Dr Phophi Ramathuba appoints former VBS Bank saga-implicated mayor to cabinet

• Limpopo's new Premier, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, appointed her new cabinet of members of the executive council
• Ramathuba appointed former MEC of Transport and Community Safety and Liaison Florence Radzilani as the MEC of Social Development and retained Basikopo Makamu as COGTA's MEC
• South Africans were displeased with the council members, and some brought allegations against them

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, has covered policy changes, the State of the Nation Address, politician-related news and elections at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for over seven years.

Dr Phophi Ramathuba retained Florence Radzilani in her cabinet. Images: @OtpLimpopo Source: Getty Images

POLOKWANE, LIMPOPO – The newly-appointed Premier of Limpopo, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, has announced her cabinet.

Limpopo province posts MECs

@TebogoTheScribe posted the list of MECs Ramathuba appointed. Some have retained their positions, while others have been moved to different portfolios. Basikopo Makamu, the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, has retained his portfolio as COGTA's MEC.

Former Vhembe mayor returns as MEC

Vhembe's former Mayor, Florence Radzilani, has been appointed the MEC for Social Development. She was also previously the MEC for Community Safety and resigned from her Vhembe seat after the VBS Mutual Bank saga unfolded.

Ramathuba also retained the MEC for Education, Maureen Lerule-Ramakhanya, who was the mayor of the Vhembe municipality between 2008 and 2012. She was also the MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison between 2020 and 2022. Relatively unknown MECs include Elias Mohoai, who heads Treasury; Jerry Maseko, the MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture; and Tshitereke Matibe, the Tourism MEC.

View the full cabinet here:

South Africans unhappy with cabinet

Netizens gave the cabinet a thumbs down.

Smith said:

"Some of these appointments are to repay the people who chose you to be the premier. How do you appoint someone who wasted R118 million of SA taxpayers' money for no existing land in a foreign country to manage funds for the province? History will judge you."

Lebogang asked:

"Why are you even annoying us with a list of recycled thieves? Is there no consequence management in that criminal enterprise called ANC?"

MaftownKing said:

"Young people being excluded from the executive is actually angering me."

Former Limpopo MEC Phophi Ramathuba refuses to apologise to nurses

Similarly, Briefly News reported that Ramathuba refused to apologise to nurses she called out for not providing adequate services to patients.

The nurses were berated for keeping patients waiting for assistance, and Ramathuba did not back down.