Mandisa Makesini is a South African politician who has been a member of the National Assembly of South Africa since February 2023, representing the

Economic Freedom Fighters The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is a South African left-wing to far-left pan-Africanist and Marxist–Leninist political party. It was founded by expelled former African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) President Julius Malema, and hi ...

party. She previously served in the

Free State Provincial Legislature The Free State Provincial Legislature is the primary legislative body of the South African province of Free State. It is unicameral in its composition, and elects the premier and the executive council from among the members of the leading party ...

. Makesini is a former provincial chairperson of the EFF.

Political career

Makesini was elected to the

in the 2014 general election alongside

Jacob Tshabalala Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Isla ...

as one of two members of the

. At the EFF's provincial conference in September 2018, Makesini was elected provincial chairperson of the EFF, defeating incumbent Kgotso Morapela by three votes. On her election, Makesini said that it was a sign that

patriarchy Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of dominance and privilege are primarily held by men. It is used, both as a technical anthropological term for families or clans controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males a ...

was being defeated. Makesini was re-elected to a second term in the provincial legislature in

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

. She unsuccessfully sought re-election as EFF provincial chairperson at the party's conference in November 2022, losing to Mapheule Liphoko in a vote that went 343 for Liphoko and 278 votes for Makesini. EFF President Julius Malema lamented her loss, criticising the delegates for not electing a woman as provincial chairperson. Makesini resigned from the provincial legislature in January 2023 and was replaced by Liphoko. She was subsequently sworn in as a member of the National Assembly of South Africa on 8 February 2023.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Makesini, Mandisa Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Sotho people Economic Freedom Fighters politicians Members of the Free State Provincial Legislature Women members of provincial legislatures of South Africa Members of the National Assembly of South Africa Women members of the National Assembly of South Africa