1. Mxolisi Abraham Dukwana was born on 14 September 1964 and is a South African politician who has served as the speaker of the Free State Provincial Legislature since June 2024.
24 Facts About Mxolisi Dukwana
1. 2.
Mxolisi Dukwana was elected Provincial Chairperson of the Free State branch of his political party, the African National Congress, in January 2023.
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Mxolisi Dukwana was the seventh Premier of the Free State from February 2023 until June 2024.
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Mxolisi Dukwana was retained in the latter portfolio by Marshoff's successor, Ace Magashule.
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Mxolisi Dukwana subsequently retreated from frontline politics until May 2021, when he was appointed the interim convenor of the ANC's Free State branch.
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In January 2023, Mxolisi Dukwana narrowly beat Ntombela to be elected ANC Provincial Chairperson, and he replaced her as Premier the following month.
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Mxolisi Dukwana was born on 14 September 1964 in Odendaalsrus in the former Orange Free State.
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Mxolisi Dukwana trained as a teacher in Kroonstad and taught at a secondary school in Odendaalsrus from 1986 to 1993.
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In June 2005, at a party elective conference, Mxolisi Dukwana was elected Provincial Treasurer of the ANC's Free State branch, serving under Ace Magashule, the longstanding ANC Provincial Chairperson.
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Later that year, in July 2008, Mxolisi Dukwana was re-elected unopposed as ANC Provincial Treasurer.
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Mxolisi Dukwana was retained as MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs in Magashule's new Executive Council.
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However, when the ANC's provincial elective conference opened in June 2012, Mxolisi Dukwana announced that he and his supporters would boycott the conference.
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Mxolisi Dukwana alleged that the election had been rigged to favour Magashule.
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Mxolisi Dukwana suggested that the national leadership of the ANC had conspired with Magashule to manipulate the electoral process in order to ensure that the Free State ANC elected a sympathetic provincial leadership: Dukwana's faction was reported to favour ANC Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, who would stand for the ANC presidency in December 2012, while Magashule was a strong supporter of incumbent ANC President Jacob Zuma.
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Six years after he fired Mxolisi Dukwana, Magashule left provincial government to become national ANC Secretary-General and was succeeded in the Premier's office by Sisi Ntombela.
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In 2019, while testifying at the Zondo Commission, Mxolisi Dukwana made a number of accusations about Magashule's alleged involvement in state capture under President Zuma's administration.
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Mxolisi Dukwana said that he believed that Magashule had sacked him as an MEC in 2012 due to his refusal to cooperate with the Guptas' proposal, as well as because he intended to challenge Magashule for the ANC chairmanship.
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On 28 September 2021, Mxolisi Dukwana was sworn in again as a Member of the Free State Provincial Legislature; News24 reported that he was expected to be in line for appointment as an MEC under Premier Ntombela.
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On 1 October 2021, Ntombela announced a cabinet reshuffle in which Mxolisi Dukwana was appointed MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
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Mxolisi Dukwana was appointed to lead the provincial party as convenor of the interim committee.
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Mxolisi Dukwana's candidature was endorsed by the provincial African National Congress Women's League Task Team.
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Mxolisi Dukwana ended up defeating Ntombela in a vote that went 346 votes for Mxolisi Dukwana and 306 for Ntombela.
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Candidates on Mxolisi Dukwana's slate made a clean sweep of the Top 5 leadership positions contested at the conference.
24.
On 27 June 2024, Mxolisi Dukwana was elected as the speaker of the Free State Provincial Legislature.