Spotlight provides a province-by-province breakdown of the MECs for Health. (megaflopp/Getty Images)
- Following the 29 May general elections, decisions about top health jobs in nine provinces have now all been made.
- Six of the nine MECs are women.
- As far as Spotlight has been able to establish, none of the nine is a qualified health professional.
There has been a flurry of activity over the last few weeks with the appointment of new provincial cabinets by premiers in the country’s nine provinces.
This included the announcement of MECs for health, with five being new to the job while four others have been reappointed.
In the two most populous provinces, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, ANC-appointed MECs have been retained in the health portfolios, despite the party getting fewer than 40% of the provincial vote.
Mpumalanga and the North West have also retained their MECs, while the Eastern Cape, Free State, Limpopo, Northern Cape, and Western Cape all have new MECs.
Six of the nine MECs are women. As far as Spotlight has been able to establish, none of the nine are qualified health professionals.
Below Spotlight provides a province-by-province breakdown of health MECs, with more in-depth coverage of some of the new MECs to follow later.
Eastern Cape
Ntandokazi Capa has replaced Nomakhosazana Meth (now minister of employment and labour) as health MEC in the province.
Capa is the chairperson of the ANC Women’s League in the province and was the chairperson of the Women’s Commission at the SA Local Government Association.
Eastern Cape Health MEC Ntandokazi Capa. (Sithandiwe Velaphi/News24)
Capa previously served as speaker of the OR Tambo District Municipality and was also the first female mayor of the Ingquza Hill Municipality in the Eastern Cape.
As Spotlight reported last week, her appointment was welcomed by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa, but the DA and EFF have some concerns over her lack of experience.
Free State
Monyatso Viceroy Mahlatsi has replaced Nokwanje Selina “Mathabo” Leeto who only served in the province’s health MEC position for a year.
Mahlatsi had been Cosatu’s provincial secretary since 2014 – a position he has now resigned from.
Free State Health MEC Monyatso Mahlatsi. (@Universitas_AH/X)
Last week, Spotlight reported on Mahlatsi’s first act as MEC, which was to accompany Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae and the rest of the executive to conduct an oversight visit to the Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital in Bloemfontein, followed by the National District Hospital.
According to the provincial health department, the new MEC was not related to its head of department, Godfrey Mahlatsi.
Gauteng
Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko retained her position as health MEC in the province.
She was appointed to in 2022, a decision that was questioned due to her lack of experience in the health sector.
Before this, she was finance MEC, after serving only one day as education MEC.
KwaZulu-Natal
Nomagugu Simelane remains health MEC in the province.
She was appointed in 2019 and had previously served as ANC spokesperson in the province. Simelane is a lawyer.
Limpopo
Dieketseng Masesi Mashego took over the position of health MEC from Dr Phophi Ramathuba, who is now the province’s premier.
Mashego is part of the ANC Women’s League in the province and was previously speaker of the Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality.
Her appointment sparked concern from the DA because of her not having any health background or experience.
Limpopo Health MEC Dieketseng Masesi Mashego. (Limpopo Department of Health (Bophelong)/Facebook)
In response to Spotlight’s questions on the matter, the premier’s spokesperson, Ndavhe Ramakuela, said “such appointments, unlike those of heads of department, do not follow a career or requisite qualifications, path but are based on ability to lead and carry out duties designated for such an individual”.
Mpumalanga
Sasekani Manzini retained her position as health MEC, which she has held since 2018. Her reappointment has also been met with pushback from the DA in the province.
In a press release, it opposed her remaining in this position, saying the province’s health facilities were in a “downward spiral” and retaining Manzini might lead to the collapse of the department.
Northern Cape
Maruping Lekwene has retained his position as health MEC in the province.
He has served in this position since 2020. Before moving to the health portfolio, he was the province’s finance, economic development and tourism MEC.
Maruping Lekwene, Northern Cape MEC for Health. (Charné Kemp/Netwerk24)
North West
Jonas Sello Lehari replaced Madoda Sambatha who had been the health MEC since 2018.
Lehari was the mayor of the Moretele Local Municipality before serving as North West education and sports development MEC and thereafter community safety and transport management MEC.
Western Cape
Mireille Wenger has replaced Dr Nomafrench Mbombo as health MEC in the province.
Mbombo had been in the job since 2015. Before taking this position, Wenger served as the finance and economic opportunities MEC, which she took up in 2022.
Western Cape Health MEC Mireille Wenger. (Misha Jordaan/Gallo Images)
Wenger does have some health experience. In 2020, she was elected as the chairperson of the province’s Ad-Hoc Committee on Covid-19 and served in this position until the committee was disbanded in 2022.
She also spent five years on the province’s Health and Wellness Standing Committee.
*This article was published by Spotlight – health journalism in the public interest. Sign up to the Spotlight newsletter.
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