By The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Free State province has thrown its weight behind newly elected premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae by expressing its support and confidence in her leadership capabilities.
Letsoha-Mathae was officially sworn into office on Friday, 14 June 2024, during the first sitting of the Provincial Legislature of the seventh administration; the sitting also saw the re-election of Ntombizanele Sefuba as Speaker.
MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae was vying for the number one post going up against MEC for Public Works and PEC member Dibolelo Mance and the former Premier Mxolisi Dukwana. After a rigorous interview by the National Officials of the ANC under the watchful eye of the Election Committee of the party, she was named the Premier of the Free State.
SACP extended its congratulatory messages to the newly elected Premier and pledged its support and expressed its confidence in MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae calling for bold initiatives that will place the provincial economy on a new growth and developmental path, improve clean governance and service to the people.
“In the same vein, the Party extends its thanks to the former Premier, Comrade Mxolisi Dukwana and the executive committee he led for their service to the people of the Free State. We urge our new Premier to harness and expand the positive and progressive work of the outgoing executive and inject new energy, innovation and greater determination in service and development of the province and its people.
In particular, the Party expects the new executive to remain true to the commitments made through our ANC-led Alliance election manifesto. As a matter of priority, government must move with speed to address challenges of collapsing basic service delivery as well as challenges of governance and stability in the provincial and local state, and place the provincial economy on a new corruption-free growth and developmental trajectory to address the deepening crisis of unemployment, poverty, inequality and under-development,” said the SACP.
The ANC in the Free State won the province by majority votes of 51.87% in the National and Provincial elections; to this, the SACP says the results express the clearest will of the people in the province who are demanding a decisive and representative leadership that responds to and advances the interest of the people.
“The SACP expects the ANC to ensure consensus seeking consultation with the Alliance in finalising a leadership collective to form Premier Letsoa-Mathae’s executive council. Furthermore, the SACP will advance and lobby the Alliance for extra-parliamentary mechanisms to collaborate with government and ensure seamless monitoring, accountability and community involvement in public affairs,” concluded the SACP.
