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{{short description|Premier of Limpopo from 2013 to 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Use South African English|date=October 2016}}
{{Use South African English|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable]]
| honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable]]
|name = Stanley Mathabatha
| name = Stan Mathabatha
|honorific-suffix = MPL
| honorific-suffix = [[Member of Parliament|MP]]
| image =
| image = [[File:Limpopo Premier Chupu Stanley Mathabatha.jpg|200px]]
|office = 4th [[Premier of Limpopo]]
| office = [[Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development|Deputy Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development]]
|term_start = 18 July 2013
| termstart = 3 July 2024
| president = [[Cyril Ramaphosa]]
⚫
|term_end =
|predecessor = [[Cassel Mathale]]
| minister = [[Mzwanele Nyhontso]]
| predecessor = ''Portfolio restructured''
⚫
|successor =
|office2 = Provincial Chairperson of the [[African National Congress]]
| office1 = [[National Assembly of South Africa|Member of the National Assembly]]
|term_start2 = 16 February 2014
| term_start1 = 14 June 2024
| office2 = 4th [[Premier of Limpopo]]
⚫
|term_end2 =
|predecessor2 = [[Dickson Masemola]]
| term_start2 = 18 July 2013
|birthname = Chupu Stanley Mathabatha
| term_end2 = 13 June 2024
| predecessor2 = [[Cassel Mathale]]
⚫
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|1|21|df=y}}
| successor2 = [[Phophi Ramathuba]]
⚫
|birth_place = [[Ga-Mathabatha]], [[Transvaal Province|Transvaal]], [[Union of South Africa|South Africa]]
|death_date =
| birthname = Chupu Stanley Mathabatha
⚫
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|1|21|df=y}}
|death_place =
⚫
| birth_place = [[Sekhukhuneland|Sekhukhune]], [[Transvaal Province|Transvaal]]<br />[[Union of South Africa]]
⚫
|party = [[African National Congress]]
⚫
| death_date =
⚫
|alma_mater = [[University of the Western Cape]] [[University of Limpopo]]
⚫
| death_place =
⚫
| party = [[African National Congress]]
⚫
| alma_mater = [[University of the Western Cape]] [[University of Limpopo]]
| otherparty = [[South African Communist Party]]
| office3 = [[Provincial Executive Committees of the African National Congress#Limpopo|Provincial Chairperson of the Limpopo African National Congress]]
| term_start3 = 16 February 2014
| predecessor3 = Cassel Mathale
⚫
| deputy 3 =
| deputy3 = {{plainlist|
* [[Jerry Ndou]]
* [[Florence Radzilani]]
}}
}}
}}


'''Chupu Stanley Mathabatha''' (born 21 January 1957) is a South African politician and the current premier of the [[Limpopo province]]. Mathabatha is a former [[Umkhonto we Sizwe]] (MK) guerrilla, he is also the Provincial Chairperson of the [[African National Congress]] (ANC) in Limpopo Province since February 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gcis.gov.za/content/resourcecentre/profiles/profile/7338|title=Government Leaders {{!}} South African Government|website=www.gcis.gov.za|language=en|access-date=2018-01-09}}</ref>
'''Chupu Stanley Mathabatha''' (born 21 January 1957) is a [[South Africa]]n politician who was the fourth [[Premier of Limpopo]] between July 2013 and June 2024. A member of the [[African National Congress]] (ANC), he has been the [[Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development|Deputy Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development]] since July 2024.


A former member of [[UMkhonto we Sizwe|Umkhonto we Sizwe]] and the [[United Democratic Front (South Africa)|United Democratic Front]], Mathabatha was a civil servant in [[Limpopo Province]] until 2010. Thereafter he completed a brief stint as a diplomat, serving as [[List of diplomatic missions of South Africa|South African Ambassador]] to Ukraine under President [[Jacob Zuma]] from 2012 to 2013. He was elected as Premier of Limpopo in July 2013 after the resignation of [[Cassel Mathale]], and he was elected as the [[Provincial Chairperson of the ANC|Provincial Chairperson]] of the [[African National Congress]] (ANC) in Limpopo in February 2014.
⚫
== Early life and career ==


Mathabatha was elected to a third four-year term as ANC Provincial Chairperson in June 2022. He is also a member of the [[Central Committee of the South African Communist Party|Central Committee]] of the [[South African Communist Party]].
=== During the struggle ===
Stanley Mathabatha, a renowned MK cadre in the Motetema area under violent conditions precipitated mainly by the presence of the local police training academy. He joined politics at a tender age and became a member of the ANC's armed wing [[Umkhonto we Sizwe]] (MK) in 1977 at the age of 20 after the [[1976 Soweto uprising]] and the same year that his close friend, Peter Mokaba was detained under the Terrorism Act.


⚫
== Early life and education ==
In the 1980s, Stanley Mathabatha rose to become a prominent leader of the then United Democratic Front (UDF) and later he was part of the advanced youth detachment commonly known as the Young Lions of the North, the most revered, admired and feared by all and sundry. After the unbanning of political parties in 1990, Mathabatha became one of the key activists to rebuild the structure of the ANC internally and the Treasurer of the Northern Transvaal Region of the ANC in 1992. He has since served the ANC in various capacities in Limpopo.<ref>[http://www.whohowwhen.com/stanley-mathabatha-biography-age-wife-profile-qualifications-premier-of-limpopo/ Stanley Mathabatha: Biography, Age, Wife, Profile, Qualifications, Premier of Limpopo]. Retrieved on 8 June 2019.</ref>
Chupu Stanley Mathabatha was born on 21 January 1957.'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Premier |url=https://www.limpopo.gov.za/?page_id=3406 |access-date=2 December 2022 |website=Limpopo Provincial Government}}</ref>''' He is from the [[Sekhukhuneland|Sekhukhune region]] of what is now the [[Limpopo|Limpopo province]] of South Africa;'''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Matlala |first=Alex Japho |date=2022-03-01 |title=Race for ANC Limpopo leadership begins in earnest |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/politics/race-for-anc-limpopo-leadership-begins-in-earnest-01-march-2022/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=The Citizen |language=en}}</ref>''' at the time of Mathabatha's birth, during [[apartheid]], it was part of the [[Transvaal (province)|Transvaal province]].


He has a [[Bachelor's degree]] from the [[University of the Western Cape]] and a Master's degree in [[Development studies|development]] from the [[University of Limpopo]].'''<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Chupu Stanley Mathabatha, Mr |url=https://www.gov.za/about-government/contact-directory/chupu-stanley-mathabatha-mr |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=South African Government}}</ref>''' He also attended an Executive Management Development Programme at [[Harvard University]] in 2003.'''<ref name=":0" />'''
=== After the struggle ===
After the end of apartheid, Mathabatha played a pivotal role in the consolidation and transformation of the then Bantustans administrations of Lebowa, Venda and Gazankulu and the Transvaal Provincial Administration (TPA) into the Northern Province Provincial Administration and later Limpopo.<ref>[http://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/know-your-premier-stan-mathabatha/ Know your premier: Stan Mathabatha]. Retrieved on 8 June 2019.</ref>


⚫
== Anti-apartheid activism ==
== Academic qualifications ==
In his youth, Mathabatha became involved in [[Internal resistance to apartheid|anti-apartheid activism]] in the Northern Transvaal, particularly in Motetema, a [[Township (South Africa)|township]] in the [[Lebowa]] [[bantustan]] on the outskirts of [[Groblersdal|Grobersdal]].'''<ref name=":0" />''' In 1977, in the aftermath of the [[Soweto uprising]], he joined [[UMkhonto we Sizwe|Umkhonto weSizwe]], the underground armed wing of the [[African National Congress]] (ANC).'''<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2019-05-22 |title=Know your premier: Stan Mathabatha |url=https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/know-your-premier-stan-mathabatha/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=SABC News |language=en-US}}</ref>''' In the 1980s, he was active in the [[United Democratic Front (South Africa)|United Democratic Front]] (UDF);'''<ref name=":1" />''' according to [[News24 (website)|News24]], he worked closely with [[Peter Mokaba]], whom he later described as a "revered comrade", and with Frans Mohlala.'''<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=14 July 2013 |title=Cassel Mathale to be sacked |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/cassel-mathale-to-be-sacked-20150429 |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref>''' He was also a member of the Motetema Youth Congress; of the Northern Transvaal Youth Congress; and of an ANC-aligned youth group known as the Young Lions of the North, which also included [[Cassel Mathale]] and others.'''<ref name=":0" />'''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=Special Provincial Official Funeral Service for Thabo Maemo Masebe |url=https://cmbinary.gauteng.gov.za/Media?path=OOP/Documents/Documents/Special%20Provincial%20Official%20%20Funeral%20Servive%20for%20Thabo%20Maemo%20Masebe.pdf&Item=1826&Type=Documents&Location=/OOP |access-date=2 December 2022 |website=Gauteng Provincial Government |page=5}}</ref>
Mathabatha has a BA Degree from the [[University of the Western Cape]] and a master's degree in Development (MDev) from the Graduate School of Leadership of the [[University of Limpopo]]. He also obtained an Executive Management Development Programme at Harvard University (USA) in 2003.<ref>[https://reviewonline.co.za/303929/mathabatha-re-appointed-as-limpopo-premier/ Chupu Mathabatha re-appointed as Limpopo Premier]. Retrieved on 8 June 2019.</ref>


When the apartheid government unbanned the ANC and other political parties in 1990, Mathabatha helped establish the party's structures in the Northern Transvaal, becoming Treasurer of the Northern Transvaal region of the ANC in 1992.'''<ref name=":0" />''' According to News24, he was also a member of the [[South African Communist Party]] (SACP) and helped the [[South African Communist Party|SACP]] establish its branches in the region.'''<ref name=":2" />'''
⚫
== Post-apartheid ==
Chupu Stanley Mathabatha has over time perfected the art of public administration and evolved into a propeller for change in the developmental space and enterprise development in particular. Prior to his appointment as Chief Operations Officer of LimDev in March 2003, Stan Mathabatha was the General Manager of the SMME Directorate in the Provincial Department of Finance and Economic Development in Limpopo and has also worked as the technical advisor to the then MEC of Finance and Economic Development in 1994.


== Career in the civil service: 1994–2013 ==
== Diplomacy ==

He was appointed the Managing Director of LimDev from 2005 to 2010 and left to become an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of South Africa in Ukraine (non-resident Ambassador in Armenia, Georgia, Moldova) in 2012.
=== Public administration: 1994–2010 ===
After South Africa's [[1994 South African general election|first democratic election]] in 1994, Limpopo province (initially called Northern province) was formed in a merger of the governments of three former bantustans – Lebowa, [[Venda]], and [[Gazankulu]] – with part of the government of the former Transvaal. Mathabatha entered the [[public administration]] sector, working in 1994 as the technical advisor to Limpopo's [[Member of the Executive Council]] for Finance and Economic Development.'''<ref name=":0" />''' In subsequent years he remained in the Limpopo provincial Department of Finance and Economic Development, becoming General Manager of the Small, Medium and Micro-Enterprise Directorate by 2003.'''<ref name=":0" />''' In March 2003, he was appointed [[Chief operating officer|chief operations officer]] of the Limpopo Economic Development Enterprise (LimDev), a state-owned development agency whose primary mandate was to provide [[Development finance institution|development finance]] to small businesses in Limpopo. He became the agency's [[managing director]] in 2005.'''<ref name=":0" />'''

=== Ambassadorship: 2012–2013 ===
Mathabatha left Limdev in 2010 to prepare to take up an [[List of diplomatic missions of South Africa|ambassadorship]]. The ''[[Mail & Guardian]]'' reported in 2011 that he was undergoing diplomatic training and would be nominated to head South Africa's mission to [[Guinea Conakry|Guinea-Conakry]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-09-09 |title=Yet another dodgy diplomat |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2011-09-09-yet-another-dodgy-diplomat/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref> but in 2012 President [[Jacob Zuma]] appointed him ambassador to Ukraine, in which capacity he was also [[non-resident ambassador]] to Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova.'''<ref name=":0" />'''

== Premier of Limpopo: 2013–2024 ==
In July 2013, the ANC asked [[Cassel Mathale]] to resign as [[Premier of Limpopo]], and the ANC-controlled [[Limpopo Provincial Legislature]] elected Mathabatha to replace him. He was sworn in as Premier on 18 July.'''<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2013 |title=Limpopo's new premier sworn in |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/limpopos-new-premier-sworn-in-1548756 |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=IOL |language=en}}</ref>''' In the ''[[The Citizen (South African newspaper)|Citizen]]''<nowiki/>'s account, Mathabatha returned to South Africa after being "head-hunted" by President Zuma as a successor to Mathale.'''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Matlala |first=Alex Japho |date=2022-06-02 |title=Tight race in Limpopo for ANC's provincial chair |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/politics/tight-race-in-limpopo-for-anc-provincial-chair-2-june-2022/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=The Citizen |language=en}}</ref>''' The ''[[Business Day (South Africa)|Business Day]]'' said that Mathabatha was seen as "neutral" in the [[Political faction|factional]] battles in the Limpopo ANC, and the provincial branch of the [[Congress of South African Trade Unions]] welcomed his appointment.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2013 |title=Stanley Mathabatha sworn in as new Limpopo premier |url=https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/politics/2013-07-18-stanley-mathabatha-sworn-in-as-new-limpopo-premier/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=Business Day |language=en-ZA}}</ref> The day after he took office, Mathabatha announced a major reshuffle in his [[Executive Council (South Africa)|Executive Council]]: he fired eight of Mathale's ten [[Member of the Executive Council|Members of the Executive Council]] (MECs).'''<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 July 2013 |title=New premier Stan Mathabatha fires 8 of 10 Limpopo MECs |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/new-premier-stan-mathabatha-fires-8-of-10-limpopo-mecs-20150429 |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref>'''

Mathale was re-elected to full terms as premier after the [[2014 South African general election|2014]] and [[2019 South African general election|2019]] general elections.

=== Election as provincial chairperson ===
In February 2014, several months after his appointment as Premier, Mathabatha was elected [[Provincial Chairperson of the African National Congress|Provincial Chairperson]] of the ANC in Limpopo. [[Jerry Ndou]] was elected as his deputy.'''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-02-20 |title=Limpopo ANC elects their new leaders |url=https://lowvelder.co.za/639670/anc-in-limpopo-elects-their-news-leaders/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=Lowvelder |language=en-US}}</ref>''' He was re-elected unopposed in June 2018; [[Florence Radzilani]] replaced Ndou as Deputy Provincial Chairperson.'''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kubheka |first=Thando |date=24 June 2018 |title=Stan Mathabatha re-elected as Limpopo ANC chairperson |url=https://ewn.co.za/2018/06/24/stan-mathabatha-re-elected-as-limpopo-anc-chairperson |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=EWN |language=en}}</ref>''' At the provincial party's next elective conference in June 2022, [[Dickson Masemola]], who had formerly been Deputy Provincial Chairperson under Cassel Mathale, launched a challenge to Mathabatha's incumbency.'''<ref name=":3" />''' In the election, however, Mathabatha easily secured a third term as Provincial Chairperson, winning 781 votes to Masemola's 389.'''<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Masuabi |first=Queenin |date=2022-06-04 |title=Stan Mathabatha wins third term but ANC to mull over Limpopo premiership succession plan |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-06-04-stan-mathabatha-wins-third-term-but-anc-to-mull-over-limpopo-premiership-succession-plan/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}</ref>''' All the top leadership positions were won by candidates who had run on a Mathabatha-aligned [[Slate (elections)|slate]] – including Radzilani, who was re-elected his deputy.'''<ref name=":4" />'''

While Provincial Chairperson, Mathabatha was perceived as a strong supporter of [[Cyril Ramaphosa]], who also grew up in Limpopo. He was a key ally of Ramaphosa's successful campaign for election to the ANC presidency at the ANC's [[54th National Conference of the African National Congress|54th National Conference]] in 2017,'''<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=du Plessis |first=Carien |date=2017-10-15 |title=In Limpopo, Dlamini Zuma attacks the demon of tribalism |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2017-10-16-anc-leadership-race-in-limpopo-dlamini-zuma-attacks-the-demon-of-tribalism/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}</ref>''' and was among the first ANC leaders publicly to pronounce support for Ramaphosa's re-election to a second term at the [[55th National Conference of the African National Congress|55th National Conference]] in 2022:'''<ref name=":4" />''' in January of that year, he praised Ramaphosa as a "son of the soil" and for having "brought the new dawn into the organisation [the ANC]".'''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Matiwane |first=Zimasa |date=6 January 2022 |title=ANC Limpopo supports 'son of the soil' Ramaphosa: Stan Mathabatha |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2022-01-06-anc-limpopo-supports-son-of-the-soil-ramaphosa-stan-mathabatha/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=Sunday Times |language=en-ZA}}</ref>'''

Mathabatha is also a member of the ANC's [[Tripartite Alliance]] partner, the [[South African Communist Party]] (SACP). In July 2022, he was elected to a second five-year term as a member of the [[Central Committee of the South African Communist Party|SACP Central Committee]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Current Central Committee |url=https://sacp.org.za/content/current-central-committee |access-date=2022-12-04 |website=South African Communist Party}}</ref>

=== Bid for national chairmanship ===
Also in the run-up to the 55th National Conference, Mathabatha emerged as a serious competitor to incumbent ANC National Chairperson, [[Gwede Mantashe]], who sought re-election to the post. When the national ANC released the list of nominations in November 2022, Mathabatha appeared to be the frontrunner for the National Chairperson position, having secured the support of a majority of local ANC branches in the provinces of Limpopo, [[KwaZulu-Natal]], and the [[North West (South African province)|North West]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-23 |title=ANC TOP 6 – see the branch nominations breakdown with our interactive graphic |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-11-23-anc-top-6-see-the-branch-nominations-breakdown-with-our-interactive-graphic/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}</ref> An anonymous source told the ''Business Day'' that Mathabatha had sought re-election to the Provincial Chairperson position partly in order to bolster his campaign to gain a leadership position in the national ANC.'''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 June 2022 |title=Stan Mathabatha set to take ANC top job at Limpopo conference |url=https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/politics/2022-06-02-stan-mathabatha-set-to-take-anc-top-job-at-limpopo-conference/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=Business Day |language=en-ZA}}</ref>'''

=== Tribalism controversy ===
Mathabatha was accused of [[Regionalism (politics)|regionalism]] and [[tribalism]]. Most prominently, this accusation was made in 2018 by [[Penny Penny]], a [[Tsonga people|Tsonga]] entertainer and local councillor who at the time was mounting an unsuccessful bid to oust Mathabatha from the ANC provincial chair. Penny Penny claimed, among other things, that none of Mathabatha's MECs were [[Shangaan language|Shangaan]]-speaking.'''<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Matlala |first=Alex Japho |date=2018-06-20 |title=Penny Penny aims at top Limpopo ANC job, slams 'tribalism' |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/penny-penny-aims-at-top-limpopo-anc-job-slams-tribalism/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=The Citizen |language=en}}</ref>''' In 2020, the ''Citizen'' printed, without attribution, the claim that Mathabatha had displayed a regionalist or [[Nepotism|nepotist]] bias in appointing five people from his home region, Sekhukhune, to senior management positions in his office.'''<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Matlala |first=Alex Japho |date=2020-12-07 |title='Homeboy' accusations hit Limpopo Premier's office |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/politics/homeboy-accusations-hit-limpopo-premiers-office/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=The Citizen |language=en}}</ref>''' Mathabatha denied the accusation on both occasions.'''<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" />'''

=== Departure ===
Mathale left the office at the [[2024 South African general election|2024 general election]], having reached the constitutional term limit.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Machaka |first=Thabiso |date=2024-05-09 |title=Premier Mathabatha reflects on his term and future |url=https://www.capricornfm.co.za/premier-mathabatha-reflects-on-his-term-and-future/ |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=Capricorn FM |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-13 |title=Mathabatha to handover the reins to successor in 7th administration |url=https://elections.sabc.co.za/elections2024/news/mathabatha-to-handover-the-reins-to-successor-in-7th-administration/ |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=SABC Elections |language=en-US}}</ref> He was succeeded by [[Phophi Ramathuba]] on 14 June 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-14 |title=Ramathuba becomes Limpopo's first female premier |url=https://www.enca.com/news/limpopo-legislature-ramathuba-becomes-limpopos-first-female-premier |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=eNCA |language=en}}</ref>

== Career in national government: 2024–present ==
Mathabatha was elected to a seat in the [[National Assembly of South Africa|National Assembly]] in the 2024 election, and on 30 June President Ramaphosa appointed him as [[Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development|Deputy Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 June 2024 |title=Working together to 'serve the people': Ramaphosa names new Cabinet |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/read-in-full-working-together-to-serve-the-people-ramaphosa-names-new-cabinet-20240630 |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Mathabatha lives in the village of Tooseng in Ga-Mphahlele in Limpopo.'''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-04 |title=Premier among the first to be counted in Limpopo |url=https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/premier-among-first-be-counted-limpopo |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=South African Government News Agency |language=en}}</ref>''' His wife was the late Margaret Mathabatha, who had three children.'''<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=2013-09-18 |title=Meet our new First Lady |url=https://reviewonline.co.za/6759/meet-our-new-first-lady/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=Polokwane Observer Review |language=en-US}}</ref>''' She was born in [[Pretoria|Pretoria, Gauteng]] and was formerly a teacher and civil servant.'''<ref name=":7" />''' In 2018, there was a mild scandal concerning a voice recording which reportedly recorded Mathabatha confessing romantic feelings towards Florence Radzilani, his deputy in the ANC.<ref>{{Cite web |title='I released Limpopo premier's love tape with my wife' – Pastor |url=https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-africa/2018-10-19-i-released-limpopo-premiers-love-tape-with-my-wife-pastor/ |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=Sowetan |language=en-ZA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=22 October 2018 |title=Mathabatha confesses: Voice in love note to Radzilani is mine |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/mathabatha-confesses-voice-in-love-note-to-radzilani-is-mine-17586960 |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=IOL |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Modjadji |first=Ngwako |date=21 October 2018 |title=The Limpopo premier, the pastor's wife, and the failed interdict |url=https://www.news24.com/citypress/news/the-limpopo-premier-the-pastors-wife-and-the-failed-interdict-20181021 |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=City Press |language=en-US}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{People's Assembly (South Africa)|mr-mathabatha-stanley-chupu|Chupu Stanley Mathabatha}}
{{SouthAfricaPremiers}}
{{SouthAfricaPremiers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mathabatha, Stanley}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mathabatha, Stanley}}
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Northern Sotho people]]
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[[Category:African National Congress politicians]]
[[Category:Premiers of Limpopo]]
[[Category:Members of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature]]
[[Category:University of the Western Cape alumni]]
[[Category:University of the Western Cape alumni]]
[[Category:University of Limpopo alumni]]
[[Category:University of Limpopo alumni]]
[[Category:Umkhonto weSizwe personnel]]
[[Category:UMkhonto we Sizwe personnel]]
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[[Category:African National Congress politicians]]

Latest revision as of 19:53, 26 December 2024

The Honourable
Stan Mathabatha
MP
Deputy Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development
Incumbent
Assumed office
3 July 2024
PresidentCyril Ramaphosa
MinisterMzwanele Nyhontso
Preceded byPortfolio restructured
Member of the National Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
14 June 2024
4th Premier of Limpopo
In office
18 July 2013 – 13 June 2024
Preceded byCassel Mathale
Succeeded byPhophi Ramathuba
Provincial Chairperson of the Limpopo African National Congress
Incumbent
Assumed office
16 February 2014
Deputy
Preceded byCassel Mathale
Personal details
Born
Chupu Stanley Mathabatha

(1957-01-21) 21 January 1957 (age 67)
Sekhukhune, Transvaal
Union of South Africa
Political partyAfrican National Congress
Other political
affiliations		South African Communist Party
Alma materUniversity of the Western Cape University of Limpopo

Chupu Stanley Mathabatha (born 21 January 1957) is a South African politician who was the fourth Premier of Limpopo between July 2013 and June 2024. A member of the African National Congress (ANC), he has been the Deputy Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development since July 2024.

A former member of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the United Democratic Front, Mathabatha was a civil servant in Limpopo Province until 2010. Thereafter he completed a brief stint as a diplomat, serving as South African Ambassador to Ukraine under President Jacob Zuma from 2012 to 2013. He was elected as Premier of Limpopo in July 2013 after the resignation of Cassel Mathale, and he was elected as the Provincial Chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) in Limpopo in February 2014.

Mathabatha was elected to a third four-year term as ANC Provincial Chairperson in June 2022. He is also a member of the Central Committee of the South African Communist Party.

Early life and education

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Chupu Stanley Mathabatha was born on 21 January 1957.[1] He is from the Sekhukhune region of what is now the Limpopo province of South Africa;[2] at the time of Mathabatha's birth, during apartheid, it was part of the Transvaal province.

He has a Bachelor's degree from the University of the Western Cape and a Master's degree in development from the University of Limpopo.[3] He also attended an Executive Management Development Programme at Harvard University in 2003.[3]

Anti-apartheid activism

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In his youth, Mathabatha became involved in anti-apartheid activism in the Northern Transvaal, particularly in Motetema, a township in the Lebowa bantustan on the outskirts of Grobersdal.[3] In 1977, in the aftermath of the Soweto uprising, he joined Umkhonto weSizwe, the underground armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC).[4] In the 1980s, he was active in the United Democratic Front (UDF);[4] according to News24, he worked closely with Peter Mokaba, whom he later described as a "revered comrade", and with Frans Mohlala.[5] He was also a member of the Motetema Youth Congress; of the Northern Transvaal Youth Congress; and of an ANC-aligned youth group known as the Young Lions of the North, which also included Cassel Mathale and others.[3][6]

When the apartheid government unbanned the ANC and other political parties in 1990, Mathabatha helped establish the party's structures in the Northern Transvaal, becoming Treasurer of the Northern Transvaal region of the ANC in 1992.[3] According to News24, he was also a member of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and helped the SACP establish its branches in the region.[5]

Career in the civil service: 1994–2013

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Public administration: 1994–2010

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After South Africa's first democratic election in 1994, Limpopo province (initially called Northern province) was formed in a merger of the governments of three former bantustans – Lebowa, Venda, and Gazankulu – with part of the government of the former Transvaal. Mathabatha entered the public administration sector, working in 1994 as the technical advisor to Limpopo's Member of the Executive Council for Finance and Economic Development.[3] In subsequent years he remained in the Limpopo provincial Department of Finance and Economic Development, becoming General Manager of the Small, Medium and Micro-Enterprise Directorate by 2003.[3] In March 2003, he was appointed chief operations officer of the Limpopo Economic Development Enterprise (LimDev), a state-owned development agency whose primary mandate was to provide development finance to small businesses in Limpopo. He became the agency's managing director in 2005.[3]

Ambassadorship: 2012–2013

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Mathabatha left Limdev in 2010 to prepare to take up an ambassadorship. The Mail & Guardian reported in 2011 that he was undergoing diplomatic training and would be nominated to head South Africa's mission to Guinea-Conakry,[7] but in 2012 President Jacob Zuma appointed him ambassador to Ukraine, in which capacity he was also non-resident ambassador to Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova.[3]

Premier of Limpopo: 2013–2024

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In July 2013, the ANC asked Cassel Mathale to resign as Premier of Limpopo, and the ANC-controlled Limpopo Provincial Legislature elected Mathabatha to replace him. He was sworn in as Premier on 18 July.[8] In the Citizen's account, Mathabatha returned to South Africa after being "head-hunted" by President Zuma as a successor to Mathale.[9] The Business Day said that Mathabatha was seen as "neutral" in the factional battles in the Limpopo ANC, and the provincial branch of the Congress of South African Trade Unions welcomed his appointment.[10] The day after he took office, Mathabatha announced a major reshuffle in his Executive Council: he fired eight of Mathale's ten Members of the Executive Council (MECs).[11]

Mathale was re-elected to full terms as premier after the 2014 and 2019 general elections.

Election as provincial chairperson

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In February 2014, several months after his appointment as Premier, Mathabatha was elected Provincial Chairperson of the ANC in Limpopo. Jerry Ndou was elected as his deputy.[12] He was re-elected unopposed in June 2018; Florence Radzilani replaced Ndou as Deputy Provincial Chairperson.[13] At the provincial party's next elective conference in June 2022, Dickson Masemola, who had formerly been Deputy Provincial Chairperson under Cassel Mathale, launched a challenge to Mathabatha's incumbency.[9] In the election, however, Mathabatha easily secured a third term as Provincial Chairperson, winning 781 votes to Masemola's 389.[14] All the top leadership positions were won by candidates who had run on a Mathabatha-aligned slate – including Radzilani, who was re-elected his deputy.[14]

While Provincial Chairperson, Mathabatha was perceived as a strong supporter of Cyril Ramaphosa, who also grew up in Limpopo. He was a key ally of Ramaphosa's successful campaign for election to the ANC presidency at the ANC's 54th National Conference in 2017,[4][15] and was among the first ANC leaders publicly to pronounce support for Ramaphosa's re-election to a second term at the 55th National Conference in 2022:[14] in January of that year, he praised Ramaphosa as a "son of the soil" and for having "brought the new dawn into the organisation [the ANC]".[16]

Mathabatha is also a member of the ANC's Tripartite Alliance partner, the South African Communist Party (SACP). In July 2022, he was elected to a second five-year term as a member of the SACP Central Committee.[17]

Bid for national chairmanship

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Also in the run-up to the 55th National Conference, Mathabatha emerged as a serious competitor to incumbent ANC National Chairperson, Gwede Mantashe, who sought re-election to the post. When the national ANC released the list of nominations in November 2022, Mathabatha appeared to be the frontrunner for the National Chairperson position, having secured the support of a majority of local ANC branches in the provinces of Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, and the North West.[18] An anonymous source told the Business Day that Mathabatha had sought re-election to the Provincial Chairperson position partly in order to bolster his campaign to gain a leadership position in the national ANC.[19]

Tribalism controversy

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Mathabatha was accused of regionalism and tribalism. Most prominently, this accusation was made in 2018 by Penny Penny, a Tsonga entertainer and local councillor who at the time was mounting an unsuccessful bid to oust Mathabatha from the ANC provincial chair. Penny Penny claimed, among other things, that none of Mathabatha's MECs were Shangaan-speaking.[20] In 2020, the Citizen printed, without attribution, the claim that Mathabatha had displayed a regionalist or nepotist bias in appointing five people from his home region, Sekhukhune, to senior management positions in his office.[21] Mathabatha denied the accusation on both occasions.[20][21]

Departure

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Mathale left the office at the 2024 general election, having reached the constitutional term limit.[22][23] He was succeeded by Phophi Ramathuba on 14 June 2024.[24]

Career in national government: 2024–present

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Mathabatha was elected to a seat in the National Assembly in the 2024 election, and on 30 June President Ramaphosa appointed him as Deputy Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development.[25]

Personal life

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Mathabatha lives in the village of Tooseng in Ga-Mphahlele in Limpopo.[26] His wife was the late Margaret Mathabatha, who had three children.[27] She was born in Pretoria, Gauteng and was formerly a teacher and civil servant.[27] In 2018, there was a mild scandal concerning a voice recording which reportedly recorded Mathabatha confessing romantic feelings towards Florence Radzilani, his deputy in the ANC.[28][29][30]

References

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  1. ^ "The Premier". Limpopo Provincial Government. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  2. ^ Matlala, Alex Japho (1 March 2022). "Race for ANC Limpopo leadership begins in earnest". The Citizen. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Chupu Stanley Mathabatha, Mr". South African Government. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Know your premier: Stan Mathabatha". SABC News. 22 May 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Cassel Mathale to be sacked". News24. 14 July 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Special Provincial Official Funeral Service for Thabo Maemo Masebe". Gauteng Provincial Government. 2022. p. 5. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  7. ^ "Yet another dodgy diplomat". The Mail & Guardian. 9 September 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  8. ^ "Limpopo's new premier sworn in". IOL. 18 July 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  9. ^ a b Matlala, Alex Japho (2 June 2022). "Tight race in Limpopo for ANC's provincial chair". The Citizen. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  10. ^ "Stanley Mathabatha sworn in as new Limpopo premier". Business Day. 18 July 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  11. ^ "New premier Stan Mathabatha fires 8 of 10 Limpopo MECs". News24. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  12. ^ "Limpopo ANC elects their new leaders". Lowvelder. 20 February 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  13. ^ Kubheka, Thando (24 June 2018). "Stan Mathabatha re-elected as Limpopo ANC chairperson". EWN. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  14. ^ a b c Masuabi, Queenin (4 June 2022). "Stan Mathabatha wins third term but ANC to mull over Limpopo premiership succession plan". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  15. ^ du Plessis, Carien (15 October 2017). "In Limpopo, Dlamini Zuma attacks the demon of tribalism". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  16. ^ Matiwane, Zimasa (6 January 2022). "ANC Limpopo supports 'son of the soil' Ramaphosa: Stan Mathabatha". Sunday Times. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  17. ^ "Current Central Committee". South African Communist Party. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  18. ^ "ANC TOP 6 – see the branch nominations breakdown with our interactive graphic". Daily Maverick. 23 November 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  19. ^ "Stan Mathabatha set to take ANC top job at Limpopo conference". Business Day. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  20. ^ a b Matlala, Alex Japho (20 June 2018). "Penny Penny aims at top Limpopo ANC job, slams 'tribalism'". The Citizen. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  21. ^ a b Matlala, Alex Japho (7 December 2020). "'Homeboy' accusations hit Limpopo Premier's office". The Citizen. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  22. ^ Machaka, Thabiso (9 May 2024). "Premier Mathabatha reflects on his term and future". Capricorn FM. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  23. ^ "Mathabatha to handover the reins to successor in 7th administration". SABC Elections. 13 June 2024. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  24. ^ "Ramathuba becomes Limpopo's first female premier". eNCA. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  25. ^ "Working together to 'serve the people': Ramaphosa names new Cabinet". News24. 30 June 2024. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  26. ^ "Premier among the first to be counted in Limpopo". South African Government News Agency. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  27. ^ a b "Meet our new First Lady". Polokwane Observer Review. 18 September 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  28. ^ "'I released Limpopo premier's love tape with my wife' – Pastor". Sowetan. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  29. ^ "Mathabatha confesses: Voice in love note to Radzilani is mine". IOL. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  30. ^ Modjadji, Ngwako (21 October 2018). "The Limpopo premier, the pastor's wife, and the failed interdict". City Press. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
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