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Of South Africa’s nine health MECs, five are new — here’s a provincial breakdown

Of South Africa’s nine health MECs, five are new — here’s a provincial breakdown
Elri Voigt for Spotlight
By Elri Voigt for Spotlight
4 Jul 2024
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Following South Africa’s 2024 national and provincial elections, the decisions about the top health jobs in the country’s nine provinces have now all been made.

There has been a flurry of activity over the past few weeks with the appointment of new provincial Cabinets by the premiers in South Africa’s nine provinces. This included the announcement of provincial members of the executive council (MECs) for health. Five health MECs are new in the job while four have been reappointed. 

In South Africa’s two most populous provinces, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, ANC-appointed MECs have been retained in the health portfolios, despite the party obtaining less than 40% of the provincial vote. Mpumalanga and Northern Cape have also retained their MECs, while the Eastern Cape, Free State, Limpopo, North West and the 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 is a qualified health professional.

Below Spotlight provides a province-by-province breakdown of the 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 the MEC for Health in the Eastern Cape. She is the chairperson of the ANC Women’s League in the province and was the chairperson of the Women’s Commission at the Southern African Local Government Association. Capa previously served as the OR Tambo District Municipality council speaker. She was also the first woman mayor of Eastern Cape’s Ingquza Hill municipality. 

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 about 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 was the provincial secretary for the Congress of South African Trade Unions from 2014 – a position from which he has resigned. Last week, Spotlight reported on Mahlatsi’s first act as MEC, which was to accompany the premier and the rest of the executive council on an oversight visit to Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital in Bloemfontein, followed by National District Hospital.  

According to the provincial health department, the new MEC is not related to its head of department, Godfrey Mahlatsi.   

Gauteng 


Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko retained her position as Gauteng health MEC. She was appointed to this position in 2022, a decision that was questioned due to her lack of experience in the health sector. Before this she was the MEC for finance in the province, after serving only one day as the education MEC. 

KwaZulu-Natal 


Nomagugu Simelane remains the MEC for health in KwaZulu-Natal. She was appointed in 2019 and had previously served as the spokesperson for the ANC in the province. Simelane is a lawyer. 

health MECs

Limpopo  


Dieketseng Masesi Mashego took over as health MEC from Dr Phophi Ramathuba, who is now premier. Mashego is part of the ANC Women’s League in the province and was previously speaker in the Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality.  

Her appointment sparked concern from the DA because she doesn’t have any health background or experience. In response to Spotlight’s questions on the matter, Ndavhe Ramakuela, spokesperson for the premier, 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 MEC for health, which she has held since 2018. Her reappointment has also been met with pushback from the DA in the province. The party opposed her remaining in this position, saying the province’s health facilities are in a “downward spiral” and retaining Manzini might lead to the collapse of the department. 

Northern Cape  


Maruping Lekwene has retained his position as the health MEC in the Northern Cape. He has served in this position since 2020. Before moving to the health portfolio he was the province’s MEC for finance, economic development and tourism. 

North West  


Jonas Sello Lehari replaced Madoda Sambatha who was health MEC since 2018. Lehari was the mayor of the Moretele Local Municipality before serving as North West MEC for education and sports development, and for community safety and transport management after that. 

Western Cape  


Mireille Wenger has replaced Dr Nomafrench Mbombo who had been in the job since 2015. Before this, Wenger served as Western Cape MEC for finance and economic opportunities from 2022.  

Wenger does have some health experience. In 2020, she was elected chairperson of the province’s ad-hoc committee on Covid-19, serving until it was disbanded in 2022. She also spent five years on the Western Cape Provincial Parliaments’ Health and Wellness Standing Committee. DM  

This article was published by Spotlight – health journalism in the public interest. Sign up to the Spotlight newsletter.

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