Mpumalanga's opposition parties call for government accountability

• Mpumalanga political parties have called on the ANC to incorporate their members into the government structure
• The MK Party told Briefly News that the ANC should consider including opposition parties in the Executive Council
• The EFF said that a member of the opposition must be elected to chair the Select Committee on Public Accounts

Zingisa Chirwa is an experienced Briefly News journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, who has covered Mpumalanga politics and current affairs on the radio for over 15 years.

Opposition parties have called on the ANC in Mpumalanga to incorporate their members into government structures. Images: X/ @hobo_group and X/@jabu_mngomezulu Source: UGC

Mpumalanga’s opposition parties have called on the provincial ANC to incorporate their members into government structures.

Mpumalanga MPLs sworn in

The parties spoke to Briefly News on the sidelines of the first sitting of the seventh administration of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature on 14 June 2024. The session saw the swearing-in of 51 Members of the Legislature, up from the previous administration’s 30 seats. The ANC secured 21 seats, while the MK Party garnered nine seats. The EFF and the DA secured seven and six seats, respectively, while the FF Plus and ActionSA each had one.

The MK Party’s Mpumalanga Chairperson, Mary Phadi, told Briefly News that the ANC must be open to introducing members of other political parties into key positions, such as the Executive Council.

The EFF’s Collen Sedibe said an opposition member must be elected to head up the Select Committee on Public Accounts:

“Give it to any of the opposition parties so it can hold you accountable because Scopa has all the powers and the teeth to deal with the transgressors in the departments… So we can expose them and be empowered to lay criminal and corruption charges.”

The Democratic Alliance’s Bosman Grobler told Briefly News that his party was ready to collaborate with other political parties to hold the ANC in Mpumalanga accountable.

Mpumalanga's Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane elected NCOP chair

Briefly News reported that Mpumalanga residents applauded the newly elected Chairperson of the NCOP, Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane.

The former Premier was one of 54 delegates sworn into the NCOP by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo on 15 June 2024.

After accepting her nomination, Mtsweni-Tsipane assured the house that she would execute her obligations by the constitution.