is principled and is a dignified woman who is committed to the fight for people to live a better life,” the comrade said Tuesday this week 3 March 2020.

Shiba became the MEC of social development soon after the August 2016 local government elections, appointed by then Premier and now deputy president DD Mabuza. She had been a mayor in Carolina.

In January 2020, the eHlanzeni region announced they would support Shongwe as deputy chair during a gathering of branches at the eHlanzeni district municipal building.

They said they were comfortable with Shongwe – who is also the Mpumalanga government’s second-in-charge as leader of government business – working with Tsipane in the ANC.

But now a new slate wants Shiba instead…

The branches in Mpumalanga are preparing to hold their BGMs to nominate leaders who should serve in the 13th Mpumalanga ANC leadership.

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An opposing slate has acting chairman Mandla Ndlovu as chair, Nkangala leader Speedy Mashilo, Gert Sibande leader Muzi Chirwa as secretary and acting provincial secretary Lindiwe Ntshalintshali to retain her post of deputy secretary.

It also wants the quite popular Mandla Msibi from Piennar to become treasurer.

The contest is dubbed “Gert & Nkangala contesting eHlanzeni”, for having the Gert Sibande region and Nkangala supporting Ndlovu while eHlanzeni supporting Tsipane.

The eHlanzeni is Mpumalanga’s largest region by branch numbers.

(edited by ZK)
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