The newly appointed Free State premier, Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae, has described her appointment as a victory for women to unleash their leadership qualities. She mentioned this in her acceptance speech following her election during the Free State Legislature’s first sitting after the recent national elections, on Friday, 14 June, in Bloemfontein.
The strength of her sentiment “victory for women” was also based on the re-election of Ntombizanele Beauty Sifuba as speaker.
Letsoha-Mathae strongly expressed the belief that women are capable of influencing progressive change and advancing development.
“Today is a victory for women who, for too long, were viewed as mere stepchildren in the political and economic life of our country. Indeed, today is a testament that women are leaders and drivers of development who deserve equal opportunities to thrive and contribute.
“It is a victory for women who were only considered for purposes of filling quotas and meeting diversity targets. It is about recognising and harnessing the enormous potential that women bring to the table, as equal partners in the development of society,” she said.
Letsoha-Mathae currently serves as the ANC Women’s League treasurer-general and served as MEC for the Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport. She has replaced Mxolisi Dukwana, current ANC provincial chairperson.
Letsoha-Mathae is the fifth woman appointed as premier of the province. According to her, this is evidence of the ANC’s commitment.
“The ANC has yet again affirmed its longstanding commitment to usher in a non-sexist society where women’s potential is not used only as a marker of affirmative action targets.”
Letsoha-Mathae is one of two women in the country the ANC has appointed as premier. The other is Phophi Ramathuba in Limpopo.
Provincially, the era of women in the premiership position dawned in 1996, when the ANC appointed the late Dr Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri as the first-ever woman premier in South Africa. She served until June 1999.
The ANC had resolved to appoint her following a severe internal power struggle that culminated in Patrick “Terror” Lekota being removed as premier, after serving since April 1994.
Matsepe-Casaburri was succeeded by three women: Winkie Direko (June 1999 to April 2004), Beatrice Marshoff (April 2004 to May 2009) and Sisi Ntombela (March 2018 to February 2023).
Since 1994, three men have occupied this position. Ace Magashule (May 2009 to March 2018) became the second after Lekota, while Dukwana became the third male candidate.
