Mantsheng Anna "Ouma" Tsopo was a South African politician who represented the African National Congress in the Free State Provincial Legislature from 1994 to 2014.
17 Facts About Mantsheng Tsopo
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Mantsheng Tsopo was a teacher by profession and a regional leader in the ANC Women's League.
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Mantsheng Tsopo was born on 1 September 1962 in Hennenman in the former Orange Free State.
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Mantsheng Tsopo grew up in Theunissen and matriculated at Lebogang Secondary School in Welkom in 1978.
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Mantsheng Tsopo returned to Theunissen in 1988 to work as an administrator at the Masilo Town Council, where she remained until 1993.
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In South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994, Mantsheng Tsopo was elected to the inaugural Free State Provincial Legislature.
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Mantsheng Tsopo was appointed to the Free State Executive Council by Premier Mosuioa Lekota, who named her the province's first Member of the Executive Council for Local Government and Housing.
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Mantsheng Tsopo served in that position until 1996 and then as MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture from 1995 to 1996.
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Mantsheng Tsopo was re-elected to her legislative seat in the 1999 general election and served as MEC for Health under Premier Winkie Direko from 1999 to 2004.
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Pursuant to the 2004 general election, Mantsheng Tsopo was elected to her third term in the provincial legislature and was re-appointed to the Executive Council by Premier Beatrice Marshoff, who appointed her as MEC for Education.
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The fraud concerned a large contract for the distribution of school books over a three-year period from 2001 to 2004, when Mantsheng Tsopo had been MEC for Health.
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Mantsheng Tsopo served as acting Speaker from 2012 until June 2013, when she was formally elected as Speaker.
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Mantsheng Tsopo held that position until the end of the legislative term in May 2014.
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Mantsheng Tsopo was ranked 116th on the ANC's national party list and secured a seat.
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Mantsheng Tsopo suffered from diabetes and was admitted to hospital in Welkom on Christmas Eve in 2016.
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Mantsheng Tsopo died in hospital in the early hours of 1 January 2017.
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Mantsheng Tsopo was married to Sandile Tsopo and had four children, one of whom, Thabang, predeceased her.