Mlibo Qoboshiyane is a South African politician who has been serving as Deputy Speaker of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature since 17 May 2018. Before that, he was the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

's Member of the Executive Council for Rural Development and Agrarian Reform from 2014 to 2018 under Premier

Phumulo Masualle Phumulo Masualle is a South African politician. He was the Premier of the Eastern Cape province in South Africa, following his appointment in 2014. Masualle, member of the African National Congress (ANC) and SA Communist Party (SACP) stalwart, wa ...

Political career

In a cabinet reshuffle announced on 27 November 2010, Noxolo Kiviet, then the Premier of the Eastern Cape, appointed Qoboshiyane to the Eastern Cape Executive Council as Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Local Government and Traditional Affairs. Qoboshiyane held that office until the 2014 general election, when he was re-elected to his seat in the

Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature The Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature is the primary legislative body of the South African province of Eastern Cape. It is unicameral in its composition, and elects the premier and the provincial cabinet from among the members of the leading par ...

, ranked second on the provincial

party list An electoral list is a grouping of candidates for election, usually found in proportional or mixed electoral systems, but also in some plurality electoral systems. An electoral list can be registered by a political party (a party list) or can ...

of the African National Congress (ANC). After the election, newly elected Premier

appointed him MEC for Rural Development and Agrarian Reform. Qoboshiyane remained in that portfolio until 9 May 2018, when Masualle effected a major cabinet reshuffle in which Qoboshiyane was fired and replaced by

Xolile Nqatha Xolile Edmund Nqatha (born 16 February 1967) is a South African politician who has been the Eastern Cape MEC for Transport and Community Safety since 2022. A member of the African National Congress, he has been a member of the Eastern Cape ...

. '' City Press'' reported that the provincial leadership of the ANC, led by Oscar Mabuyane, had forced Masualle to make the changes. Mabuyane had succeeded Masualle as ANC Provincial Chairperson at a hotly contested party elective conference in October 2017, at which Qoboshiyane had supported Masualle over Mabuyane. After he left the Executive Council, Qoboshiyane retained his legislative seat. On 17 May 2018, he was elected unopposed as the Deputy Speaker of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature; he succeeded Bulelwa Tunyiswa, who had been appointed to the Executive Council in the same reshuffle in which Qoboshiyane was fired. In the 2019 general election, Qoboshiyane was re-elected to the legislature, ranked seventh on the ANC's party list, and was re-elected as Deputy Speaker. Ahead of the ANC's next party elective conference in 2022, Qoboshiyane campaigned to replace Mabuyane as ANC Provincial Chairperson. Mabuyane and

Babalo Madikizela Babalo Madikizela is a South African urban planner and politician who served as the Eastern Cape MEC for Public Works from May 2019 to July 2022 and as a Member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature from November 2018 to August 2022. Madiki ...

were viewed as the frontrunners in the election, but Qoboshiyane presented himself as a compromise candidate leading a slate which also included MECs

Fundile Gade Fundile David Gade (born 11 October 1968) is a South African educator and politician serving as the Eastern Cape MEC (Member of the Executive Council) for Education since May 2019. He has been a Member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature f ...

and Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe. However, when the conference opened in May 2022, Qoboshiyane withdrew his name from contention and joined Madikizela's slate. Mabuyane ultimately won re-election and, at the same conference, Qoboshiyane failed to gain election to the ANC's Provincial Executive Committee.

Personal life

Qoboshiyane has a twin sister, Mlibokazi; their birthday is 16 June. He is married to Vatiswa Qoboshiyane.

References

External links

* {{Members of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Members of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature African National Congress politicians 21st-century South African politicians South African twins