Rudolph Phala
{{Short description|South African politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| birth_name = Kgolane Alfred Phala
| citizenship = South Africa
| party = African National Congress
| otherparty = South African Communist Party
| office = Member of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature
| office2 = Speaker of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature
| office1 = Member of the Limpopo Executive Council for Treasury
| termstart = 2004
| termstart1 = 19 July 2013
| termend1 = 27 May 2015
| premier1 = Stan Mathabatha
| successor1 = Rob Tooley
| predecessor1 = David Masondo
| honorific_suffix = MPL
| successor2 = Kwena Elias Nong
| predecessor2 = Tshenuwani Farisani
| termstart2 = May 2009
| termend2 = July 2013
| premier2 = Cassel Mathale
| deputy2 = Mirriam Ramadwa
}}
Kgolane Alfred "Rudolph" Phala is a South African politician who has represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the Limpopo Provincial Legislature since 2004. During that time, he served as Limpopo's Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Treasury from 2013 to 2015 and as Speaker of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature from 2009 to 2013.
Life and career
Phala trained and practiced as a lawyer.{{Cite news |date=2013 |title=Welcome aboard! MEC Rudolph Phala |work=Rifumo |url=https://www.limtreasury.gov.za/lim_admin_trea/pages/sites/treasury_lim/documents/newsletter/RIFUMO%20NEWSLETTER%2016_8_2013.pdf |access-date=23 January 2023}} During the 1980s, he was active in the anti-apartheid student movement, and he was appointed as the ANC's political education officer in the Limpopo region after the organisation was unbanned in 1990. He was also a longstanding member of the South African Communist Party. He joined the Limpopo Provincial Legislature in 2004 and chaired the legislature's Standing Committee on Public Accounts. In May 2009, shortly after his re-election to the legislature in the 2009 general election, Phala was elected to succeed Tshenuwani Farisani as Speaker of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature.{{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=2023-01-23 |website=South African Government News Agency |language=en}}
He served as Speaker until 19 July 2013, when Stan Mathabatha, the newly elected Premier of Limpopo, appointed him to the Limpopo Executive Council as MEC for Treasury.{{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=2022-12-30 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} Mathabatha retained him in that position after the 2014 general election,{{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}} in which Phala was re-elected to his legislative seat ranked sixth on the ANC's provincial party list.{{Cite web |title=Kgolane Alfred Phala |url=http://www.pa.org.za/person/mr-phala-kgolane-alfred/ |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=People's Assembly |language=en}} However, Mathabatha fired him on 27 May 2015.{{Cite web |date=2015-05-28 |title=Premier announces 3 changes to cabinet |url=https://reviewonline.co.za/85678/premier-announces-3-changes-to-cabinet/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=Polokwane Observer |language=en-US}} The opposition Economic Freedom Fighters claimed that Phala was removed for defying Mathabatha's instructions to award state contracts improperly.{{Cite web |date=27 June 2015 |title=EFF slams bid to buy 700 Mercs for chiefs |url=https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2015-06-27-eff-slams-bid-to-buy-700-mercs-for-chiefs/ |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=Sowetan |language=en-ZA}} Phala remained an ordinary Member of the Provincial Legislature and he was re-elected to his seat in the 2019 general election, ranked 33rd on the ANC's party list. He was elected to the Provincial Executive Committee of the Limpopo ANC in 2018{{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}} but was not re-elected in 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
As of 2014, Phala was married and had four children.{{Cite web |last=Import |first=Pongrass |date=2014-06-25 |title=A man for the turn-around: Rudolph Pahla |url=https://reviewonline.co.za/34305/a-man-for-the-turn-around-rudolph-pahla/ |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=Polokwane Observer |language=en-US}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{People's Assembly (South Africa)|mr-phala-kgolane-alfred/|Mr Kgolane Alfred Phala}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phala. Rudolph}}
Category:Speakers of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:African National Congress politicians
Category:Members of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature