20 Facts About Soviet Lekganyane

Molapi Soviet Lekganyane was born on 18 April 1974 and is a South African politician from Limpopo who has represented the African National Congress in the National Assembly since June 2024.

Soviet Lekganyane was elected to a five-year term on the ANC's National Executive Committee in December 2022.

Soviet Lekganyane served two partial terms in the Limpopo Provincial Legislature from 2009 to 2012 and from 2014 to 2018; during the first period, he was the Member of the Limpopo Executive Council for Local Government and Housing.

Soviet Lekganyane rose to political prominence in the South African Communist Party of Limpopo province: he was elected as Provincial Secretary of the SACP's Limpopo branch from August 2008 to March 2011.

Soviet Lekganyane was a member of the African National Congress, the SACP's close ally, and was a member of the ANC's Provincial Executive Committee in Limpopo by 2011.

In December 2011, Soviet Lekganyane was elected to the powerful position of Provincial Secretary of the Limpopo ANC.

Soviet Lekganyane won the election by about 100 votes, receiving 601 votes against the 517 for the incumbent, Joe Maswanganyi.

Soviet Lekganyane ran on an informal slate aligned to Premier Mathale, who won election as ANC Provincial Chairperson at the same party conference.

Soviet Lekganyane was named as part of a slate aligned to Dickson Masemola, who intended to contest for the party chairmanship.

Soviet Lekganyane was listed 31st on the ANC's provincial electoral list in the 2014 general election and won a seat in the Limpopo Provincial Legislature.

Towards the end of his term in the legislature, Soviet Lekganyane stood again for election as ANC Provincial Secretary in Limpopo.

The SACP opposed Soviet Lekganyane's candidacy, saying that he had a poor record as a leader both in the ANC and in the SACP.

Nonetheless, at the next provincial elective conference held in Polokwane in June 2018, Soviet Lekganyane won the election, beating ANC Youth League Provincial Chairperson Lehlogonolo Masoga with 931 votes to Masoga's 618.

Also while secretary, Soviet Lekganyane was accused of assaulting another ANC member during a party branch meeting in Polokwane.

The altercation took place on 5 June 2021 during an argument about the nomination of candidates to stand for the ANC in the 2021 local government elections; the complainant alleged that Soviet Lekganyane assaulted him, "grabbing me by my private parts", and saying "today I'm going to kill you".

Ahead of the expiry of his term as ANC Provincial Secretary in June 2022, Soviet Lekganyane ran for re-election, on a slate broadly opposed to Stan Mathabatha, the incumbent ANC Provincial Chairperson and Premier.

Soviet Lekganyane's candidacy was initially opposed by Danny Msiza, but Msiza was obliged by the ANC's step-aside policy to withdraw his name from contention.

Shortly after the provincial elective conference, in December 2022, the ANC held its 55th National Conference at Nasrec, where Soviet Lekganyane stood for election to the party's National Executive Committee.

Soviet Lekganyane was appointed as a member of the ANC National Disciplinary Committee of Appeal and as the head of the NEC's delegation to the party's provincial branch in the North West Province.

Soviet Lekganyane was elected to a seat in the National Assembly, the lower house of the South African Parliament.