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Sello Lehari

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Sello Lehari
MPL
Member of the North West Executive Council for Health
Incumbent
Assumed office
21 June 2024
PremierLazarus Mokgosi
Preceded byMadoda Sambatha
Member of the North West Executive Council for Community Safety and Transport Management
In office
28 May 2019 – 14 June 2024
Premier
Preceded byMpho Motlhabane
Member of the North West Executive Council for Education and Sport Development
In office
May 2016 – 28 May 2019
Premier
Preceded byWendy Matsemela
Succeeded byWendy Matsemela (for Education)
Personal details
CitizenshipSouth Africa
Political partyAfrican National Congress

Jonas Sello Lehari is a South African politician who is currently serving as Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Health in the North West. He formerly served as MEC for Community Safety and transport Management from May 2019 until June 2024, as MEC for Education and Sports Development from May 2016 to May 2019, and before that as Mayor of Moretele Local Municipality. In August 2022, he was additionally elected Provincial Treasurer of the North West branch of his political party, the African National Congress (ANC).

Life and career

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Lehari was born on 22 February and grew up in Moeka, a village near Moretele in present-day North West province.[1] His father was Amos Lehari (died August 2022).[2] By 2015, Lehari was the Mayor of Moretele Local Municipality and the Regional Chairperson of the ANC's branch in Bojanala.[3]

In February 2015, at an ANC elective conference in Mahikeng, he was elected as Deputy Provincial Chairperson of the ANC's North West branch, serving under Supra Mahumapelo. China Dodovu had been expected to contest the position, on an opposing slate of candidates aligned to Mahumapelo's rival Nono Maloyi, but Lehari was ultimately elected unopposed.[3] The Mail & Guardian said that Lehari was viewed as a close political ally of Mahumapelo, and critics accused Lehari of interfering improperly in the ANC's process for selecting election candidates ahead of the 2016 local government elections, an accusation denied by Lehari.[4]

On 8 May 2016, Mahumapelo, in his capacity as Premier of the North West, announced a cabinet reshuffle in which Lehari was appointed MEC for Education and Sport Development.[5] He remained in that position throughout the rest of Mahumapelo's term in office and into the term of Premier Job Mokgoro.[6] In 2017, his house in Moeka was burned down when a protest about access to clean water turned violent.[7][8]

Lehari's term as ANC Deputy Provincial Chairperson ended prematurely in 2018 when the ANC National Executive Committee disbanded the entire leadership corps of the provincial party.[9] By that time, he was viewed as a likely contender to succeed Mahumapelo as ANC Provincial Chairperson.[10][11]

In the 2019 general election, Lehari was ranked fifth on the ANC's provincial party list and was elected to a seat in the North West Provincial Legislature.[12] Pursuant to the election, on 28 May 2019, Premier Mokgoro announced his new Executive Council, in which Lehari was moved to the Community Safety and Transport Management portfolio.[13][14] In August 2022 in Rustenberg, he was elected Provincial Treasurer of the North West ANC, serving under new Provincial Chairperson Nono Maloyi, whose candidacy was endorsed by Mahumapelo.[15][16] Lehari won in a vote against Lenah Miga, earning 380 votes to Miga's 280.[17]

Former North West Education MEC Sello Lehari’s successor was instructed to apologize for Lehari's conduct after Lehari was found to have falsely accused teacher Elana Barkhuizen of racism.[18]

Sambatha was appointed as the MEC for Health following the 2024 general election.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Happy Birthday MEC Lehari". Department of Community Safety and Transport Management. 22 February 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Premier Bushy Maape sends condolences to the bereaved family of Lehari". South African Government. 23 August 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Supra Mahumapelo re-elected ANC North West leader". The Mail & Guardian. 14 February 2015. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  4. ^ "North West ANC members cry foul over candidate lists". The Mail & Guardian. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  5. ^ "North West cabinet reshuffle sees four new members". Business Day. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  6. ^ "North West premier fires four MECs and recycles cabinet". Sowetan. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Man describes horror of seeing brother shot dead as protest turns violent". Sowetan. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  8. ^ "Angry residents torch North West MEC's house, cars". The Citizen. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  9. ^ "ANC North West elects Supra Mahumapelo-endorsed top 5". Sowetan. 15 August 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  10. ^ du Plessis, Carien (27 February 2018). "Ramaphosa's state of the nation is taking shape, but the provinces are in dire need of TLC". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  11. ^ "Supra's time running out as North West chaos continues". News24. 25 February 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  12. ^ "Jonas Sello Lehari". People's Assembly. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Premier Job Mokgoro on announcement new North West Provincial Executive Council". South African Government. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  14. ^ Stone, Setumo (28 May 2019). "Supra allies out as Mokgoro makes sweeping changes in North West". City Press. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  15. ^ "Some delegates threaten court action over outcomes of 9th ANC North West Conference". SABC News. 15 August 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  16. ^ "Maloyi's North West victory a boost for Paul Mashatile". Business Day. 15 August 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  17. ^ "ANC North West announces its top five following conference". IOL. 15 August 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  18. ^ "North West MEC put Schweizer-Reneke teacher's life in danger, falsely accused her of racism - SAHRC". IOL. 20 January 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  19. ^ "Collen Maine returns as MEC as NW premier names new cabinet". Jacaranda FM. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
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