Executive Council of the Western Cape explained

The Executive Council of the Western Cape is the cabinet of the executive branch of the provincial government in the South African province of the Western Cape. The Members of the Executive Council (MECs) are appointed from among the members of the Western Cape Provincial Legislature by the Premier of the Western Cape, an office held since the 2019 general election by Alan Winde. The council is referred to as the Executive Council in the national Constitution, but is denoted the Provincial Cabinet of the Western Cape in the Western Cape Constitution.

Rasool premiership: 2004–2008

Following his election as Premier in the 2004 general election, Ebrahim Rasool announced his new Provincial Cabinet on 30 April 2004.[1] On 26 July 2005, he announced a reshuffle affecting three portfolios, in which two new Provincial Ministers were appointed – one incumbent, Chris Stali, was fired, and another, Mcebisi Skwatsha, had resigned to take up the full-time position of Provincial Secretary of the African National Congress (ANC).[2]

Term
Premier of the Western CapeEbrahim Rasool20042008
Provincial Minister of Finance, Economic Development and TourismLynne Brown20042008
Provincial Minister of HealthPierre Uys20042008
Provincial Minister of EducationCameron Dugmore20042008
Provincial Minister of Public Works and TransportMarius Fransman20052008
Mcebisi Skwatsha20042005
Provincial Minister of Local Government and HousingRichard Dyantyi20052008
Marius Fransman20042005
Provincial Minister of Community SafetyLeonard Ramatlakane20042008
Provincial Minister of AgricultureCobus Dowry20042008
Provincial Minister of Environmental Affairs and Development PlanningTasneem Essop20042008
Provincial Minister of Social Services and Poverty AlleviationKholeka Mqulwana20042008
Provincial Minister of Sports and CultureWhitey Jacobs20052008
Chris Stali20042005

Brown premiership: 2008–2009

Lynne Brown was sworn in as Premier in July 2008 after the incumbent, Ebrahim Rasool, resigned at the request of the ANC, his political party. Later the same week, she announced a wide-ranging cabinet reshuffle in which four new provincial ministers were appointed and most others changed portfolios, leaving only one minister, Cobus Dowry, in his initial position.[3] [4] Brown fired two ministers who had been viewed as aligned to Rasool – Leonard Ramatlakane and Richard Dyantyi – and one of Rasool's other ministers, Tasneem Essop, had resigned in the aftermath of Rasool's own departure.[5]

Term
Premier of the Western CapeLynne Brown20082009
Provincial Minister of Finance, Economic Development and TourismGarth Strachan20082009
Provincial Minister of HealthMarius Fransman20082009
Provincial Minister of EducationYousuf Gabru20082009
Provincial Minister of Transport and Public WorksKholeka Mqulwana20082009
Provincial Minister of Local Government and HousingWhitey Jacobs20082009
Provincial Minister of Community SafetyPatrick McKenzie20082009
Provincial Minister of AgricultureCobus Dowry20082009
Provincial Minister of Environmental Affairs and Development PlanningPierre Uys20082009
Provincial Minister of Social DevelopmentZodwa Magwaza20082009
Provincial Minister of Sport and Cultural AffairsCameron Dugmore20082009

Zille premiership

First term: 2009–2014

In May 2009, following her election in the 2009 general election, Premier Helen Zille announced her new Provincial Cabinet.[6] [7] In early September 2010, she announced her first reshuffle: only three portfolios were affected, but two ministers – Lennit Max and Sakkie Jenner – were fired from the cabinet.[8] In the 2011 local government elections, Social Development Minister Patricia de Lille was elected Mayor of Cape Town; in a minor reshuffle on 29 May, Zille announced that de Lille would be replaced by Albert Fritz, who in turn would be replaced in the Community Safety portfolio by Dan Plato.[9]

Term!Party
Premier of the Western CapeHelen Zille20092014DA
Provincial Minister of Finance, Economic Development and TourismAlan Winde20092014DA
Provincial Minister of HealthTheuns Botha20092014DA
Provincial Minister of EducationDonald Grant20092014DA
Provincial Minister of Transport and Public WorksRobin Carlisle20092014DA
Provincial Minister of HousingBonginkosi Madikizela20092014DA
Provincial Minister of Community SafetyDan Plato20112014DA
Albert Fritz20102011DA
Lennit Max20092010DA
Provincial Minister of AgricultureGerrit van Rensburg20092014DA
Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development PlanningAnton Bredell20092014DA
Provincial Minister of Social DevelopmentAlbert Fritz20112014DA
Patricia de Lille20102011ID
Ivan Meyer20092010DA
Provincial Minister of Cultural Affairs and SportIvan Meyer20102014DA
Sakkie Jenner20092010ID

Second term: 2014–2019

After her re-election in the 2014 general election, Zille announced her new Provincial Cabinet, to be sworn in on 26 May 2014; she appointed two new MECs, Nomafrench Mbombo and Debbie Schäfer, who had not served in the cabinet during her first term.[10] [11] On 31 December 2014, Zille announced that Mbombo, who until then served as Provincial Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, would swap portfolios with Health Minister Theuns Botha, effective from 1 January 2015.[12] Botha resigned from the Executive Council in April 2015 and was replaced by Anroux Marais.[13] Finally, on 19 October 2018, Zille announced that Alan Winde would become Provincial Minister of Community Safety, replacing Dan Plato, who in turn would succeed former Minister Patricia de Lille as Mayor of Cape Town; Beverley Schäfer was appointed to the cabinet to replace Winde in the renamed Economic Opportunities portfolio.[14]

Term
Premier of the Western CapeHelen Zille20142019
Provincial Minister of FinanceIvan Meyer20142019
Provincial Minister of HealthNomafrench Mbombo20142019
Theuns Botha20142015
Provincial Minister of EducationDebbie Schäfer20142019
Provincial Minister of Economic OpportunitiesBeverley Schäfer20182019
Provincial Minister of Agriculture and Economic DevelopmentAlan Winde20142018
Provincial Minister of Transport and Public WorksDonald Grant20142019
Provincial Minister of Human SettlementsBonginkosi Madikizela20142019
Provincial Minister of Community SafetyAlan Winde20182019
Dan Plato20142018
Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development PlanningAnton Bredell20142019
Provincial Minister of Social DevelopmentAlbert Fritz20142019
Provincial Minister of Cultural Affairs and SportAnroux Marais20152019
Theuns Botha20152015
Nomafrench Mbombo20142015

Winde premiership: 2019–present

First term: 2019–2024

On 23 May 2019, following his election in the 2019 general election, Premier Alan Winde announced his new cabinet.[15] On 24 May 2021, he appointed Daylin Mitchell as Provincial Minister for Transport and Public Works after the former incumbent, Bonginkosi Madikizela, resigned amid a qualifications fraud scandal.[16] In early 2022, two vacancies arose in the cabinet after Albert Fritz was fired from the Community Safety portfolio[17] and Debbie Schäfer resigned from the Education portfolio.[18] On 22 April that year, Winde announced a reshuffle that would fill the vacancies and create two newly reconfigured portfolios, Mobility and Infrastructure.[19] [20] In February 2023, Winde appointed Ricardo Mackenzie as the Minister of Mobility after Daylin Mitchell was elected speaker of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament.[21]

Term
Premier of the Western CapeAlan Winde20192024
Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic OpportunitiesMireille Wenger20222024
David Maynier20192022
Provincial Minister of HealthNomafrench Mbombo20192024
Provincial Minister of EducationDavid Maynier20222024
Debbie Schäfer20192022
Provincial Minister of MobilityRicardo Mackenzie20232024
Daylin Mitchell20222022
Provincial Minister of Transport and Public WorksDaylin Mitchell20212022
Bonginkosi Madikizela20192021
Provincial Minister of InfrastructureTertius Simmers20222024
Provincial Minister of Human SettlementsTertius Simmers20192022
Provincial Minister of Community Safety and Police OversightReagan Allen20222024
Provincial Minister of Community SafetyAlbert Fritz20192022
Provincial Minister of AgricultureIvan Meyer20192024
Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development PlanningAnton Bredell20192024
Provincial Minister of Social DevelopmentSharna Fernandez20192024
Provincial Minister of Cultural Affairs and SportAnroux Marais20192024

Second term

On 13 June 2024, Winde was re-elected for his second term as premier following the 2024 provincial election.[22] He appointed his new provincial cabinet shortly afterwards.[23]

Term
Premier of the Western CapeAlan Winde2024Incumbent
Provincial Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and TourismIvan Meyer2024Incumbent
Provincial Minister of Health and WellnessMireille Wenger2024Incumbent
Provincial Minister of EducationDavid Maynier2024Incumbent
Provincial Minister of InfrastructureTertuis Simmers2024Incumbent
Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs, and Development PlanningAnton Bredell2024Incumbent
Provincial Minister of Community Safety and Police OversightAnroux Marais2024Incumbent
Provincial Minister of MobilityIsaac Sileku2024Incumbent
Provincial Minister of FinanceDeidré Baartman2024Incumbent
Provincial Minister of Social DevelopmentJaco Londt2024Incumbent
Provincial Minister of Sport and Cultural AffairsRicardo Mackenzie2024Incumbent

References

  1. Web site: 30 April 2004 . Rasool: Announcement of Western Cape Cabinet . 2023-01-20 . Polity . en.
  2. Web site: 26 July 2005 . Rasool names new MECs . 2023-01-20 . News24 . en-US.
  3. Web site: 1 August 2008 . Brown unveils new Cabinet . 2023-01-20 . News24 . en-US.
  4. Web site: 2008-08-02 . New Western Cape cabinet announced . 2023-01-20 . The Mail & Guardian . en-ZA.
  5. Web site: 31 July 2008 . Two Western Cape MECs fired . 2023-01-20 . News24 . en-US.
  6. Web site: 8 May 2009 . Zille's cabinet for the Western Cape . 2023-01-20 . Politicsweb . en.
  7. Web site: 2009-05-08 . Zille appoints Western Cape Cabinet . 2023-01-20 . The Mail & Guardian . en-ZA.
  8. Web site: 6 September 2010 . 'Zille should explain her cabinet changes' . 2023-01-20 . EWN . en.
  9. Web site: 29 May 2011 . Helen Zille: Announcement of Cabinet Reshuffle . 2023-01-20 . Western Cape Government . en.
  10. Web site: 21 May 2014 . Premier Helen Zille Announces New Cabinet . 2023-01-20 . Western Cape Government . en.
  11. Web site: 2014-05-21 . Zille adds two women to Western Cape cabinet . 2023-01-20 . The Mail & Guardian . en-ZA.
  12. Web site: 31 December 2014 . Zille cracks whip in Cabinet reshuffle . 2023-01-20 . News24 . en-US.
  13. Web site: 21 April 2015 . WC govt announces new Cultural Affairs and Sport MEC . 2023-01-20 . EWN . en.
  14. Web site: 19 October 2018 . Business hails Zille reshuffle sparked by Plato mayoral move . 2023-01-20 . Sunday Times . en-ZA.
  15. Web site: Felix . Jason . 23 May 2019 . WC Premier Alan Winde names his Cabinet . 2023-01-20 . EWN . en.
  16. Web site: Payne . Suné . 2021-05-24 . Daylin Mitchell appointed Western Cape Transport and Public Works MEC following Bonginkosi Madikizela's resignation . 2023-01-20 . Daily Maverick . en.
  17. Web site: Payne . Suné . 2022-03-01 . Albert Fritz deemed 'not fit and proper', fired from provincial cabinet after sexual misconduct probe . 2023-01-20 . Daily Maverick . en.
  18. Web site: Payne . Suné . 2022-04-21 . Long-standing MEC for Education Debbie Schäfer resigns to take up job in UK . 2023-01-20 . Daily Maverick . en.
  19. Web site: 22 April 2022 . Premier Alan Winde on changes to the Western Cape Provincial Cabinet South African Government . 2023-01-20 . South African Government.
  20. Web site: Evans . Jenni . 22 April 2022 . Western Cape Premier Alan Winde announces 3 new portfolios in cabinet reshuffle . 2023-01-20 . News24 . en-US.
  21. News: Tshuma . Nomalanga . Ricardo Mackenzie appointed as new head of the Western Cape’s Mobility Department . en . 2023-02-20.
  22. Web site: Charles . Marvin . DA's Alan Winde re-elected premier of the Western Cape, Mitchell re-elected as speaker . 2024-06-13 . News24 . en-US.
  23. Web site: Premier Winde announces his new Cabinet . 2024-06-13 . Western Cape Government . en.