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Discover Pheli People , Places and Culture History
DR
GWEN
RAMOKGOPA
Career in the ANC
Provincial Executive Committee :
2010–2018
In May 2010, while still Tshwane
Mayor, Ramokgopa was elected
Deputy Provincial Chairperson of
the ANC in Gauteng, deputising
Paul Mashatile. At the party's next
provincial elective conference in
October 2014, she was elected ANC
Deputy Provincial Secretary, serving
Career in government under Hope Papo, and
Gwen Malegwale Ramokgopa is a completed a four-year term .
South African politician who was Health MEC: 1998–2006
elected the Treasurer-General of In 1999, she was appointed Member of the Secretary-General's ofce: 2022
the governing African National Executive Council (MEC) for Health in the Gauteng At the ANC's 54th National
Congress (ANC) in December 2022. provincial government of Gauteng Premier Conference in December 2017,
She was formerly the Deputy Mbhazima Shilowa. Ramokgopa was elected to the
Minister of Health under President party's National Executive
Jacob Zuma from October 2010 to Tshwane Mayor: 2006–2010 Committee (NEC).She was later
May 2014. In March 2006, pursuant to the 2006 local elections co-opted onto the NEC's National
, Ramokgopa was elected the rst female Mayor of Working Committee.In 2022 she
A medical doctor by training, Tshwane, leading the City of Tshwane Metropolitan assumed additional duties at the
Ramokgopa began her political Municipality.While mayor she pursued a ANC's headquarters at Luthuli
career in the provincial government stubborn campaign to rebrand Pretoria – the House: as ANC Secretary-General
of Gauteng. She was the Member of administrative capital of South Africa and part of the Ace Magashule was suspended and
the Executive Council (MEC) for Tshwane municipality – as Tshwane. Deputy Secretary-General Jessie
Health in Gauteng from 1999 to Duarte was ill, she was recruited as
2006 and again from 2017 to 2019. Deputy Minister of Health: 2010–2014 a coordinator in the Secretary-
She was also the rst female Mayor Ramokgopa left the mayoral ofce because General's ofce to assist acting
of Tshwane from 2006 until 2010, President Jacob Zuma, in a cabinet reshufe on 31 Secretary-General Paul Mashatile
when she was elevated to national October, had appointed her national Deputy (who was simultaneously fullling his
ofce. At the same time, she was a Minister of Health under Minister Aaron Motsoaledi. main role as Treasurer-General).
member of the ANC Provincial In May 2014, after the 2014 general election, she Ramokgopa was generally described
Executive Committee in Gauteng, was replaced as Deputy Minister by Joe Phaahla. as a political ally of incumbent
serving as ANC Deputy Provincial national President and ANC
Chairperson to Paul Mashatile The following year, during the #FeesMustFall President Cyril Ramaphosa.
(2010 to 2014) and then as ANC student protests, she was appointed the Chancellor
Deputy Provincial Secretary to Hope of the Tshwane University of Technology, a ANC Treasurer-General: 2022–
Papo (2014 to 2018). She was primarily ceremonial position; she remained Ahead of the ANC's 55th National
elected to the party's National Chancellor as of November 2021. Conference,
Executive Committee for the rst
time in 2017. Health MEC: 2017–2019 When the conference began in
In February 2017, Ramokgopa was returned to her
Early career and education earlier position as Gauteng MEC for Health, this December 2022, Ramokgopa
received two last-minute
time by Premier David Makhura. She succeeded
Ramokgopa was born and raised in Qedani Mahlangu, who had resigned shortly after nominations from the oor of the
conference. She declined a
Atteridgeville, a township outside the Life Esidimeni scandal broke.Upon taking nomination to stand as Deputy
Pretoria in what is now Gauteng ofce, Ramokgopa promised of the tragedy that her Secretary-General,but accepted
province (then the Transvaal).She department would "reect on this experience, as a nomination to stand as Treasurer-
qualied as a medical doctor in 1989 difcult as it is, and nd ways to restore the General.On 19 December, it
at the Medical University of South condence of our people in our health system".In was announced that she had won
Africa and worked as a medical the May 2019 general election she was not the election with 41.76% of the vote
ofcer at Ga-Rankuwa Hospital until re-elected to a seat in the Gauteng provincial in a crowded race: she received
1992.In subsequent years she held legislature and she vacated her seat on the 1,809 votes, compared with 1,652 to
several positions in public health,and Executive Council. Pule Mabe, 590 to Bejani Chauke,
later, in 2007, she received a and 281 to Mzwandile Masina.
Master's degree in public health.
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Heritage & History Foundation Page 9 March 2023 Issue 1
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