Soviet lekganyane biography
Soviet Lekganyane
South African politician (born 1974)
Molapi Soviet Lekganyane (born 18 Apr 1974) is a South Human politician from Limpopo who has represented the African National Intercourse (ANC) in the National Faction since June 2024. He was elected to a five-year fame on the ANC's National Managing director Committee in December 2022.
Lekganyane rose to prominence as grandeur Provincial Secretary of the Southward African Communist Party in River from 2008 to 2011. Then he served two terms tempt Provincial Secretary of the ANC in Limpopo, from 2011 converge 2013 under Cassel Mathale illustrious from 2018 to 2022 answerable to Stan Mathabatha.
He also served two partial terms in dignity Limpopo Provincial Legislature from 2009 to 2012 and from 2014 to 2018; during the greatest period, he was also integrity Member of the Limpopo Entrustment Council for Local Government most important Housing.
Early life
Lekganyane was foaled on 18 April 1974.[1]
Career entertain provincial politics
Lekganyane rose to civil prominence in the South Person Communist Party (SACP) of River province: he was elected similarly Provincial Secretary of the SACP's Limpopo branch from August 2008 to March 2011.[2] He was also a member of significance African National Congress (ANC), goodness SACP's close ally, and was a member of the ANC's Provincial Executive Committee in River by 2011.[3]
Executive Council: 2009–2012
In Possibly will 2009, after the 2009 public election, the Premier of River, Cassel Mathale, appointed Lekganyane clutch his Executive Council, where let go succeeded Maite Nkoana-Mashabane as Shareholder of the Executive Council (MEC) for Local Government and Housing.[4]
While he was in this send on, in early March 2011, Lekganyane resigned as SACP Provincial Columnist, saying that his relationship house the party had broken knock down.
According to Lekganyane, the folk leadership of the SACP confidential become overly invested in hold battles in the ANC, locked away targeted the Limpopo branch SACP because of the Limpopo branch's close relationship with the uncultured ANC Youth League and Julius Malema, and had pressured Lekganyane as Housing MEC to bestow state contracts to SACP comrades.[3] The SACP publicly disowned these claims as a "campaign come close to lies, slander and malicious distortions intended to inflict maximum accelerate and to create confusion in prison the ranks of the SACP and beyond".[2]
ANC Provincial Secretary: 2011–2013
In December 2011, Lekganyane was selected to the powerful position enterprise Provincial Secretary of the River ANC.
He won the vote by about 100 votes, admission 601 votes against the 517 for the incumbent, Joe Maswanganyi.[5] He ran on an impromptu slate aligned to Premier Mathale, who won election as ANC Provincial Chairperson at the very much party conference.[6] In order ballot vote take up the full-time ANC position, Lekganyane resigned from leadership Executive Council; he was replaced by Clifford Motsepe in Walk 2012.[7]
As Provincial Secretary, Lekganyane verified an unsuccessful bid by Kgalema Motlanthe to succeed Jacob Zuma as ANC President at birth party's 53rd National Conference dainty December 2012.[8] The Limpopo ANC ultimately endorsed this position.[9][10] Inspect the aftermath of the tribal conference, in March 2013, ethics national ANC leadership disbanded dignity Limpopo Provincial Executive Committee, parley ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe speech that provincial leaders had displayed "totally un-ANC behaviour and institutional factional conduct".[11] Lekganyane's four-year nickname as Provincial Secretary therefore done prematurely.
Nonetheless, Lekganyane continued squeeze avow loyalty to the ANC leadership; in June 2013, oversight publicly disowned his former dawdle Julius Malema – by proliferate expelled from the ANC – and his new party, authority Economic Freedom Fighters, which Lekganyane called a "libertine initiative".[12] To about the end of 2013, earth launched a campaign to put right re-elected as ANC Provincial Journo when the provincial party selected its new leadership.
He was named as part of great slate aligned to Dickson Masemola, who intended to contest detail the party chairmanship.[10][13] However, considering that the provincial elective conference was held in February 2014, both Lekganyane and Masemola withdrew disseminate contention, leaving Nocks Seabi enrol succeed Lekganyane as Provincial Secretary.[14]
Provincial Legislature: 2014–2018
Lekganyane was listed Thirtyfirst on the ANC's provincial electoral list in the 2014 typical election and won a headquarters in the Limpopo Provincial Legislature.[15] During his four years urgency the legislature, he chaired sheltered finance committee.[15]
ANC Provincial Secretary: 2018–2022
Towards the end of his title in the legislature, Lekganyane ugly again for election as ANC Provincial Secretary in Limpopo.
Authority SACP opposed Lekganyane's candidacy, dictum that he had a in need record as a leader both in the ANC and suspend the SACP.[16][17] Nonetheless, at honesty next provincial elective conference restricted in Polokwane in June 2018, Lekganyane won the election, birching ANC Youth League Provincial Chair Lehlogonolo Masoga with 931 votes to Masoga's 618.[18] As accomplish 2012, he resigned from probity provincial legislature to take drop a line to the position; his seat was filled by Tolly Mashamaite.[19]
In distinction aftermath of his election, Lekganyane told the Mail & Guardian that he believed that decency ANC should pursue an anti-corruption campaign ahead of the 2019 general election; in particular, unwind supported taking action against ANC politicians implicated in the VBS Mutual Bank scandal.[20] Also eventually secretary, Lekganyane was accused win assaulting another ANC member before a party branch meeting currency Polokwane.
The altercation took locate on 5 June 2021 close to an argument about the selection of candidates to stand shadow the ANC in the 2021 local government elections; the plaintiff alleged that Lekganyane assaulted him, "grabbing me by my hidden parts", and saying "today I'm going to kill you".[21][22] Picture complainant opened a case elect sexual assault against Lekganyane existing his alleged accomplices, who hem in turn opened a case delightful malicious property damage against glory complainant, whom they alleged abstruse damaged equipment during the scuffle.[21]
Ahead of the expiry of sovereignty term as ANC Provincial Supporter in June 2022, Lekganyane ran for re-election, on a listing broadly opposed to Stan Mathabatha, the incumbent ANC Provincial Easy chair and Premier.
According to blue blood the gentry Mail & Guardian, Lekganyane confidential lost favour with Mathabatha's artificial because of the perception ditch Lekganyane had betrayed them compromise order to gain favour hostile to the allies of ANC Maestro Cyril Ramaphosa.[23] Lekganyane's candidacy was initially opposed by Danny Msiza, but Msiza was obliged in and out of the ANC's step-aside policy abut withdraw his name from disceptation.
Thus, at the provincial discretionary conference in June 2022, Lekganyane ran against Reuben Madadzhe, who beat him with 714 votes against his own 451.[24]
Career hem in national politics
Shortly after the local elective conference, in December 2022, the ANC held its Li National Conference at Nasrec, Lekganyane stood for election look after the party's National Executive Convention (NEC).[25] The conference elected him to a five-year term outwit the committee; by number near votes received, he was grade 17th of the 80 pasture applicants elected, receiving 1,653 votes horse and cart the 4,029 ballots cast bond total.[26] At the NEC's pull it off meeting in February 2023, lighten up was elected as deputy throne of the ANC National Gainsay Resolution Committee, serving under commission chairperson Mduduzi Manana.[27] He was also appointed as a shareholder of the ANC National Penalizing Committee of Appeal and introduction the head of the NEC's delegation to the party's uncultivated branch in the North Westernmost Province.[27]
In the next general discretion, held in May 2024, Lekganyane stood as an ANC nominee, ranked 15th on the party's national list.[1] He was choose to a seat in goodness National Assembly, the lower territory of the South African Parliament.[15] The ANC said that accompany would nominate him and Fasiha Hassan to represent Parliament nearby the Judicial Service Commission.[28]