Qoboshiyane remains deputy speaker after legislature changes

The deputy speaker of the provincial legislature in the Eastern Cape, Mlibo Qoboshiyane, has survived the chop.

This comes after the ANC announced changes to the deployment of its members in the provincial legislature.

Qoboshiyane was thought likely to be removed from his powerful position of deputy speaker after the ANC provincial conference in May.

The seasoned politician, in the lead-up to the conference, was one of the candidates contesting against premier Oscar Mabuyane for the position of ANC provincial chair.

He later withdrew his candidature at the last minute and threw his support behind Babalo Madikizela, who lost to Mabuyane for the job.

Rumours of Qoboshiyane’s pending sacking were amplified in August when Mabuyane reshuffled his cabinet, sacking those who had opposed him at the provincial conference.

Madikizela resigned of his own accord, but Fezeka Nkomonye, who was sport, recreation, arts & culture MEC, and Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe, who was the transport & community safety MEC, were booted out of cabinet.

Tikana-Gxothiwe, a former close ally of Mabuyane, had contested as deputy secretary on Madikizela’s slate.

The reshuffle in the legislature had been delayed, with ANC insiders saying the provincial leadership was busy with consultation but there was serious push for Qoboshiyane to go, with those loyal to Mabuyane saying he had twice betrayed him.

At the 2017 conference, when Mbuyane was first elected chair, Qoboshiyane led a group of disgruntled delegates to gather at the East London City Hall. 

At the conference, he threw his weight behind former Eastern Cape premier Phumulo Masualle.

The Daily Dispatch previously reported that there was a serious push to have him sacked, and talk in the corridors was that he was certain to go.

“The view is that he was given a position and continues to use it to campaign against the elected leadership. He is using those resources and people are not happy about it,” an insider said at the time.

The new reshuffle of the leadership roles in the legislature was necessitated by vacancies created when Mbuyane appointed Ntombovuyo Nkopane, who had served as chair of chairs, and Bukiwe Fanta, who was chair of the women’s caucus, to his cabinet.

At the time Qoboshiyane said he had no knowledge of his possible sacking.

Spokesperson Loyiso Magqashela said he was not aware of the talks, only confirming the filling of the vacancies left by Fanta and Nkopane.

The new appointments were made in the announcements tablings and committee document of the legislature, which announces changes to committee and reports that have been tabled in the legislature.

According to the announcement, Tony Duba was appointed to the powerful position of chair of chairs, replacing Nkopane.

Nontutuzelo Mqubela has been “appointed as the deputy chair of committee of chairs of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature replacing Hon Duba”. 

“[Virginia Camealio-Benjamin] was appointed as chair of the standing committee on the women’s caucus, replacing Hon Fanta,” the document reads.

Tikana-Gxothiwe, was also appointed as a committee whip, with Mandlakazi Keleku.

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