Mapula Annah Mokaba-Phukwana ({{Nee|Mokaba}}) is a South African politician who has represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the Limpopo Provincial Legislature since 2014. She formerly served as a Member of the Executive Council (MEC) in Limpopo from 2014 to 2019, during the first full term of Premier Stan Mathabatha. She was MEC for Social Development from 2017 to 2019, MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development from 2016 to 2017, and MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison from 2014 to 2016. She was also elected to four-year terms on the Limpopo ANC's Provincial Executive Committee in 2018 and 2022.

Career in provincial government

In the 2014 general election, Mokaba-Phukwana was elected to the Limpopo Provincial Legislature, ranked 16th on the ANC's provincial party list.{{Cite web |title=Mapula Annah Mokaba-Phukwana |url=http://www.pa.org.za/person/mapula-annah-mokaba-phukwana/ |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=People's Assembly |language=en}} She was appointed to the Limpopo Executive Council by Premier Mathabatha, who made her MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison.{{Cite web |date=21 May 2014 |title=Limpopo's Dickson Masemola runs out of lives |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/limpopos-dickson-masemola-runs-out-of-lives-20150430 |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} While she was in this portfolio, in 2015, the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters lodged a formal complaint against her with the Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, alleging that she had been involved in procurement irregularities. The Public Protector published the report of her investigation in March 2017 and found that Mokaba-Phukwana had exceeded her legal powers by personally awarding a state forensics contract in 2014.{{Cite web |date=12 March 2017 |title=MEC wrong to award a tender |url=https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2017-03-12-mec-wrong-to-award-a-tender/ |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=Sowetan |language=en-ZA}} She dismissed Mokaba-Phukwana's argument that she had been obliged to award the contract because many senior department officials – who did have the legal authority to award contracts – were implicated in corruption, and she concluded that Mokaba-Phukwana's action "amounts to abuse of public authority".

By the time of the report's publication, Mokaba-Phukwana had become MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, a position to which she was appointed in a September 2016 reshuffle by Mathabatha.{{Cite web |date=15 September 2016 |title=Limpopo cabinet reshuffled |url=https://www.enca.com/south-africa/limpopo-cabinet-reshuffled |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=eNCA |language=en}} She held that office until October 2017, when, in a further reshuffle, Mathabatha moved her to the Social Development portfolio. The move was viewed as a demotion and City Press suggested that it was linked to Mokaba-Phukwana's support for incumbent ANC President Jacob Zuma against Mathabatha's ally Cyril Ramaphosa.{{Cite web |last=Dube |first=Mpho |date=27 October 2017 |title=Mathabatha angers Zuma's supporters over Limpopo cabinet reshuffle |url=https://www.news24.com/citypress/news/mathabatha-angers-zumas-supporters-over-limpopo-cabinet-reshuffle-20171026 |access-date=2022-12-04 |website=City Press |language=en-US}}

At a party elective conference in June 2018, Mokaba-Phukwana was elected to a four-year term on the Provincial Executive Committee of the ANC's Limpopo branch.{{Cite web |date=2018-06-26 |title=Additionals on ANC's new provincial executive announced |url=https://reviewonline.co.za/484195/additionals-on-ancs-new-provincial-executive-announced/ |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=Polokwane Observer |language=en-US}} She was also re-elected to her legislative seat in the 2019 general election, ranked 16th on the ANC's party list. However, in the aftermath of the election, Mathabatha dropped Mokaba-Phukwana from his second-term Executive Council.{{Cite web |date=2019-05-22 |title=Lim's new look cabinet |url=https://reviewonline.co.za/488927/breaking-news-lims-new-look-cabinet/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=Polokwane Observer |language=en-US}} She remained an ordinary Member of the Provincial Legislature and was re-elected to the ANC Provincial Executive Committee in June 2022.{{Cite web |last=Import |first=Pongrass |date=2022-06-10 |title=Smooth sailing at ANC Limpopo's 10th elective conference |url=https://reviewonline.co.za/?p=542880 |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=Review |language=en-US}}

Personal life

Mokaba-Phukwana is the sister of ANC stalwart Peter Mokaba, who died in 2002;{{Cite web |date=21 May 2014 |title=Peter Mokaba se suster n LUR in Limpopo |url=https://www.netwerk24.com/netwerk24/peter-mokaba-se-suster-n-lur-in-limpopo-20140521 |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=Netwerk24 |language=af-ZA}} their mother, Priscilla, died in 2013.{{Cite web |date=2013-12-24 |title=Peter Mokaba's mother dies at 76 |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2013-12-24-peter-mokabas-mother-dies-at-76/ |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} She is married to Zwelakhe Phukwana, a public servant.{{Cite web |last=Maphumulo |first=Solly |date=19 June 2016 |title=MEC's husband on fraud charges |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/mecs-husband-on-fraud-charges-2036154 |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=IOL |language=en}}

References

External links

{{People's Assembly (South Africa)|mapula-annah-mokaba-phukwana/|Mapula Annah Mokaba-Phukwana}}

Category:Members of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature

Category:African National Congress politicians

Category:21st-century South African politicians

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Living people