Premier of the Free State

{{Short description|Head of government of the Free State province of South Africa}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox Political post

|post = Premier

|body = the Free State

|insignia =

|insigniasize = 125px

|insigniacaption = Provincial coat of arms

|image =

|incumbent = Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae

|incumbentsince = 14 June 2024

|style = The Honourable

|residence =

|appointer = Free State Legislature

|termlength = Five years, renewable once

|formation = 7 May 1994

|inaugural = Mosiuoa Lekota

|website = [http://www.fs.gov.za/Premiers.htm www.fs.gov.za/Premiers.htm]

}}

{{Politics of Free State}}

The premier of the Free State is the head of government of the Free State province of South Africa. The current premier of the Free State is Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae, who was elected on 14 June 2024. She is a member of the African National Congress.

Functions

The executive authority of a province is entrusted by the Constitution of South Africa in the premier. The premier designates an Executive Council made up of ten members of the provincial legislature. These members of the Executive Council are effectively ministers and the Executive Council a cabinet at the provincial level. The premier can to appoint and dismiss members of the Executive Council at his/her discretion.

The premier and the Executive Council are responsible for implementing provincial legislation, along with any national legislation assigned to the province. They set provincial policy and manage the departments of the provincial government; their actions are subject to the national constitution.

In order for an act of the provincial legislature to become law, the premier must sign it. If the premier believes that the act is unconstitutional, it can be referred back to the legislature for reconsideration. If the premier and the legislature cannot agree, the act must be referred to the Constitutional Court for a final decision.

The premier is also ex officio a member of the National Council of Provinces, the upper house of Parliament, as one of the special delegates from the province.Constitution of South Africa

List

class="wikitable sortable"
rowspan="2" | {{Abbr|No.|Number}}

! rowspan="2" | Portrait

! rowspan="2" width="200px" |Name
{{small|(Birth–Death)}}

! colspan="3" width="300px" |Term of office

! rowspan="2" | Political party

Took office

! Left office

! Time in office

bgcolor=#CCFFCC

|1

|80px

|{{sort|Lekota|Mosiuoa Lekota}} (born 1948)

|{{dts|1994|5|7|format=dmy}}

|{{dts|1996|12|18|format=dmy}}

|{{Age in years and days|1994|5|7|1996|12|18}}

|rowspan=8|African National Congress

bgcolor=#CCFFCC

|2

|

|{{sort|Matsepe-Casaburri|Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri}} (1937–2009)

|{{dts|1996|12|18|format=dmy}}

|{{dts|1999|6|15|format=dmy}}

|{{Age in years and days|1996|12|18|1999|6|15}}

bgcolor=#CCFFCC

|3

|80px

|{{sort|Direko|Winkie Direko}} (1929–2012)

|{{dts|1999|6|15|format=dmy}}

|{{dts|2004|4|26|format=dmy}}

|{{Age in years and days|1999|6|15|2004|4|26}}

bgcolor=#CCFFCC

|4

|80px

|{{sort|Marshoff|Beatrice Marshoff}} (1957–2023)

|{{dts|2004|4|26|format=dmy}}

|{{dts|2009|5|6|format=dmy}}

|{{Age in years and days|2004|4|26|2009|5|6}}

bgcolor=#CCFFCC

|5

|80px

|{{sort|Magashule|Ace Magashule}} (born 1959)

|{{dts|2009|5|6|format=dmy}}

|{{dts|2018|03|27|format=dmy}}

|{{Age in years and days|2009|5|6|2018|03|27}}

bgcolor=#CCFFCC

|6

|80px

{{sort|Ntombela |Sisi Ntombela }} (born 1957)

|{{dts|2018|03|27|format=dmy}}

| {{dts|2023|02|21|format=dmy}}

|{{Age in years and days|2018|03|27|2023|02|21}}

bgcolor=#CCFFCC

|7

|80px

{{sort|Dukwana |Mxolisi Dukwana}} (born 1964)

|{{dts|2023|02|24|format=dmy}}

| {{dts|2024|06|14|format=dmy}}

|{{Age in years and days|2023|02|24|2024|06|14}}

bgcolor=#CCFFCC

|8

|80px

{{sort|Letsoha-Mathae |Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae}} (born 1969)

|{{dts|2024|06|14|format=dmy}}

|Incumbent

|{{Age in years and days|2024|06|14}}

bgcolor=#CCFFCC

Timeline

{{#tag:timeline|ImageSize=width:1000 height:auto barincrement:13

PlotArea = top:10 bottom:100 right:100 left:20

AlignBars = late

Define $today = {{#time:d/m/Y}}

Colors =

id:independent value:gray(0.8) legend:None_(Independent)

id:ANC value:rgb(0.09,0.58,0.29) legend:African_National_Congress

id:gray1 value:gray(0.85)

id:gray2 value:gray(0.95)

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy

Period = from:06/05/1994 till:$today

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1995

ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1996

Legend = columns:3 left:150 top:70 columnwidth:170

TextData =

pos:(20,75) textcolor:black fontsize:M

text:"Political Parties:"

BarData =

bar:Lekota

bar:Matsepe-Casaburri

bar:Direko

bar:Marshoff

bar:Magashule

bar:Ntombela

bar:Dukwana

bar:Letsoha-Mathae

PlotData =

width:8 align:left fontsize:10 shift:(6,-5) anchor:till

bar: Lekota

from: 07/05/1994 till: 18/12/1996 color:ANC text:"Mosiuoa Lekota"

bar: Matsepe-Casaburri

from: 18/12/1996 till: 15/06/1999 color:ANC text:"Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri"

bar: Direko

from: 15/06/1999 till: 26/04/2004 color:ANC text:"Winkie Direko"

bar: Marshoff

from: 26/04/2004 till: 06/05/2009 color:ANC text:"Beatrice Marshoff"

bar: Magashule

from: 06/05/2009 till: 27/03/2018 color:ANC text:"Ace Magashule"

bar: Ntombela

from: 27/03/2018 till: 21/02/2023 color:ANC text:"Sisi Ntombela"

bar: Dukwana

from: 21/02/2023 till: 14/06/2024 color:ANC text:"Mxolisi Dukwana"

bar: Letsoha-Mathae

from: 14/06/2024 till: $today color:ANC text:"Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae"

}}

Election

The election for the Free State Provincial Legislature is held every five years, simultaneously with the election of the National Assembly; the last such election occurred on 29 May 2024. At the first meeting of the provincial legislature after an election, the members choose the premier from amongst themselves. The provincial legislature can force the premier to resign by a motion of no confidence. If the premiership becomes vacant (for whatever reason) the provincial legislature must choose a new premier to serve out the period until the next election. One person cannot have served more than two five-year terms as premier; however, when a premier is chosen to fill a vacancy the time until the next election does not count as a term.

See also

References

{{Reflist}}