Stan Mathabatha
Stanley Mathabatha MPL | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 4th Premier of Limpopo | |
| Assumed office 18 July 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Cassel Mathale |
| Provincial Chairperson of the African National Congress | |
| Assumed office 16 February 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Dickson Masemola |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Chupu Stanley Mathabatha 21 January 1957 Ga-Mathabatha, Transvaal, South Africa |
| Political party | African National Congress |
| Alma mater | University of the Western Cape University of Limpopo |
Chupu Stanley Mathabatha (born 21 January 1957) is a South African politician and the current Premier of Limpopo province. He is a former member of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) and has been the Provincial Chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) in Limpopo since February 2014.[1]
Early life and career
During apartheid, Mathabatha was an 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.
In the 1980s, Mathabatha rose to become a prominent leader of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and later he was part of the advanced youth detachment commonly known as the Young Lions of the North. After the unbanning of political parties in 1990, Mathabatha helped rebuild ANC structures inside South Africa and became the Treasurer of the ANC's Northern Transvaal region in 1992. He has since served the ANC in various capacities in Limpopo.[2]
Education
Mathabatha has a Bachelor's 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 attended an Executive Management Development Programme at Harvard University in 2003.[3]
Post-apartheid
After the end of apartheid, Mathabatha was involved in the consolidation and transformation of the former Bantustans administrations of Lebowa, Venda and Gazankulu and the Transvaal Provincial Administration (TPA) into the Northern Province Provincial Administration and later Limpopo.[4]
Immediately after the formal end of apartheid in 1994, worked as the technical advisor to the then MEC of Finance and Economic Development. He was later appointed the General Manager of the SMME Directorate in the Provincial Department of Finance and Economic Development in Limpopo. In March 2003, he was appointed Chief Operations Officer of the Limpopo Development Enterprise (LimDev).[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
Controversy
Mathabatha has been accused of tribalism, most vocally by Tsonga entertainer Papa Penny, who claimed that Mathabatha only appoints Pedi people and sidelines Vendas and Tsongas.[5][6]
References
- ^ "Government Leaders | South African Government". www.gcis.gov.za. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ Stanley Mathabatha: Biography, Age, Wife, Profile, Qualifications, Premier of Limpopo. Retrieved on 8 June 2019.
- ^ Chupu Mathabatha re-appointed as Limpopo Premier. Retrieved on 8 June 2019.
- ^ Know your premier: Stan Mathabatha. Retrieved on 8 June 2019.
- ^ "'Homeboy' accusations hit Limpopo premiers office". citizen.co.za. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- ^ "Papa Penny gunning for top ANC job in Limpopo". timeslive.co.za. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
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