Ishmael Kgetjepe
Member of the Executive Council for Education
In office
May 2015 – May 2019
PremierStan Mathabatha
Preceded byThembisile Nwedamutswu
Succeeded byPolly Boshielo
Member of the Executive Council for Health
In office
May 2014 – May 2015
PremierStan Mathabatha
Preceded byDipuo Letsatsi-Duba
Succeeded byPhophi Ramathuba
Member of the Executive Council for Human Settlements
In office
July 2013 – May 2014
PremierStan Mathabatha
Preceded byClifford Motsepe
Succeeded byMakoma Makhurupetje
Personal details
CitizenshipSouth Africa
Political partyAfrican National Congress

Maaria Ishmael Kgetjepe is a South African politician who represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the Limpopo Executive Council between 2013 and 2019, most prominently as Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Health from 2015 to 2019. He was also MEC for Education from 2014 to 2015 and MEC for Human Settlements from 2013 to 2014.

Life and career

Kgetjepe attended Makgoka High School in Mankweng in Limpopo province.[1] He was active in the Sekhukhune regional branch of the ANC[2] and formerly served as a spokesperson for the ANC's provincial branch in Limpopo.[3]

He was appointed to the Executive Council for the first time in July 2013, when Stan Mathabatha took office as Premier of Limpopo and announced a wide-ranging reshuffle in which Kgetjepe was named MEC for Human Settlements.[4]

In the 2014 general election, Kgetjepe was re-elected to the Limpopo Provincial Legislature, ranked seventh on the ANC's provincial party list,[5][6] and Mathabatha reappointed him to the Executive Council as MEC for Health.[7]

On 27 May 2015, Mathabatha announced that Kgetjepe would be moved to the Education portfolio, where he filled a vacancy that had arisen after the death of Thembisile Nwedamutswu in January that year.[8] He was MEC for Education until May 2019 and towards the end of his term was at the centre of a corruption scandal when City Press reported that he had received R1.05 million from a non-governmental organisation, Mvula Trust, which had received a tender from the national Department of Basic Education.[9] According to an audit report leaked to the newspaper, he had received the money in eight tranches between September 2017 and June 2018. The Mvula Trust admitted that it had made payments to Kgetjepe at his request to fund his political activities in the ANC, but denied that the payments constituted a bribe or conflict of interest, pointing out that Kgetjepe had no influence over the adjudication of the bid, especially because he had taken office as an MEC after the tender was granted.[9] Opposition parties nonetheless responded with hostility, with the Democratic Alliance calling for Mathabatha to fire Kgetjepe and the Economic Freedom Fighters laying criminal charges against him with the police.[10]

After the 2019 general election, Kgetjepe did not return to the Executive Council or the provincial legislature.[11][12]

References

  1. ↑ "Limpopo MEC urges his alma mater to push for 100% matric pass rate". Sunday Times. 26 October 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  2. ↑ "Limpopo's 'Forces of Change' leaderless". IOL. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  3. ↑ "Election lists row rocks ANC". Sowetan. 30 March 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  4. ↑ "New premier Stan Mathabatha fires 8 of 10 Limpopo MECs". News24. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  5. ↑ Import, Pongrass (23 March 2014). "Only 1 woman in ANC's top 10". Polokwane Observer. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  6. ↑ Electoral Commission (18 May 2014). "2014 elections: Members of Limpopo legislature". Politicsweb. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  7. ↑ "Limpopo's Dickson Masemola runs out of lives". News24. 21 May 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  8. ↑ "Premier announces 3 changes to cabinet". Polokwane Observer. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  9. 1 2 Fengu, Msindisi (5 March 2019). "R1m 'bribe' paid to MEC by NGO contracted to build toilets". City Press. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  10. ↑ Friedman, Daniel (5 March 2019). "DA joins EFF in calling for Limpopo education MEC's head to roll". The Citizen. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  11. ↑ "Lim's new look cabinet". Polokwane Observer. 22 May 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  12. ↑ "Maaria Ishmael Kgatjepe". People's Assembly. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
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