Dickson Masemola
{{Short description| South African politician (born 1968)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|01|11|df=y}}
| birth_place = Ga-Marishane, Sekhukhune
Limpopo, South Africa
| office = Delegate to the National Council of Provinces
| term_start = 6 October 2022
| term_end =
| successor =
| office2 = Member of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature
| term_start2 = March 2009
| term_end2 = 6 October 2022
| office3 = Member of the Limpopo Executive Council for Social Development
| premier3 = Stan Mathabatha
| predecessor3 = Nkakareng Rakgoale
| successor3 = Nandi Ndalane
| term_start3 = June 2022
| term_end3 = 6 October 2022
| office4 = Member of the Limpopo Executive Council for Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure
| premier4 = Stan Mathabatha
| predecessor4 =
| successor4 = Nkakareng Rakgoale
| term_start4 = March 2020
| term_end4 = June 2022
| office5 = Member of the Limpopo Executive Council for Transport
| premier5 = Stan Mathabatha
| predecessor5 =
| successor5 = Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya
| term_start5 = 27 May 2019
| term_end5 = March 2020
| office6 = Member of the Limpopo Executive Council for Public Works
| premier6 = Stan Mathabatha
| predecessor6 = Thabitha Mohlala
| successor6 =
| term_start6 = July 2013
| term_end6 = May 2014
| office7 = Member of the Limpopo Executive Council for Education
| premier7 = Cassel Mathale
| predecessor7 =
| successor7 = Dikeledi Magadzi
| term_start7 = May 2009
| term_end7 = July 2013
| office8 = Deputy Provincial Chairperson of the Limpopo African National Congress
| predecessor8 = Joyce Mashamba
| successor8 = Jerry Ndou
| term_start8 = July 2008
| term_end8 = March 2013
| premier2 = Cassel Mathale
Stan Mathabatha
| party = African National Congress
| honorific_suffix = MP
| education = University of Limpopo (PhD)
}}
Namane Dickson Masemola (born 11 January 1968) is a South African politician who currently serves as Deputy Minister for the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the Government of National Unity (GNU) since June 2024.[https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-africa/2024-06-30-meet-the-new-cabinet/ Meet the new cabinet], Sowetan, 30 June 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024 He has previously served as a Delegate to the National Council of Provinces since October 2022. Between 2009 and 2022, he was a Member of the Provincial Legislature in the Limpopo provincial government, representing the African National Congress (ANC), and held a variety of positions in the Limpopo Executive Council.
Masemola began his political career as Executive Mayor of his hometown, Sekhukhune District Municipality, from 2001 to 2009. From 2008 to 2013 he served under Cassel Mathale as Deputy Provincial Chairperson of the ANC in Limpopo. Simultaneously, he served in Mathale's government as Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Education. Under Mathale's successor, incumbent Premier Stan Mathabatha, Masemola was MEC for Public Works (2013–2014); MEC for Transport (2019–2020); MEC for Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure (2020–2022); and MEC for Social Development (2022).
In June 2022, Masemola campaigned unsuccessfully to depose Mathabatha as ANC Provincial Chairperson. Several months later, he was transferred to his current seat in the national Parliament.
Early life and education
Masemola was born in 1967 or 1968{{Cite web |date=8 November 2021 |title=MEC Masemola graduates with a PhD in administration |url=https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-africa/2021-11-08-mec-masemola-graduates-with-a-phd-in-administration/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Sowetan |language=en-ZA}} in Ga-Marishane in the Sekhukhune region of what is now South Africa's Limpopo province.{{Cite web |title=National Members Assembly 2020: Speaker Profiles |url=http://www.salga.org.za/event/nma20/sp-18.html |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=SALGA}} In his youth he was active in anti-apartheid student politics, including through the South African Students Congress and local organisations affiliated to the South African Youth Congress. He later joined the African National Congress (ANC) and volunteered in the party's election campaign during South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994.
In 2021, Masemola received a doctorate in administration from the University of Limpopo. His thesis was about "the impact of leadership on socio-economic development of municipalities" in South Africa.
Career
Masemola entered local government in 1999{{Cite web |date=5 March 2009 |title=New Sekhukhune executive mayor to be known today |url=https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2009-03-05-new-sekhukhune-executive-mayor-to-be-known-today/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Sowetan |language=en-ZA}} and served as the Executive Mayor of Sekhukhune District Municipality from 2001 to 2009.{{Cite web |last=Rampedi |first=Piet Mahasha |date=9 October 2012 |title=Education MEC has poor track record |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/education-mec-has-poor-track-record-1399319 |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=IOL |language=en}} According to the Independent Online, the municipality received poor audit outcomes during Masemola's tenure, including six consecutive disclaimers from 2004 to 2009.
While mayor, Masemola rose through the ranks of the local ANC and ultimately became the Regional Chairperson of the party's Sekhukhune regional branch. At a provincial elective conference in July 2008, held at the University of Venda, Masemola was elected Deputy Provincial Chairperson of the ANC in Limpopo, beating Motalane Monakedi by 238 votes.{{Cite web |date=2008-07-20 |title=Mathale elected as new ANC Limpopo chairperson |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2008-07-20-mathale-elected-as-new-anc-limpopo-chairperson/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} In this capacity he deputised Cassel Mathale.
= Mathale premiership: 2009–2013 =
In March 2009, Masemola resigned as mayor and was sworn into the Limpopo provincial legislature, filling a casual vacancy that arose after Sello Moloto, the incumbent Premier of Limpopo, defected from the ANC and was replaced by Mathale. Masemola subsequently served as acting Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Roads and Transport in the Limpopo provincial government.{{Cite web |date=6 May 2009 |title=Limpopo's newly elected premier announces his Exco |url=https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/limpopos-newly-elected-premier-announces-his-exco |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=South African Government News Agency |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2009-06-04 |title=Who's who in education in the provinces |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2009-06-04-whos-who-in-education-the-provinces/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}
In the April 2009 general election, Masemola was reelected to the provincial legislature and Mathale appointed him MEC for Education. He served in that office until 2013 and presided over substantial controversy in the provincial Department of Education. In December 2011, the department was one of five in Limpopo that was placed under administration by the national government.{{Cite web |date=2012-10-26 |title=Malema's 'list' of pals feed on school meals |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2012-10-26-00-malemas-list-of-pals-feed-on-school-meals/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} In 2012, the Mail & Guardian alleged that he had improperly influenced the department's procurement processes, leading the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) to lay a complaint against him with the Public Protector,{{Cite web |date=2012-10-26 |title=DA reports Malema feeding scheme scandal to public protector |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2012-10-26-da-reports-malema-feeding-scheme-scandal-to-public-protector/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} and in the same year he was blamed for the so-called Limpopo textbook crisis, which left thousands of Limpopo schoolchildren without school books and which the Mail & Guardian described as "arguably the largest, longest and most acutely embarrassing education debacle since 1994".{{Cite web |last=Nkosi |first=Bongani |date=2013-03-22 |title=Masemola's leadership was a textbook failure |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2013-03-22-masemolas-leadership-was-a-textbook-failure/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Sally |date=20 July 2012 |title=How MEC favoured EduSolutions |url=https://amabhungane.org/stories/how-mec-favoured-edusolutions/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=amaBhungane |language=en-ZA}}
While Education MEC, Masemola was reelected ANC Deputy Provincial Chairperson in December 2011 on a slate aligned to Mathale, who was also re-elected.{{Cite web |last=Nicolson |first=Greg |date=2011-12-19 |title=Polokwane 2011: Limpopo remains Malema's fortress |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-12-19-polokwane-2011-limpopo-remains-malemas-fortress/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}} However, in subsequent months, he fell out with Mathale and with Mathale's close ally Julius Malema: Masemola remained a staunch and vocal ally of President Jacob Zuma, while Mathale, Malema, and the rest of the ANC Limpopo Provincial Executive Committee had turned against Zuma and publicly called for him to be removed as ANC President at the ANC's upcoming national elective conference.{{Cite web |date=2013-03-16 |title=Masemola tipped to replace embattled Mathale as premier |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2013-03-16-masemola-pegged-to-fill-mathales-shoes/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} In March 2013, shortly after Zuma won re-election, the ANC National Executive Committee under Zuma announced that it had disbanded the entire Limpopo Provincial Executive Committee "for displaying totally un-ANC behaviour and institutionalised factional conduct".{{Cite web |date=18 March 2013 |title=ANC dissolves Limpopo leadership |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/anc-dissolves-limpopo-leadership-20130318 |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} This decision prematurely ended Masemola's term as ANC Deputy Provincial Chairperson. However, it was fairly widely anticipated that Zuma would fire Mathale as Premier and appoint Masemola to replace him.
= Mathabatha premiership: 2013–2022 =
In July 2013, the ANC asked Mathale to resign as expected, but Mathale was replaced as Premier not by Masemola but by Stan Mathabatha, who had been living abroad as an ambassador. The same week, Mathabatha announced a major reshuffle of the Limpopo Executive Council. Masemola was one of only two of Mathale's MECs who was not fired, but he was transferred from the Education portfolio to the Public Works portfolio.{{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=2022-12-19 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} As the Limpopo ANC prepared to elect a new provincial party leadership, Masemola launched an abortive challenge to Mathabatha's bid to be elected ANC Provincial Chairperson;{{Cite web |last=Sibanda |first=Anelisa |date=2022-03-29 |title=Masemola not scared to be kicked out of provincial cabinet |url=https://sundayworld.co.za/news/masemola-not-scared-to-be-kicked-out-of-provincial-cabinet/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Sunday World |language=en-ZA}} he withdrew his candidacy at the elective conference, held in February 2014, and Mathabatha secured the post.{{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=2022-12-19 |website=Lowvelder |language=en-US}}
In the 2014 general election, Masemola was reelected to a second full term in the Limpopo provincial legislature, having been ranked ninth on the ANC's provincial party list.{{Cite web |title=Namane Dickson Masemola |url=http://www.pa.org.za/person/mr-masemola-namane-dickson/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=People's Assembly |language=en}} However, Mathabatha did not reappoint him to the Executive Council, reportedly because he was displeased that Masemola had challenged him in the ANC's internal elections the previous year. Instead, Masemola spent the parliamentary term as an ordinary Member of the Provincial Legislature, serving on the legislature's committees on public administration, agriculture and rural development, and social development.{{Cite web |date=1 December 2022 |title=Top 200 NEC Additional Members List |url=https://www.anc1912.org.za/anc-55th-national-conference-top-200-nec-nominations/ |access-date=19 December 2022 |website=African National Congress}} At the Limpopo ANC's next elective conference in June 2018, Mathabatha was re-elected unopposed as Provincial Chairperson,{{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=2022-12-19 |website=EWN |language=en}} but Masemola was elected as an ordinary member of the Provincial Executive Committee.
In the 2019 general election, Masemola was ranked fifth on the ANC's provincial party list and was reelected to the provincial legislature. Mathabatha appointed him MEC for Transport.{{Cite web |date=2019-05-30 |title=Limpopo's new leadership elected, new MEC's sworn in |url=https://reviewonline.co.za/305131/new-dawn-for-lim/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Review |language=en-US}} Jacques Smalle, the provincial leader of the opposition DA, said that Masemola's appointment "had me scratching my head". In a subsequent reshuffle in March 2020, he became MEC for Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure.{{Cite web |date=2020-03-23 |title=Limpopo premier Mathabatha shuffles provincial cabinet, axes Monica Mochadi |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/government/limpopo-premier-mathabatha-shuffles-provincial-cabinet-axes-monica-mochadi/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=The Citizen |language=en}} At that time Masemola was also the chairperson of the board at MINTEK, a mining research company.
Masemola was viewed as a likely candidate in the race to succeed Mathabatha, who said in 2021 that he would not seek re-election as ANC Provincial Chairperson.{{Cite web |last=Matlala |first=Alex Japho |date=2021-05-19 |title=Two Mathale proteges eyeing Ramaphosa ally's ANC position |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/politics/two-mathale-proteges-eyeing-mathabathas-anc-position/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=The Citizen |language=en}} However, at the Limpopo ANC's next elective conference in March 2022, Mathabatha did run for a third term and Masemola, despite initially standing only for election as Deputy Provincial Chairperson,{{Cite web |last=Yende |first=Sizwe Sama |date=21 February 2022 |title=Limpopo Public Works MEC stands for election as ANC deputy chairperson |url=https://www.news24.com/citypress/politics/limpopo-public-works-mec-stands-for-election-as-anc-deputy-chairperson-20220221 |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=City Press |language=en-US}} ran against him on the ballot. Masemola's campaign emphasised what the Daily Maverick called a "strong anti-corruption stance" and he, like Mathabatha, endorsed incumbent ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa.{{Cite web |last=Sadike |first=Mashudu |date=28 March 2022 |title=Limpopo Public Works MEC Dickson Masemola says he will topple Stan Mathabatha |url=https://www.iol.co.za/pretoria-news/news/limpopo-public-works-mec-dickson-masemola-says-he-will-topple-stan-mathabatha-602044a2-d6f1-45df-9007-2c8137cdb8e3 |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=IOL |language=en}} Masemola's candidacy was supported by the ANC's Norman Mashabane region (in Mopani), the largest in Limpopo, and by Soviet Lekganyane, the outgoing ANC Provincial Secretary. His proposed slate would have seen Pule Shayi elected as his deputy and Lekganyane re-elected as Provincial Secretary. However, at the provincial conference, Mathabatha's slate won a clean sweep of the top positions, and Mathabatha himself won re-election in a landslide, earning 781 votes against Masemola's 389.
After the conference, Mathabatha dismissed rumours of an imminent Executive Council reshuffle, saying, "It is not the first time that comrade Dickson contests me. It is not the first time and we remain friends, that has nothing to do with our deployment in government".{{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=2022-12-19 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}} However, in June, Mathabatha moved Masemola to the Social Development portfolio, which was viewed as a demotion.{{Cite web |last=Sadike |first=Mashudu |date=30 June 2022 |title=Premier Stan Mathabatha demotes two MECs in Limpopo cabinet reshuffle |url=https://www.iol.co.za/pretoria-news/news/premier-stan-mathabatha-demotes-two-mecs-in-limpopo-cabinet-reshuffle-ae5ee195-7bc4-43f4-9961-31ab5317de7c |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=IOL |language=en}} Then, on 6 October, Mathabatha fired Masemola from the Executive Council;{{Cite web |date=2022-10-07 |title=Mathabatha reshuffles his cabinet again |url=https://lowvelder.co.za/800483/mathabatha-reshuffles-his-cabinet-again/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Lowvelder |language=en-US}} the ANC announced that Masemola would be "re-deployed" to the national Parliament, where he was sworn in as a Member of the National Council of Provinces.{{Cite web |last=Mahlati |first=Zintle |date=6 October 2022 |title=Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha reshuffles executive for second time |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/politics/government/limpopo-premier-stan-mathabatha-reshuffles-executive-for-second-time-20221006 |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} Ahead of the ANC's 55th National Conference in December 2022, Masemola was nominated to stand for election to the ANC's 80-member National Executive Committee; he was nominated by 248 local party branches and was therefore the 98th most popular candidate.
References
External links
- {{People's Assembly (South Africa)|mr-masemola-namane-dickson/|Namane Dickson Masemola}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Masemola, Dickson}}
Category:People from Sekhukhune District Municipality
Category:African National Congress politicians
Category:University of Limpopo alumni
Category:Members of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature
Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2024–2029