By The African National Congress (ANC) in the Free State province has given the new leadership of the province a thumbs following the election and swearing in of the Premier and Members of the Executive Council (MEC).
Polediso Motsoeneng, the Secretary General of the ANC in the Free State, told the media on Friday, 21 June 2024, during a media briefing at the provincial offices of the party in Bloemfontein that the Congress welcomes the appointment of Comrade MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae as the Premier of the Free State.
The ANC is showing a united front on the new leadership and is confident about Letsoha-Mathae’s leadership capabilities. Motsoeneng affirmed the citizens of the Free State that there is no bad blood within the ANC and explained the absence of some members including that of the former Premier Mxolisi Dukwana at the media briefing.
He explained that Dukwana is in support of the new Premier and MEC, as Chairperson of the ANC in the province, Dukwana presided over the election of the MECs. The Chairperson had a commitment and could not attend the briefing.
MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae succeeded Dukwana following a rigorous process by the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC), where three candidates including Dibolelo Mance and Mxolisi Dukwana were elected to be interviewed by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ANC, where Letsoha-Mathae emerged the victor.
“We welcome the appointment of the Executive Council by the Premier and are encouraged by the wealth of experience and knowledge they each bring to the Executive Council. We commend the Premier for properly navigating this politically sensitive process and forming a team that is dedicated to serving the interests of the Free State community,” said Motsoeneng.
The ANC won the Free State with an outright majority, giving it the sole rule prerogative in the province, however, given the results in the May 2024 national and provincial elections, the liberation party is losing support each elections, mainly due to lack of service delivery, a weak provincial economy, high rate of unemployment especially amongst the youth.
“The ANC will closely monitor the performance of the Free State provincial government as it relates to providing quality services and improving the quality of life of all citizens. We remain convinced that the provincial cabinet will implement the ANC manifesto, particularly focusing on job creation, youth development, boosting the Free State economy, and investing in education and skills development.
We have taken note of the concerns of our people during the recent elections and assure them that we will take decisive action moving forward. All our deployees are expected to intensify their efforts in addressing community challenges. The ANC Free State shall not tolerate poor service and unethical behaviour,” concluded the Secretary General of the ANC in the Free State Polediso Motsoeneng.
