Butana Komphela
{{Short description|South African politician (1955–2022)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| party = African National Congress
| office = Member of the Free State Provincial Legislature
| termstart = 14 June 2011
| termend = 7 May 2019
| office1 = Member of the Free State Executive Council for Social Development
| premier1 = Sisi Ntombela
| termend1 = May 2019
| termstart1 = May 2018
| predecessor1 = Limakatso Mahasa
| successor1 = Mamiki Qabathe
| office2 = Member of the Free State Executive Council for Health
| termstart2 = October 2016
| termend2 = May 2018
| premier2 = {{plainlist|
- Ace Magashule
- Sisi Ntombela}}
| successor2 = Montseng Tsiu
| predecessor2 = Benny Malakoane
| office3 = Member of the Free State Executive Council for Police, Roads and Transport
| premier3 = Ace Magashule
| termstart3 = June 2011
| termend3 = October 2016
| successor3 = Sam Mashinini
| predecessor3 = Thabo Manyoni
| death_place = Bloemfontein, Free State
South Africa
| relations = Steve Komphela (brother)
| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|01|24|1955|12|07|df=yes}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1955|12|07|df=yes}}
}}
Butana Moses Komphela (7 December 1955 – 24 January 2022) was a South African politician who represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly and Free State Provincial Legislature until 2019.
He served as the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture and after that he held several positions in the Free State Executive Council from 2011 to 2019. He died of COVID-19-related illness in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa.
Early life
Komphela was born on 7 December 1955.{{cite magazine |date=20 April 2004 |title=General Notice: Notice 717 of 2004 - Electoral Commission – List of Names of Representatives in the National Assembly and the Nine Provincial Legislatures in Respect of the Elections Held on 14 April 2004 |url=https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/262770.pdf |magazine=Government Gazette of South Africa |location=Pretoria, South Africa |publisher=Government of South Africa |volume=466 |issue=2677 |pages=4–95 |access-date=26 March 2021}} He was the elder brother of Steve Komphela, the former coach of Mamelodi Sundowns.
Parliament: 2001–2011
After the end of apartheid in 1994, Komphela represented the ANC in the Free State Provincial Legislature until June 2001, when the ANC announced a reshuffle in which he was transferred to a seat in the National Assembly, the lower house of the South African Parliament.{{Cite web |date=29 June 2001 |title=Direko axes three MECs |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/direko-axes-three-mecs-20010628 |access-date=2023-04-27 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} he was sworn in on 3 July 2001 and swopped seats with Seiso Mohai, who filled his place in the provincial legislature.{{Cite web |date=2002-06-02 |title=The National Assembly List of Resinations and Nominations |url=http://parliament.gov.za/na/resign.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020602095739/http://parliament.gov.za/na/resign.htm |archive-date=2 June 2002 |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=Parliament of South Africa}} He was elected to a full term in the assembly in the 2004 general election.
Komphela rose to public prominence as the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture,{{Cite news |date=20 June 2007 |title='Lily white' Olympic team 'unpalatable' |work=IOL |url=https://www.iol.co.za/sport/lily-white-olympic-team-unpalatable-358415 |access-date=19 March 2023}}{{Cite web |last= |date=26 January 2022 |title=Komphela remembered as a revolutionary who fought for transformation and unity in sport |url=https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/sport/2022-01-26-komphela-remembered-as-a-revolutionary-who-fought-for-transformation-and-unity-in-sport/ |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=Sowetan |language=en-ZA}} a position to which he was elected in June 2004.{{Cite web |date=25 June 2004 |title=Chairperson Election |url=https://pmg.org.za/committee-meeting/3721/ |access-date=2023-04-27 |website=Parliamentary Monitoring Group |language=en}} According to journalist Stephen Grootes, he was viewed as a firm supporter of former President Thabo Mbeki, although he was suspected of changing his allegiance after Mbeki's rival, Jacob Zuma, won election as ANC President in 2007.{{Cite web |last=Grootes |first=Stephen |date=2010-01-22 |title=Butana Who? |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2010-01-22-butana-who/ |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}} He was re-elected to his seat in the National Assembly in the 2009 general election, but he left Parliament in June 2011 when he was appointed to the Free State Executive Council in a reshuffle by Premier Ace Magashule.{{Cite web |title=Butana Moses Komphela |url=http://www.pa.org.za/person/b-m-komphela/ |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=People's Assembly |language=en}}
Provincial legislature: 2011–2019
Komphela joined Magashule's provincial government as the Free State's Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Police, Roads and Transport; he filled a vacancy that had arisen from Thabo Manyoni's resignation.{{Cite web |date=12 June 2011 |title='Chuene friendship' costs Komphela dearly |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/2011-06-12-chuene-friendship-costs-komphela-dearly-/ |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=Sunday Times |language=en-ZA}} He served in that position for over five years and, in the middle of that period, he secured re-election to the Free State Provincial Legislature in the 2014 general election; he was ranked fifth on the ANC's provincial party list.
In October 2016, Magashule announced a reshuffle that saw Komphela replace Benny Malakoane as MEC for Health.{{Cite web |date=4 October 2016 |title=Premier Ace Magashule on Free State Executive Council reshuffle |url=https://www.gov.za/speeches/changes-free-state-executive-council-4-oct-2016-0000 |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=South African Government}}{{Cite web |date=3 October 2016 |title=Magashule reshuffles Cabinet |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/magashule-reshuffles-cabinet-20161003 |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} He retained that portfolio for the rest of Magashule's premiership and into the term of Magashule's successor, Premier Sisi Ntombela. In her first reshuffle in May 2018, Ntombela moved Komphela to a new position as MEC for Social Development.{{Cite web |last=Makhafola |first=Getrude |date=9 May 2018 |title=Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela reshuffles Cabinet |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/free-state-premier-sisi-ntombela-reshuffles-cabinet-14868114 |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=IOL |language=en}}
He did not seek re-election to the Free State Provincial Legislature in the 2019 general election and he therefore dropped out of the Executive Council after the election.
Culpable homicide charge
On 6 January 2019, Komphela was involved in a traffic accident on the road from Theunissen to Bloemfontein. His BMW reportedly veered to the right and crossed barrier lines to collide with a car that was driving in the opposite direction. One of the passengers in the other car died at the scene and Komphela was charged with culpable homicide.{{Cite web |last=Setena |first=Teboho |date=24 November 2021 |title=Former MEC guilty of culpable homicide |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/community-newspaper/express-news/former-mec-guilty-of-culpable-homicide-20211123 |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} He was found guilty on 22 November 2021 and the Brandfort Magistrate's Court sentenced him to three years' imprisonment; the sentence was suspended for five years on the condition that Komphela did not commit a similar offence during the period of suspension.
Death
In December 2021, Komphela was admitted to hospital in Bloemfontein, where he received treatment for COVID-19-related illness, complicated by a pre-existing lung condition.{{Cite web |date=2022-01-30 |title=Late former Free State MEC Butana Komphela described as a versatile leader |url=https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/late-former-free-state-mec-komphela-described-as-versatile-leader/ |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=SABC News |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |date=24 January 2022 |title=Former Free State MEC Butana Komphela dies after Covid-19 hospital admission |language=en-ZA |work=Sowetan |url=https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2022-01-24-former-free-state-mec-butana-komphela-dies-after-covid-19-hospital-admission/ |access-date=2023-03-19}} He died in hospital on 24 January 2022.{{Cite web |date=24 January 2022 |title=Former Free State MEC Butana Komphela dies after Covid-19 hospital admission |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2022-01-24-former-free-state-mec-butana-komphela-dies-after-covid-19-hospital-admission/ |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=Sunday Times |language=en-ZA}}{{Cite web |last=Mthethwa |first=Cebelihle |date=24 January 2022 |title=Former Free State MEC Butana 'Computer' Komphela dies |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/former-free-state-mec-butana-computer-komphela-dies-20220124 |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{People's Assembly (South Africa)|b-m-komphela|Mr Butana Moses Komphela}}
Category:African National Congress politicians
{{DEFAULTSORT:Komphela, Butana}}
Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 1999–2004
Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2004–2009
Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2009–2014