Makoma Grace Makhurupetje is a South African politician who has been the Speaker of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature since 2024. She has represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the provincial legislature since 2014. She formerly served as Limpopo's Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Transport and Community Safety from 2017 to 2019 and as MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs from 2014 to 2017. From 2014 to 2018, she was the Deputy Provincial Secretary of the ANC's Limpopo branch.

Makoma Makhurupetje
Speaker of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature
Assumed office
14 June 2024
PremierPhophi Ramathuba
Preceded byRosemary Molapo
Member of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature
Assumed office
21 May 2014
Member of the Limpopo Executive Council for Transport and Community Safety
In office
October 2017 – May 2019
PremierStan Mathabatha
Preceded byNandi Ndalane
Succeeded byDickson Masemola
Member of the Limpopo Executive Council for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs
In office
May 2014 – October 2017
PremierStan Mathabatha
Preceded byIshmael Kgetjepe (for Human Settlements)
Succeeded byJerry Ndou
Deputy Provincial Secretary of the African National Congress in Limpopo
In office
February 2014 – June 2018
ChairpersonStan Mathabatha
SecretaryNocks Seabi
Preceded byFlorence Radzilani
Succeeded byBasikopo Makamu
Personal details
CitizenshipSouth Africa
Political partyAfrican National Congress

Life and career

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At a party elective conference in February 2014, Makhurupetje was elected to a four-year term as Deputy Provincial Secretary of the ANC's Limpopo branch, serving under Provincial Secretary Nocks Seabi and Provincial Chairperson Stan Mathabatha.[1] Shortly afterwards, she appeared on the ANC's provincial party list in the 2014 general election, ranked 15th, and she was elected to a seat in the Limpopo Provincial Legislature.[2] In the same election, Mathabatha was elected to his first full term as Premier of Limpopo and he appointed Makhurupetje to the Limpopo Executive Council as MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs.[3]

In October 2017, Mathabatha announced a reshuffle in which Makhurupetje was moved to the less influential Transport and Community Safety portfolio. The provincial ANC Youth League and other critics of Mathabatha linked Makhurupetje's demotion to her support for Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma ahead of the ANC's 54th National Conference; while Makhurupetje and Nocks Seabi were viewed as key supporters of Dlamini-Zuma's campaign to become ANC President, Mathabatha supported the opposing candidate, Cyril Ramaphosa.[4][5][6] Ramaphosa prevailed and, at the provincial party's next elective conference in June 2018, Makhurupetje unexpectedly[7] did not stand for re-election as ANC Deputy Provincial Secretary.[8] However, she was elected as an ordinary member of the Limpopo ANC's Provincial Executive Committee.[9]

She remained in her position as MEC for Transport and Community Safety until the 2019 general election. In the election, she was re-elected to her legislative seat, ranked 20th on the ANC's list,[2] but Mathabatha dropped her from his second-term Executive Council.[10] In 2022, she was re-elected to the ANC Provincial Executive Committee; by popularity, she was ranked second of the 30 candidates elected, with only Phophi Ramathuba receiving more votes than her.[11]

Following the 2024 general election, Makhurupetje was elected speaker of the provincial legislature.[12]

References

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  1. ^ Import, Pongrass (20 February 2014). "Limpopo ANC elects their new leaders". Lowvelder. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Makoma Grace Makhurupetje". People's Assembly. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Limpopo's Dickson Masemola runs out of lives". News24. 21 May 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  4. ^ Dube, Mpho (27 October 2017). "Mathabatha angers Zuma's supporters over Limpopo cabinet reshuffle". City Press. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Dlamini-Zuma supporters want Limpopo premier Stan Mathabatha to resign". Sowetan. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  6. ^ Matlala, Alex Japho (1 November 2017). "EFF, ANCYL call for Limpopo premier to step down". The Citizen. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Tussle for top posts in Limpopo". The Mail & Guardian. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  8. ^ "Florence new deputy chairperson of ANC in Limpopo". Limpopo Mirror. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  9. ^ "ANC Limpopo PEC named". Capricorn FM. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  10. ^ "Lim's new look cabinet". Polokwane Observer. 22 May 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  11. ^ Sadike, Mashudu (6 June 2022). "Five Limpopo MECs get dumped from ANC's provincial executive committee". IOL. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  12. ^ "Limpopo Legislature elects first female Premier | SAnews". www.sanews.gov.za. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
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